World Play Day - Monday 28th May

The theme for World Play Day is Free Play - encouraging people to slow down for simple unstructured play with their children.

World Play Day kick starts Toy Library Awareness week in New Zealand which runs until Sunday 3 June 2018.

There are nearly 200 local toy libraries across New Zealand that support families and children in their local communities, by providing access to a wide range of toys, games, and puzzles for hire. For many families hiring toys gives their children access to toys that are not easily affordable to buy, and allows children to come to a toy library and explore all the different toys on offer.

It is proven that play is an essential component of child development and many schools are incorporating play as a tool to support learning in the classroom.

Local toy libraries have many toys that encourage free play, including:

• Dress ups, role playing toys such as doctor’s kits, play kitchens, cash registers which are considered good for the brain. Studies say that the act of staying in character strengthens children’s discipline and impulse-control, and promotes the social skills they will need as adults.

• Model cars, dolls and animal figurines. Regardless of the child’s gender, these toys are great for creative play, allowing children to create scenarios with the toys.

• Blocks and other construction toys. Children can use these toys to make garages for their cars, stalls for their plastic animals, or castles for their royals. Or just build them up and knock them down!

Hiring from a toy library is also a great way to care for our environment. It is estimated that over 25% of toys thrown away each year go straight into the rubbish bin. Very few toys are good candidates for recycling, as they are made from mixed components. Toy library members can reduce the amount they throw out by hiring rather than buying.

You can find your local toy library at http://www.toylibrary.co.nz/find-toy-library/

Local libraries have events planned all over New Zealand http://www.toylibrary.co.nz/contact-us/toy-library-awareness-week-2018/

© Scoop Media