West Haven Library has partnered to partner with Traveling Toys, Inc. to launch a new toy library collection for children and teens. Traveling Toys is a Connecticut non-profit organization that was founded by Mary Didiuk and Diana Caty in 2019. They have recently launched toy collections in New London and Westbrook libraries.
West Haven has a poverty level of 12%, which is higher than the state average. This may indicate that many kids are without games at home due to their families prioritizing other life’s necessities. The West Haven Library aims to provide an opportunity for such families through this collection.
Children thrive when playing with toys of all kinds. This new toy collection offers families the social and educational benefits that these games can provide. All that is needed is a library card. Most of the toys and games will circulate for two weeks.
Items in the toy collection included board games, Lego sets, kitchen play sets, musical instruments, Nintendo Switch & PS3, Duplo Blocks, and much more. Other similar items the library loans out such as HotSpots and Playaways (digital programs on their own tablets) have been popular for years. A toy collection will enhance the library’s diversity and accessibility for patrons.
The collection can be found at both the Main Library, and Ora Mason locations.