Warwick nursery relaunches toy library for community

Warwick Nursery School, in Coventry Road, recently relaunched a toy library which offers the opportunity for families to borrow a range of toys.

A toy library has been at Warwick Nursery School since it was first set up before 2008, run by the children’s centre.

Following the reorganisation of children’s centres in 2018, Barnardo’s was unable to continue to run it.

Warwick Nursery School did not want the community resource to cease, so took the decision to save it.

As an ‘eco-school’ Warwick Nursery School is committed to preserving the environment and the toy library also adds to this commitment by reusing toys.

A spokesperson from Warwick Nursery School said: “Warwick Toy Library is a non-profit making community service offering families/carers of children aged 0 to five years the opportunity to borrow a range of toys.

“It is a community resource that supports child development and learning. Membership is open to all families and childcare providers. The staff at Warwick Nursery School are extremely grateful for the help given by our team of volunteers who have enabled Warwick Toy Library to reopen.”

Warwick Toy Library also received a community grant from Warwick Town Council to help replace existing toys and purchase new toys.

A spokesperson from Warwick Town Council said: “We gave the nursery a grant of £2,610 to relaunch their new library – our money has gone towards the new toys within the library and the advertising and promotion of the relaunch.”

The spokesperson from Warwick Nursery School added: “The range of toys on offer engage parents and children in play and help support child development through promoting speech, fine motor skills, literacy and numeracy.

“It is our intention in the future, with further grant funding and income from membership, that the Toy Library will expand from a click-and-collect service to a stand-alone session at Warwick Nursery School.”

The Toy Library will operate through a website where parents can view and order toys to be collected from Warwick Nursery School on the ‘stay-and-play’ session on Fridays from 1pm to 2.30pm, or on another day by arrangement.

Parents and carers can go in choose toys and speak to staff who can advise parents with child development and learning concerns or queries.

There is an annual membership as well as a termly membership for the toy library and families in receipt of benefits will be exempt from the annual fee.

As an opening offer, all families that join now will receive membership until July 2020.

For more information on the toy library click here or call: 01926 492701.

Warwick Nursery School is having an open morning on June 22 from 10am to 11.30am if anyone would like to find out more about the toy library and ‘stay-and-play’ sessions as well as visiting the nursery’s facilities.