Good to know... Especially if one is looking to donate a used stuffie to a #ToyLibrary or #ToySwap!

How to Wash #StuffedAnimals the Right Way

Keep your child's favorite #toys looking brand new.

By Madeline Buiano
Updated on October 17, 2025

"From their favorite bunny rabbit to the plush teddy bear they play with once a year, many children have a collection of stuffed animals they display with pride. But these beloved toys—even ones that sit on the shelf waiting to be played with—can quickly build up with dust, dirt, germs, and dander. Not only can allergens and germs be potentially harmful to your child, but dirtiness can also degrade the overall longevity of their treasured keepsakes. Keep their stuffed animals looking as beautiful as the day you got them with these cleaning tips for washing in the machine or by hand. "

Learn more:
https://www.marthastewart.com/how-to-wash-stuffed-animals-8424772

#SolarPunkSunday #ToyCare #CleaningStuffies #CircularToyEconomy

#PlayCycle - What is a #ToyLibrary?

"Toy libraries are community resources to help children learn and grow through play. Similar to a library of books, a toy library enables families to check out toys, enjoy them, and return them before borrowing more. Toy libraries benefit children, families, and communities by:

ENCOURAGING PLAY- The American Academy of Pediatrics says that play is essential to development because it contributes to the cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being of children and youth (Ginsburg 2007). Toy libraries help facilitate imaginative play by providing access to hundreds of toys that children might otherwise not encounter because of limitations due to finances or space. With a toy library, children can borrow toys that spark their imagination and simply return toys when they are ready to explore something new.

SAVING MONEY AND PREVENTING CLUTTER- According to a Toy Industry Association report, the average family spends $581 per year on toys. One fifth of households surveyed had over 100 toys. A toy library allows families to save money on buying individual toys and also reduce clutter by returning toys to the library when they have finished enjoying them.

REDUCING WASTE- The lifecycle for toys after purchase usually involves play for a few weeks or possibly years, followed by being thrown away or donated. Toy libraries help reduce toy waste and promote a circular economy. Toy library toys have their useful lives extended by years while they are enjoyed by children from multiple households. They also reduce the number of toys that each household needs to buy and store.

It is estimated that there are over 300 toy libraries in the United States, but they can still be hard to come by. Toy libraries are found all over the world, sometimes supported by local government bodies or as part of local public libraries. One thing they all have in common is the mission to encourage growth and development through play. We are thrilled to join the assembly of toy libraries making play accessible for children all over the world."

Learn more:
https://www.playcycle.org/toylibraries

#SolarPunkSunday #CircularEconomy #CircularToyEconomy #SharingToys #SharingEconomy #EncouragingPlay #ToyLibraries #MorePlayTimeLessScreenTime

https://usatla.org/toy-library-locations/

#SolarpunkSunday
#ToyLibrary

#Ireland - #SwapAndPlay Events

"Local Authorities and Conscious Corporations from all over the Republic of Ireland, together with The #ToyLibrary, are offering their communities the space and the time to adopt a new consumption paradigm: the #CircularEconomy.

Our Impact So Far

The global social impact we achieved with Swap&Play in-person events alone, and their equivalents.

♥️ Participants - 3,032
🧸 Rehomed Toys - 5,982"

Learn more:
https://www.thetoylibrary.ie/p/events

#SolarPunkSunday #RehomedToys #ToySwaps #ToyLibraries #CircularToyEconomy

#ToySwaps and the #CircularToyEconomy: How to Raise Waste-Free Kids

Ash Gregg, July 24, 2025

"Kids outgrow toys fast — sometimes faster than we can recycle the packaging. What starts as a sweet moment of play often ends up as clutter, then waste.

Behind those bright colors and fun shapes lies a hidden environmental truth: the toy industry is one of the most wasteful in the world. Most toys are made of plastic. Few are designed to last. And almost none are built with end-of-life reuse in mind.

But there’s a better way — and it doesn’t mean denying kids joy or imagination. In fact, it can inspire more of both.

Welcome to the circular toy economy: a movement built on #sharing, #reusing, #fixing, and reimagining play. It’s not just good for the planet — it’s good for your home, your budget, and your children’s values."

1. The Hidden Impact of the Toy Industry
2. What Is the Circular Toy Economy?
3. Host or Join a #ToySwap
4. Create a #ToyLibrary or #BorrowingCloset
5. Embrace #ToyRotation (Minimalist Parenting Hack)
6. Choose #Sustainable, Open-Ended Toys
7. #Repair or #Repurpose Before You Recycle
8. Talk to Kids About Waste and Sharing
Final Thoughts: Raising Planet-Protectors

Read more:
https://uberartisan.com/zero-waste/toy-swaps-and-the-circular-toy-economy-how-to-raise-waste-free-kids/

#SolarPunkSunday #CircularEconomy #ToySharing #ReduceReuseRecycle

2nd Event scheduled for Sunday, April 12th!

#Ireland - #ToyLibrary launches #Sensory #SwapAndPlay events for children with additional needs

By avondhupress - April 10, 2026

"A social enterprise set up to help reduce and recycle plastic toys, has launched sensory swap and play events for children with additional needs.

"The first such event from The Toy Library, took place in the Aula Maxima in University College Cork (UCC) with a second event scheduled for the Kilnamanagh Family Resource Centre in #Dublin on Sunday, April 12th.

"The Toy Library is the country’s first digital toy-sharing platform and has hosted swap and play events around the country for the past 18 months. It has successfully reduced the amount of plastic toys being disposed of with figures recorded at the end of 2025 showing 4.78 tonnes of plastic have been saved so far.

"The sensory events offer families and children with additional needs a safe and welcoming play space with structured layouts, quieter zones and access to carefully selected developmental and sensory toys. The initiative was set up in response to feedback from parents within the Toy Library community."

Read more:
https://avondhupress.ie/toy-library-launches-sensory-swap-and-play-events-for-children-with-additional-needs/

#SolarPunkSunday #DubinIreland #ToyLibraries #SensoryToys #AdaptiveToys #SensorySwapAndPlay #AccessibleToys #Accessibility

#SydneyNSW, #Australia - Why Buy When You Can Borrow?

"The #Sydney #LibraryOfThings is a not-for-profit service that provides the local community with access to a collection of extremely useful but only occasionally used items that can be loaned out for a short period of time.

We’re like a normal library but with things instead of books! Joining your enables you to borrow from ALL of our branches and you don’t have to live in the local area of the branch you want to join! Find out more about subscriptions and how it works here.

We hope that by encouraging people to borrow instead of buying or throwing away their unwanted items, together we can create a better connected, more sustainable and stronger community.
Did you know we also deliver #RepairCafes and run a #ToyLibrary? Check out #FixItHub Waverton, #TheFixery Cromer and The Lane Cove Toy Library.

We acknowledge the original custodians of the lands we work from, and pay respect to Elders past and present and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples."

FMI - https://thesydneylibraryofthings.org.au/

#SolarPunkSunday #BorrowDontBuy #FixIt #Australia #Decolonise #Degrowth #Decapitalise #LibraryOfThingsAustralia

Play, borrow, repeat for North Devon's circular economy solution for beach toys

https://www.devonlive.com/news/devon-news/play-borrow-repeat-north-devons-8520339

#ToyLibrary #PlasticFreeNorthDevon #CombeMartin #NorthDevon #Devon #CircularEconomy #EndWaste #BeachToys #WelcomeBackFund