Toy libraries should be a core part of children's centres and schools, according to a new report from children's services think-tank Capacity.
Toy Libraries: Their benefits for children, families and communities was launched at a seminar at the House of Commons on Tuesday (12 June). The report said more toy lending schemes are needed to help improve access to play for children affected by poverty and for children with disabilities and special needs.
Play Matters, also known as the National Association for Toy and Leisure Libraries, commissioned Capacity to analyse the work of toy libraries and how they help parents, children and the wider community.
Toy libraries typically offer a range of services, with the common factor being that they all lend toys. They have been operating in England since the 1960s, and currently around 1,000 libraries in the UK serve 250,000 children and their families.
The study selected five case studies of toy libraries operating in deprived areas. The research was conducted via interviews with staff, volunteers and parent users together with reviews of reports and other data.
'The relationship between play, education and securing good outcomes for children is sufficiently established to suggest that toy libraries should be included within the core offer of all children's centres,' said the report.
Margaret Lochrie of Capacity said, 'We would like to see toy lending extended to areas where it is not currently available. It is not incredibly expensive and it would be a good idea for all children's centres to offer this service. We spoke to parents who said toy lending is the only way their children can have access to toys that other children enjoy.
'Parents also told us it gives them a reason to come to the centres, so it can be a very positive way to help children's centres engage with the most disadvantaged.'