Play is essential because it’s how people explore the world, build relationships, and make sense of their experiences. Through play, children (and adults) develop creativity, problem-solving skills, confidence, and emotional resilience. It supports learning in a natural, joyful way, helping people test ideas, take safe risks, and connect with others. At every age, play nurtures wellbeing and reminds us that curiosity and imagination are powerful drivers of growth.
Online toy library management systems have made it easy for members to view and browse your toy collection. However, most members will benefit from the support of trained staff/volunteers in selecting toys.
Categorisation
Toy categorisation can be as simple or as complex as your toy library requires. However, once established, it is a very big piece of work to change all your toy categories.
For larger toy libraries, these simple toy categories may become your super categories (as they are referred to in SeTLS), with more defined sub categories sitting beneath these.
Age Ranges
The most important part of a toy age range is the manufacturers minimum recommended age for safety.
For inclusion purposes, recognising that all children develop differently, you may consider using a less defined upper age limit for toys i.e. 1 year+, 3 years+, 6 months+. In these cases, if it is necessary, you might choose to use a weight restriction for toy safety rather than an upper age.
Understanding Play Types and Toy Suitability
For volunteers and staff to confidently recommend toys to members, they need a broad understanding of different types of play and the skills toys can support — such as physical play, creative play, construction, sensory exploration, role play, language development and problem-solving.
Children engage with play in different ways and at different paces. Not all children will use toys in the same way, and some children — including those with disability, developmental delay or additional needs — may choose toys that suit their interests, strengths or therapy goals rather than their age.
By focusing on play types and individual interests, volunteers can support families to select toys that are meaningful, engaging and right for their child. Where appropriate, toy libraries can also connect with allied health professionals to better understand how play can support specific goals.
For examples of play types, and posters that you can display in your toy library, see Quality Standard 5.2 .
Attributes
Some toy libraries using Mibase and SETLS use attributes to describe the features and functions of a toy, and the skills that a child can develop by engaging with the toy. Each toy may have many attributes, and attributes may also be used by therapists to describe developmental goals.
Updated:
6 Mar 2026