Play, Learn, Grow: Lennox Community Library encourages learning with Toy Lending Library Program

In early childhood development, learning is taught through play and for the past 10 years, the Toy Lending Library has connected children with the toys best suited for their age and brain development. 

Library Director of the Lennox Community Library, Audrea Buller, wears many hats as she welcomes patrons to the library each day. Whether ordering books, planning events, or overseeing day-to-day operations, Buller is committed to providing the best library experience at any age. 

“When we finished our summer reading program at Lennox Community Library, it was the 10th one we’ve hosted, and it is great seeing how the program has evolved and grown into something that kids of all ages look forward to in the summer,” she said.

The Lennox Community Library staff are focusing their efforts on keeping readers coming through their doors by encouraging families to bring their children in as early as possible. 

“All young children learn through playing, and the Toy Lending Library of South Dakota was created for children ages zero to five to have opportunities to enhance their learning development through play,” Buller said.

The Toy Lending Library of South Dakota was started in 2015 by Anelis Coscioni, who remains the Executive Director of the organization. 

“Anelis Coscioni worked together with the Soroptimist Club of Sioux Falls after learning of several families in the downtown area of Sioux Falls that didn’t have toys for their children to play with and learn,” she said. 

For nearly a year now, Toy Lending Library boxes have been available to check out at the Lennox Community Library. 

“There are over 1,600 boxes available to check out from the Toy Lending Library in Sioux Falls. We try to supply around 20 to 25 and as they get checked out and are returned they go back to Sioux Falls and we exchange the used ones out for new ones,” Buller said.

Families can take comfort in knowing that all toys are geared towards their children’s age range and learning abilities. 

“The toys in the boxes are for all children but can also be tailored to all sorts of needs including auditory/hearing, cognitive, colors, communications, cooperative play, fine motor, gross motor, independent play, letters, memory, numbers, physical, pretend play, sequencing, shapes, and social skills,” she said.

Checking out a Toy Lending Library kit is as easy as checking out a book. 

“We encourage our patrons to check the kits out and ask that they return them once the children are done playing with them. When each kit is returned, it is set aside and will return to the Toy Lending Library to be sanitized and all kits will be checked over to see all pieces are there and check if anything needs to be repaired or replaced,” Buller said. 

 The Toy Lending Library kits are designed with age specific toys to get kids interested in imaginative play as play is essential to a child’s cognitive, physical, social, and emotional well-being. 

“Play encourages creativity and is tied more to success later in life than IQ. When you play whether it’s a physical activity or playing sports, painting or drawing, building blocks or simply laughing with others it reinforces patterns in your brain, optimizing the learning process, and improves your emotional well-being.  Unstructured, open-ended play provides benefits for children that worksheets or screen time can’t achieve. Play helps with coordination, balance and motor skills.  Play helps children develop new ideas and creativity, which leads to enhanced confidence and the resiliency to face future challenges.  Play relieves stress and lets children work through anxiety and fears. Play lets children make their own decisions, and make connections between choices and natural consequences,” Buller said.

Returning kits is just as easy as picking them up, but staff at the Lennox Community Library encourage all patrons to return the kits inside to prevent damage. 

“We need the kits to be returned during library hours as they won’t fit in the drop box and while they can be dropped at any Toy Lending Library location as they have bar codes, we do appreciate if they are dropped off here for their return” she said.