We believe every child should have the opportunity to learn, explore, imagine and grow through play.
Our vision is for a community where all children and whānau can access quality, age-appropriate toys and educational resources, regardless of their circumstances, and where play is recognised as an important part of childhood development, learning and wellbeing.
For many families, buying new toys and educational resources can be expensive, particularly as the cost of living continues to rise. Children also quickly grow out of toys or lose interest in them, creating unnecessary expense, waste and clutter.
The Masterton Community Toy Library provides another way. For a small membership fee, families can access a wide range of quality toys and resources, borrow them, enjoy them at home, and return them to choose something new.
This means families can provide their children with varied opportunities for play and learning without having to continually purchase new resources.
But we are about more than toys.
Play helps children develop language, social skills, creativity, problem-solving, confidence, coordination and independence. It also provides opportunities for parents, caregivers and children to connect and spend meaningful time together.
We make a difference by making play more accessible.
We provide a diverse collection of toys and educational resources for children from birth to eight years, including puzzles, construction toys, imaginative play, books, games, sensory resources, outdoor equipment and resources that support different learning needs.
We work to make our service inclusive and welcoming to all families and also support schools, educators, disability organisations, refugee support services and other community groups.
Our library includes sensory and specialist resources, as well as Māori and culturally focused resources, helping children see themselves, their culture and their interests reflected in the resources available to them.
We also create opportunities for connection through community events, fundraising activities and our welcoming library environment, helping reduce isolation and build relationships between families.
Our model is also sustainable. By sharing toys within the community, one toy can be enjoyed by many children over many years rather than being purchased, used for a short time and eventually discarded. Many of our toys have been part of our collection for more than a decade.
The Masterton Community Toy Library is a community-focused, largely volunteer-run organisation that has been providing families with affordable access to toys and resources for over 50 years.
What began as a simple idea—sharing toys within the community—has grown into a valuable local service supporting hundreds of children and their families, educators, schools and community organisations across the Wairarapa.
We are proud to be community-led. Our members, volunteers, committee, supporters and funders all play an important role in keeping the Toy Library accessible and sustainable.
As our community changes, so do we. We listen to our members, respond to local needs and continually look for ways to improve our collection, increase accessibility and create more opportunities for children and whānau to learn, play and connect.
At the heart of everything we do is a simple belief: every child deserves the opportunity to play.
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