Select good toys for your collection

For toy libraries, toys are usually their biggest expense and largest asset. At a minimum, toys must be safe but continuously updating your collection with high quality, engaging toys will keep current members interested and attract new members. 

Most toy libraries dedicate a committee member role to oversee the toy buying process. This role can include: 

• Understand toy types and their roles in children’s development 

• Analysing borrowing data to identify trends and gaps in the collection 

• Researching and obtaining quotes for toys for grant applications or proposed purchasing 

• Ensuring toys comply with ANZ toy safety standards, and meet insurance requirements 

• Purchasing toys as approved by committee, or as delegated. 

• Ensuring cataloguing of new toys is accurate and complete 

• Ensuring safety and maintenance of toy collection 

**LINK Toy Buyer position description

For information on how to fund your toy purchases, please head to QS 6 - Managing the Money.

Insurance 

Toy libraries who are covered under the group Toy Libraries Australia insurance policy must ensure that they comply with relevant restrictions on toys.  Every year, each toy library must attend or view the Insurance Update webinar, which details any changes, and provides a refresher on included toys, “hard no” excluded toys, and grey areas where committee needs to manage the risks associated. 

Key Exclusions 

• Jumping Castles and inflatable slides 

• Professional sports equipment or musical instruments (i.e. full size trampoline, full size adult drum kit) 

• Bikes with chains, battery powered e-bikes, adult scooters, petrol fueled ride ons 

• Baby equipment (i.e. bumbos, bouncers, portacots, jolly jumpers, seated baby walkers) 

For detailed insurance information, see Quality Standard 2.4

Toy Community

Toy Community connects TLA member toy libraries with exclusive wholesale or discounted rates from over 40 trusted Australian suppliers and distributors.  Our featured suppliers are screened to ensure they meet TLA safety requirements and are compatible with toy library needs.  Toy Community’s focus is accessing a wide variety of toys typically found in toy library collections. 

Each member toy library may have one login to Toy Community. All purchases made using Toy Community discounts must be only for your toy library, and not for personal or other organisation use.

 Toy Purchasing Criteria

Good quality toys may be more expensive but will last longer. Choose brands with a good reputation. A robust Toy and Equipment policy will give clear direction to volunteers and staff for the toys that will be good value for your specific needs.

• Choose larger toys that families would not necessarily buy due to cost and storage problems. 

• Choose strong toys that are easy to clean and keep in good repair. 

• Avoid soft toys or toys with fabrics. They are harder to keep clean and looking good. . 

• Select toys that will develop a wide range of skills such as hand-eye co-ordination, gross and fine motor skills, hearing, language and imagination. Toy Libraries Australia has a great set of bright coloured posters that can be put up around the toy library with play skill suggestions. 

• Look for versatile toys that can be used in different ways or by a wide age group.  

• Select brands that can provide replacement parts that may extend the life of a toy. 

• Find out what other toy libraries find popular – searching in our Facebook Discussion Group can bring up some fantastic threads. 

• Try to avoid ‘fad’ toys that may be unpopular in six months time, such as film or television merchandise. They tend to cost more and are – unfortunately – often poorly constructed. 

  
  

When toy buying remember to consider, 

• Durability– tough is best! 

• Child appeal– will children be drawn to the toy? 

• Encourage positive beliefs – toys should be non-violent, non-gendered, and secular. 

• Embrace a multicultural demographic – if your goal is to make your toy library accessible to your larger community, make sure that your materials and resources appeal to the different racial and cultural groups in your area. 

• Other needs – in addition to serving young children, consider the how your toy library could support older siblings, parents, seniors and children with additional needs. 

Toy Donations & Used Toy Purchases

Donations can be the launching point for many new toy libraries, and a source of quality toys to replace broken and retired stock over time. In fact, many "old favourites" can be resurrected with a donation that has been sitting in storage since the toy went out of production.

However, it is important for your Toy and Equipment Policy to include a donations section to guide what you will and won't accept, and empower staff and volunteers to make good decisions. Toy libraries should:

• apply the same standards to donated and second-hand toys as to new toys

• avoid becoming a dumping ground for unwanted items

• consider volunteer/staff assessment, cleaning and processing time as a factor in accepting donations

• check historical toy recalls for issues with donated and used toys.

  
  

It’s appropriate for toy libraries to:

• say no to unsuitable donations

• exclude soft toys and low-durability items

• decline incomplete or worn toys (with an exception for useful spare parts)

• be clear and consistent about what is accepted

Options for sourcing donated or used toys:

• Online platforms such as Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree allow you to search for free or cheap, good quality branded toys. Don't be shy about saying your purchase is for your toy library - this has many a time yielded additional or future donations.

• ‘Buy Nothing New’ Facebook groups are an excellent place to post an ‘ask’ post, this will likely result in plentiful donations and also be a great way to let like minded members of your community know about your toy library - but beware of being inundated at key times of the year (pre and post Christmas)

• Develop relationships with local op shops, or charities supporting young families - they may receive unwanted or excess donations (often large toys are not accepted), or would be happy to accept your donations that aren't toy library suitable.

As with new purchases, toy libraries should be able to clearly identify donated and used toys by brand, and ensure that they meet ANZ toy safety standards.

In Focus Learning: Hot Toys from 2025 Melbourne Toy Fair (45min, recorded March 2025)