Kids get bored of toys faster than you can justify buying them. One week it’s all about the dinosaur puzzle, the next it’s sitting untouched at the bottom of the toy box while a $60 play kitchen gathers dust in the corner. If that sounds familiar, East Maitland Library has a fix that most Hunter parents don’t even know exists: a toy library.
What Is a Toy Library?
A toy library works exactly like a book library, except you borrow toys instead of books. You take something home, your child plays with it for a few weeks, and then you swap it for something new. No clutter, no landfill, and no guilt about how much you spent on something that held their attention for two days.
The Maitland Libraries Toy Library is based at East Maitland Library and designed for children aged 0 to 8. It’s a genuinely well-stocked collection covering dress-ups, water play, large outdoor toys, puzzles and counting toys, wheeled toys, Indigenous cultural toys, and sensory toys.
Why It’s Worth Using
Beyond the obvious money saved on toys your child will outgrow in weeks, the Toy Library is built around child-centred play, and it supports resilience, wellbeing and social connection through the kind of play kids naturally gravitate toward. It’s also a low-pressure way to figure out what your child actually loves before you spend money on the full-price version.
How to Borrow
You can borrow up to 3 toys for 3 weeks on each library card, the same simple system as borrowing books. Bring your library card along, or join up on the spot if you don’t already have one.
Where: East Maitland Library, 3 Garnett Road, East Maitland
When: Monday to Saturday, 11am to 2pm
Cost: Free. Every library membership, including Toy Library access, is free to join.
Make a Morning of It
East Maitland Library also runs a full calendar of play-based literacy programs and community events for families, so it’s worth checking what’s on before or after your visit. Pair a toy swap with storytime and you’ve got a free, screen-free morning sorted without spending a cent.
FAQs
You borrow toys the same way you’d borrow a book, taking them home for a set loan period and swapping them for something new once you’re done. At East Maitland Library, that’s up to 3 toys for 3 weeks per card.
No. A standard Maitland Libraries membership covers Toy Library borrowing, and joining is free.
It’s designed for children aged 0 to 8, with toys ranging from newborn-appropriate sensory items through to puzzles and games for early school years.
No, anyone can join Maitland Libraries and access the Toy Library, regardless of where in the Hunter you live.
Looking for more free things to do with the kids? Check out our Money-Saving Guides for Hunter Families for more ways to keep everyone entertained without spending big.
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