Playing with Toys Galore at the Finger Lakes Toy Library in Ithaca, NY

We get our kids new toys every few weeks.

 And I’m happy to report that we’re neither regularly blowing up our budget at Target, nor are we spoiling the children. 

Quite the opposite: Thanks to the Finger Lakes Toy Library (FLTL), Max and Miki learn about sharing and taking care of communal resources, all while getting to play with new and exciting toys on a regular basis.

Pretty great, huh?

Plus, as we’re heading into the depths of the Finger Lakes winter, I’ve been getting some questions about indoor places to take kids. The Toy Library fits the bill perfectly!

So let me tell you more about one of my favorite local organizations.

What is the Finger Lakes Toy Library?

What’s a toy library? Well, you guessed it — it’s a place where you can borrow toys, just like you get books from a regular library.

The FLTL has a nice, bright space at The Shops at Ithaca Mall (aka “the mall”), where it moved just a few months ago from its first, downtown location. You can find it in suite D-07, between Regal Cinemas and Target.

Every time we enter, the kids get excited at all the possibilities: Long shelves filled with colorful toys line the walls. One corner is stacked high with puzzles. A basket full of costumes beckons them to get dressed up right here and now.

Anyone is invited — masked and in COVID-safe numbers — to stay and play for a while on the cozy rug. (When my kids were younger, I was so grateful to have the toy library as a rainy day or winter destination, especially with all the entertainment built right in!)

Or, as a member, you can browse the toys, games, and puzzles and check them out to take home. You can even view the toy library catalog online and place holds on specific items. 

Each member family may borrow 4 items (3 kid, 1 adult), or one per child, whichever is greater. Loan periods are for four weeks, with the option to renew items.

This post contains affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see the affiliate disclosure for details.

---

What toys are available at the Finger Lakes Toy Library?

Even after nearly five years of membership since the toy library opened in 2017, we’re not running out of options yet.

No wonder, given the more than 1,400 items in the toy library’s catalog.

It has a wonderful collection of high-quality, often open-ended toys, such as building blocks and other systems, instruments, dolls and accessories, board games, puzzles, infant and toddler toys, a few costumes, and outdoor toys like balance bikes and tricycles.

They tend to be sustainable — frequently made from wood — gender neutral, educational, and well taken care of.

What you generally won’t find is stuffed animals, cheap plastic items, anything battery-operated, or toys based on TV or movie characters. 

The catalog is steadily growing as the community continues to donate gently used or even newly purchased toys. (FLTL is a great place to donate high-quality toys your family has outgrown!)

I’d say the core collection is probably ideal for babies to 7-year-olds, but the section for older kids and adults has expanded noticeably (look for loads of puzzles and awesome games like Wing Span!), and I was told more would be following soon, plus toys for kids with special needs.

A few of our favorites include Playmobil castle and Duplo zoo sets, Bloco insects, Think Fun games like Rush Hour Jr., giant dinosaurs, and dolls with fun accessories.

Some of the newest additions to the catalog come from a collaboration with the Sciencenter (another great community resource and indoor destination — more about the museum here). Several curated activity kits from the Discovery Room, aimed primarily at 4 to 7-year-olds, are available to check out.

We had a great time with the “Exploring Ice” set, which had the kids freezing plastic animals into giant ice cubes and experimenting with salt, baking soda, and other items to free them. The other kits are called “Bear’s Shadow” and “Sink or Float,” and they each include a free pass for a visit to the Sciencenter.

---

What makes the Toy Library so great?

Besides all the fun toys themselves, there are many reasons I love the Toy Library, some general, and some specific to FLTL.

I’ve written more extensively elsewhere about what makes toy libraries a great community resource and how they can help us save money (and sanity!), but here are a few highlights.

Toy libraries:

• serve as a toy repository so we don’t have as much clutter in the house, which helps kids play more creatively and peacefully.
• make it easier to access new toys on a regular basis to match the kids’ ages and developing interests.
• save us lots of money because we purchase fewer toys.
• teach kids about sharing and taking care of common resources.
• help the environment, especially when it comes to plastic waste.

The concept of toy libraries has actually been around for quite a while. The world’s oldest toy library I’ve read about was started in 1935 in Los Angeles during the Great Depression. But the idea really took hold during the 1960s and 70s.

Today they come in a variety of flavors, from small neighborhood clubs to commercial operations with toy rentals. Many are part of a public library or institutions such as schools or hospitals. Some are even mobile toy libraries.

What I really appreciate about the Finger Lakes Toy Library is that its founders (notably Founding Board President Debra Eileen Lewis and Founding Board Vice-President Amber Smith, who — full disclosure — also happen to be my friends) and current board members are committed to making high-quality play available to as much of the community as possible.

“Equitable access has always been a high priority of ours, and that is why we offer membership by donation, using a pay-what-you-can-honestly-afford membership fee system, with no minimum, so that all members of our community can play regardless of ability to pay,” Debra said. “As a non-profit, we operate solely using generous grants and donations from members, individuals, businesses, organizations, and foundations in our community, and we are so grateful for all the support we receive, which allows us to provide this kind of universal access.”

FLTL is also fine free, so the process is easier for everyone. (But please do return your toys!)

Its operation is made possible by the hard work of the seven-person board and more than a dozen volunteers who sort and clean toys and check items in and out during open hours.

“When I first became involved with the Toy Library, I was honestly skeptical,” Kelly Sauve, FLTL’s former director of operations and current board treasurer, told me. “I had no clue if people would actually return toys, take care of them, and if the community would rally behind the idea. But rally they have! Every time we have launched a campaign, asked for volunteers to help us move, or needed toy donations, the community has shown up BIG! We are so grateful and the look of magic on kids’ faces when they enter the toy library makes it all worth it.”

As conditions allow, FLTL will relaunch playtimes at local libraries, elementary schools, and other partner organizations (in fact, a recent CFWO grant was given in support of playtimes starting this year) and offer birthday parties and game nights as new ways to bring people into the fold — and keep improving the Finger Lakes for kids.

How do I find a toy lending library near me?

To my knowledge, FLTL is the only independent toy library in the region.

The other lending facility I’m aware of is part of the Rochester Public Library. It’s at the Lincoln Branch at 851 Joseph Avenue in Rochester, NY 14621. Learn more at 585-428-8210.

If you know of any other toy libraries in the Finger Lakes, please let everyone know in the comments!

And if you’re reading this post from outside the region, you can find a toy library near you by checking with the USA Toy Library Association or the International Toy Library Association.

Looking for more things to do on a rainy day? Find inspiration on the rainy days page and in the post on indoor play areas in Ithaca.

PIN THIS POST FOR LATER:

Featured image (toy animals) by Magda Ehlers.