Toy Library
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Donate to EarlyEd's Cubby House Toy Library Today!
Help us to lend more toys to more families and keep toys out of landfill.
Play and Engage
Toys and play ideas to support babies and toddlers to learn
EarlyEd Toy Library is building a collection of resources for all children of all abilities.
The first set is for babies and toddlers. We will be adding to them over the next few months.
We will take a common toy from our library and show families how to play in ways that supports their child’s development. Then we will add similar play ideas with common items that you find around the house.
Toy Library
More choice, less clutter, less waste
Why buy when you can borrow?
Choose from a wide range of toys and games suitable for children from birth to primary school age.
Cubby House Toy Library
Supporting children and their families to learn and play in a sustainable way.
Purpose
To support a growing community of Australian not-for-profit toy libraries, encouraging families to play and learn together in a sustainable way.
Where is the Main Toy Library?
The Toy Library is located at the rear of Forestville Senior Citizens’ Centre
Cnr Starkey Street & Warringah Road, Forestville.
Parking is available adjacent to the library on the southern side of the Memorial Hall.
Toy Library Hours of Operation
Browsing & borrowing at Forestville:
Cubby House Toy Library
3 Starkey St Forestville NSW 2087
Mondays 12.00 – 2.30pm
Wednesdays 10.30 – 11.30am
Thursdays 10.00am – 2.00pm
Click & Collect available by appointment:
Cubby House Toy Library
Forestville
3 Starkey St Forestville NSW 2087
Mondays
12:00 – 2:30pm
Wednesdays
10.30 – 11:30am
Thursdays
10:00 – 2.00pm
EarlyEd Centre
3 Cunningham St North Sydney NSW 2060
Tuesdays
11.00am – 12.30pm
Wednesdays
11.00am – 12.30pm
Manly Library – Northern Beaches Council
1 Market Ln, Manly NSW 2095
Thursdays
10.30 – 11.00am
(after Story Time)
Mona Vale Library – Northern Beaches Council
1 Park St Mona Vale NSW 2103
Thursdays
10.30 – 11.00am
(after Story Time)
St Ives
1A Acron Road St Ives NSW 2075
Mondays
11.30am – 12.00pm
(after MyTime)
About the Toy Library
What is the cost?
12 month membership:
- General public: $100 per year (plus $30 bond)
- EarlyEd families: $80 per year ($0 bond)
Are you a concession or pension card holder? If you need any financial assistance to access the toy library then please speak with one of the toy library staff.
Loan period
Up to 4 weeks. Families may change toys more frequently.
Number of items per loan
5 Toys and 5 Children’s Books or Parent References.
Joining for Agencies
Enquire online or call us on (02) 9923 2727 for more information. Call us to discuss your needs with our staff, or to make an appointment.
To Donate
- Specialist toys or equipment in good condition:
Please contact us if you wish to donate items.
- Volunteer costs / Coordinator costs:
Our current funding does not cover all our costs to run the toy library.
Whatever way you look at it, your donation is supporting the lives of families, learning by children and environment in your community.
Cubby House Toy Library is part of EarlyEd, which is a registered charity, and all donations above $2.00 are tax deductible.
Individual Therapy Appointments
Book an individual appointment with an EarlyEd Physiotherapist, Occupational Therapist or Speech Pathologist. Available to members at $193.99 by appointment only.
Toys, Games and Books available
EarlyEd’s Toy Library has a wide range of toys, games, books, and therapy/gross motor equipment. We also have a parents’ reference library providing books on topics including speech, language and learning difficulties.
Hygiene
Families are required to clean toys before returning them. Please advise staff if there has been any illness or COVID infections recently in the home, so staff can take additional measures.
Play ideas – for all children
Click here to find out about other ways to support your child’s play. These ideas are low cost, no costs and great for children at all developmental levels. We know families are busy so we select ideas that are family friendly.
By being low cost, no costs they are also sustainable.
They cover active play, nature play, play in everyday environments, exploratory play. They support all key learning areas – literacy, numeracy, science, physical development, social, communication, cognitive.
Toy are great fun and motivate learning but don’t forget about the important learning opportunities that occur across the day every day.
Early Childhood Settings
The Cubby House Toy Library provides early childhood centres with access to a range of toys and resources suitable for young children. EarlyEd can also support your staff with ideas and strategies that can be used to encourage development while in engaging in play. Contact us to learn more.
Reuse, Recycle and Repair
To donate:
The Toy Library is in need of quality, well maintained, clean toys. We can’t use soft toys.
Please contact us if you wish to donate specialist toys or equipment in good condition so that we can check that it is what the library is in need of.
Involved with recycling:
EarlyEd is committed to supporting reuse, recycling and repair approaches in the community and keeping toys out of our waste. Please be in touch if there are ways we can be more involved with these community approaches.
There are many organisations in the local community that are happy to recycle toys and may also repair them. Go to https://recyclingnearyou.com.au for local recycling opportunities.
This Northern Beaches Council link shares local waste reduction opportunities.
Cubby House Toy Library Supporters
Cubby House Toy Library couldn’t have operated and delivered support and early education experiences for over 40 years without the support of our community. Apart from our amazing volunteers and members the toy library has some key community supporters.
Over the years Northern Beaches Council has always supported the library with accommodation. Recently a partnership with Northern Beaches Council Libraries has resulted in the Toy Library establishing Click and Collect sites at Manly and Mona Vale after a trial starting in April 2023.
The NSW Department of Education is contributing to the library’s operation under Start Strong Pathways funding. This funding ensures the availability of a consistent coordinator to manage the operations of the library and involvement of an educator and allied health practitioners to support toy choice and advice for individual family members.
Where would be though without the support of ClubGrants particularly Dee Why RSL?
Manly Warringah Rugby League Club, Pittwater RSL, The Beach Collaroy and Forestville RSL have also over the years contributed to the support of the toy library.
North Sydney Leagues Club Ltd ClubGrants have contributed to funding EarlyEd to offer an off-site Click and Collect drop off and pick-up service at EarlyEd’s North Sydney office.
All these contributions help us to reach more families.
Click the image to download the Cubby House
Toy Library Brochure
Click the image to download the Cubby House
Toy Library History Brochure
Play and Engage
EarlyEd Toy Library is building a collection of resources for all children of all abilities.
The first set is for babies and toddlers. We will be adding to them over the next few months.
Every toy can be played with in different ways.
The way a child plays with a toy depends primarily on their motor and cognitive development.
A child who is learning to sit won’t be able to way with a toy the same way that a child can walk and talk.
They will be so busy managing to sit that will find holding, using and reaching out for a toy very challenging.
To help a child to start to play we need to help them be positioned so they are stable and feel safe.
The way a child uses a toy also depends on their experience. Every time they play and explore with a toy, they learn more about how do things with it.
That’s why they play with it over and over and play with it differently when they come back to it later.
Getting Help
If your baby or child is finding play challenging ask your early childhood nurse, GP or therapy team.
These tip sheets will also give you ideas.
Sponsors
Toy Libraries Australia – Supporting Children With Additional Support Needs grant funded by Australian Government Department of Social Services