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History of Toy Library
Whitby Toy Library first opened its doors on April 24th 1993. It had a membership of 60
families, ran from premises in the Whitby shopping centre and opened for 4 hours a week. There were 167 toys! and membership was restricted to the Paremata Plunket area and there was a waiting list.
Much has
changed since then. Whitby Toy Library now has its own premises located at Adventure Park Car Park, has a membership of 179 families is open 5 hours a week and there are now over 1200 toys. Furthermore anyone can
join as their are no boundary restrictions or waiting list.
Over the years, much fundraising has taken obviously taken place, not only to establish the toy library but to maintain and grow it. In 1992, over a
period of nine months of fundraising, $10,000 was raised. Grants were received from Porirua Licensing Trust, Porirua City Council and the Hillary Commission. Cake stalls, sausage sizzles were held and Farmers
Porirua adopted Whitby Toy Library as their charity of the year. Recent fundraisers include Entertainments Books and KiwiKlings.
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Toy
A toy is a thing used in play. Toys are usually associated with children and pets, but it is not unusual for adult beings and
some non-domesticated dogs, cats, mice etc. to play with toys. Many items are processed to serve as toys, but goods, or (game-centric) services produced for other purposes can also be used as toys. A
child may pick up a household item and "fly" it around pretending that it is an airplane, or an animal might play with a pinecone by batting at it, biting it, chasing it, or by throwing it up
in the air. Some toys are produced primarily as collector's items and are not intended to be played with.
The origin of toys is prehistoric; dolls representing infants, animals, and soldiers, as
well as representations of tools used by adults are readily found at archaeological sites. The origin of the word "toy" is unknown, but it is believed that it was first used in the 14th century.
Toys, and play in general, are important when it comes to growing up and learning about the world around us. The young use toys and play to discover their identity, help their bodies grow strong,
learn cause and effect, explore relationships, and practice skills they will need as adults. Adults use toys and play to form and strengthen social bonds, teach, remember and reinforce lessons from their
youth, discover their identity, exercise their minds and bodies, explore relationships, practice skills, and decorate their living spaces.
Toys are more than simple amusement, they and the ways
that they are used profoundly influence many aspects of life.
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Child development
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Toys, like play itself, serve multiple purposes in both humans and animals. They provide entertainment while fulfilling an educational role. Toys enhance cognitive behavior
and stimulate creativity. They aid in the development of physical and mental skills which are necessary in later life.
One of the simplest toys, a set of simple wooden blocks is also one of the
best toys for developing minds. Andrew Witkin, director of marketing for Mega Brands told Investor's Business Daily that, "They help develop hand-eye coordination, math and science skills and also
let kids be creative." Other toys like Marbles, jackstones, and balls serve similar functions in
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child development, allowing children to use their minds and bodies to learn about spatial relationships, cause and effect, and a wide range of other skills as well as those mentioned by
Mr. Witkin.
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One example of the dramatic ways that toys can influence child development involves clay sculpting toys such as Play-Doh and Silly Putty and their home-made counterparts. Mary
Ucci, Educational Director of the Child Study Center of Wellesley College, demonstrates how such toys positively impact the physical development, cognitive development, emotional development, and social
development of children.
Toys for infants often make use of distinctive sounds, bright colors, and unique textures. Through play with toys infants begin to recognize shapes and colors. Repetition
reinforces memory. Play-Doh, Silly Putty and other hands-on materials allow the child to make toys of their own.
Educational toys for school age children of often contain a puzzle, problem-solving
technique, or mathematical proposition. Often toys designed for older audiences, such as teenagers or adults
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demonstrate advanced concepts. Newton's cradle, a desk toy designed by Simon Prebble, demonstrates the conservation of momentum and energy.
Not all toys are appropriate for all
ages of children. Some toys which are marketed for a specific age range can even harm the development of children in that range.
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