On virtuous circles, how play makes everything better & how your “inner elf” can help
Toys and libraries—two of the world’s most wonderful things. Now, imagine a toy library. Pretty wow, right? That’s exactly what we thought when we stumbled across Thailand’s Green Village Toy Library while searching for—well, who can remember? A toy library, fergoshsakes! Brilliant.
Green Village was founded by Mechai Viravaidya, a public health and social services advocate whose work has been recognized by—among others—the Gates and Skoll Foundations.* The library, however, stands apart, a special “heart” project inspired by his own grandchildren, who helped Viravaidya realize that access to toys “should be a human right for all children.”
Adults might not realize it, but play is a child’s work. It lets us use our imagination and become more creative.
Yet for families struggling to make ends meet, toys are off the radar. The library bridges the gap, making a huge variety of toys available for temporary loan.
Borrowing privileges, though, must be earned through community service: helping out in a community garden, picking up trash or planting tree seedlings. Doing environmental good is part the”Green Village” package.
But there isn’t just one Green Village Toy Library in Thailand. There are fifty, with a donation network designed to create personal ties between the mostly urban children donating toys and the mostly rural children receiving them. In fact, everything about Green Village is set up to give children an active role. “Junior leaders,” 8 to 14 years-old, manage the libraries, which each start as a single shelf and can grow to fill whole rooms.. The children have a say in developing the rules, too, determining what kind of community service qualifies for borrowing toys.
TOYS, TOYS, EVERYWHERE!
Although Viravaidya’s community service / environmental twist is unique, the idea of a toy library turns out to be quite poppular. A quick Google search turns up dozens of links. Many public libraries offer borrow-able toy collections as part of their children’s services. There is even a U.S. Toy Library Association, with all sorts of advice and resources, including free pdf’s of its “Child’s Play” newsletter archives.
Toy Exchanges are another popular approach to sharing the fun. These tend to be a bit more grassroots, with participants both donating and borrowing toys for their own children. Many groups now have Facebook pages, too. There are no hard and fast rules, but “How To Organize a Toy Swap or Toy Exchange” does a thorough job covering the basics.
HOLIDAY TOYS
There is never a bad time to donate a toy, but the holiday season is an especially good time. The Marine Corp Reserve’s Toys for Tots program is one of the largest and oldest toy drives in the U.S., with solid marks from philanthropy watch-dog Charity Navigator: 60+ years, 400 million toys, 188 million thrilled children.
In 1948, Walt Disney created the logo
And it all began with one hand-made doll.
Diane Hendricks, the wife of a marine reservist named Bill, asked him to find an organization to which she could donate as a Christmas gift for a child. When Bill came up empty, the undaunted Diane told him to start one. The first year, they collected 5,000 toys. The next year, Walt Disney created the logo.
Toys for Tots is set up as a network that works with local organizations. To find a group near year, type your location into the Toy Drop-Off database.
There are, of course, many other groups, from the Salvation Army to local schools and churches, collectively sponsoring thousands of toy drives this time of year. The need is greater than ever.
So, how cool is it to tap into your inner-elf and help make a child—one you might never meet—smile, giggle and laugh with delight? Very, very cool indeed.
As Pickle, the pithy green bulldog from Stuart’s I See I Learn stories would say, “Woof!”
And a Merry, Merry, Happy, Healthy, Joyous, Playful New Year to All!
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* Recently, Mechai Viravaidya presented at the Gates Foundation-sponsored TEDxChange conference about his work with Thailand’s Population & Community Development Association (PDA). Rarely has a public health lecture offered so many laughs. But behind the humor are some pretty notable accomplishments, including reducing the number of new HIV cases in Thailand by 90%.
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