More time to support children through play

We’re delighted to welcome Gosnells Toy Library (WA), Stonnington Toy Library (VIC), and Murray Bridge Toy Library (SA) to our additional sessions to support children with developmental delay and disability project. By joining, these libraries will help even more families enjoy relaxed, supportive borrowing time — thanks to extra opening hours made possible through this program.

Making time for families

Toy libraries across Australia are showing that longer opening hours can make a big difference for children and parents. Monthly reports from participating libraries show how extra time is being used to create calm, welcoming spaces where families can meet, borrow toys, and find support.

Recent examples include:

• Yarra Ranges Toy Libraries – Montrose & Mt Evelyn, which provided more than 80 hours of additional sessions including stay and play opportunities.

• South Eastern Community Connect, which ran 15 additional sessions, inviting professionals to meet families and support play.

• Capricorn Coast Toy Library, with their extra Friday hours have opened new opportunities for families in their community.

  
  

The benefits for families at Capricorn Coast Toy Library

At Capricorn Coast Toy Library, the extra hours have been a real gift for local families. The large, open basketball hall gives children room to move, explore, and play together or side by side, while parents enjoy a calm space to chat and share morning tea.

Families describe it as a “little village,” where friendships grow and support is easy to find. The relaxed setting gives parents a break while volunteers gently guide play, set up obstacle courses to build motor skills, and create quiet areas

to help children feel safe and included.

For many families, these sessions provide more than toys — they offer time to slow down, connect, and feel part of a caring community. The welcoming atmosphere is encouraging new memberships, with more families choosing to return each week and make play a bigger part of their lives.

Creating safe spaces for children

Extra time also means more opportunities for children who need calm and support.

At Reachout Toy Library – Glen Innes, Noah*, a 10-year-old with ADHD and Conduct Disorder, has attended private sessions with both parents and his younger siblings. The extra hours give them space for homework, play, and choosing toys to take home — all in a peaceful environment where Noah feels valued and connected.

*Name changed for privacy.

Looking Ahead

With Gosnells, Stonnington, and Murray Bridge Toy Libraries joining the project, more communities are now enjoying more opening hours designed to meet families’ needs.

Several encouraging trends are emerging:

• Growing memberships, as families discover calm, welcoming spaces that fit into busy schedules.

• Stronger community ties, with toy libraries becoming places where parents connect, share ideas, and support one another.

• Better outcomes for children, as extra time allows for tailored play opportunities that build confidence, social skills, and independence.

• More volunteer involvement, as people see the positive impact and want to help programs grow.

  
  

These achievements — and the many benefits still to come — would not be possible without the generous support of our funders (Australian Government Department of Social Services). Their investment in extra opening hours is giving families the space to slow down, discover new ways to play, and strengthen the bonds that help children thrive.

By opening more hours, toy libraries and their supporters are creating environments where every child, regardless of ability, can grow, belong, and reach their potential.