Albion and Friends Community Toy Library in Sunshine, Victoria | Community organisation

Albion and Friends Community Toy Library

Locality: Sunshine, Victoria

Phone: +61 433 806 630

Address: Sunshine Teaching Unit, 10 Leith Ave 3020 Sunshine, VIC, Australia

Website: https://albionandfriendstoylibrary.com/

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• Non-profit organisation
• Community organisation

25.01.2022 Our toys have missed you! Contactless click and collect on Tuesdays (this morning!) and Saturday mornings - book your spot to borrow or return: https://albion.mibase.com.au/mem/login.php

24.01.2022 It's beautiful weather for water play at the moment. Materials needed: - bucket - old paint brushes - clean spray bottle... - water Method: 1. Half fill bucket with water 2. Full spray bottle with water 3. Place outside with children

23.01.2022 How many of these do your kids have at home?

21.01.2022 PROPRIOCEPTION What is it? The proprioceptive system receives information from muscles & joints about body position, weight, pressure, stretch, movement, and changes in position in space. Based on this information, our bodies adjust to exert the right amount of force and coordinate our movements for a task. ... Why do we need it? - Imagine picking up a tissue vs picking up a heavy backpack ..... it’s the proprioceptive system that allows us to know just how much force to use. - Proprioceptive dysfunction can look like: clumsiness, uncoordinated movements, fidgety when asked to sit still, too much or too little force with pencil / scissors, difficulty maintaining a stable posture (flop on the table / fall off chairs) . How can the toy library help? - Lifting / heavy work is important for kids so get THEM to carry what you have borrowed - Pushing / pulling is really good for proprioception so our supermarket trolley offers a perfect pretend play opportunity for this heavy work. - Scooter Board and paddles - Ride on zebra (see pics in comments) Here are some easy activities for proprioception: - Gardening: Pull the hose out of the reel & then drag it around the yard to water the plants. Dig with a trowel or shovel. - Carry washing basket full of soft toys. Your child can pretend it’s a school bus or plane & slide it around in the floor. - Climb a tree! - Carry a heavy (willing) pet Please feel free to comment with any proprioception activities you have tried

20.01.2022 GROSS MOTOR SKILLS What are they? Gross motor skills are physical skills that require the use of the large muscles of the body (arms, legs & torso). They are very complex because they require many other skills such as balance, strength, coordination, body awareness and reaction time.... What do we need them for? Standing, walking, running, jumping, skipping, galloping, sitting, throwing a ball, swimming & even self care skills like getting dressed. Many fine motor skills depend on the development of gross motor skills, for example, sitting upright at a desk (gross motor) is needed to be able to write (fine motor). How can the toy library help? We have walkers, trikes, pull along toys to encourage walking, ride on toys, activity centres to encourage babies to pull up into standing, balance bikes, lots of & interesting coloured, noisy toys to encourage happy tummy time & much more! Gross motor activities to try at home: - Balloon / bubble play: The child will need to run, jump & move in ways that require sudden shifts in their weight & balance as they chase the unpredictable path of the balloon / bubble. - Dancing: A fun way for kids to develop their motor skills & body awareness. Hokey pokey / I’m a little teapot offer some movement instructions. - Hopscotch - Make an obstacle course around the house or backyard with lots of different instructions to run, climb through / over, jump on, hop along, etc - Leave the pram at home & go for a walk with your toddler. Yep, it will be sloooow but it’s good motor skill practice for them. - Puddle jumping

20.01.2022 We are sorry we needed to cancel this morning's click-and-collect - current COVID measures and restrictions mean we do need to cancel at often short notice We are looking forward to opening again for this coming Tuesday and Saturday mornings, however do please keep an eye on this page and your messages if we need to postpone again - it happens. In the meantime keep enjoying your lovely TL toys at home!

19.01.2022 Check it out - a new free library, kids books especially featured. Want to know where it is? Message us to see if it's within your daily exercise route...

18.01.2022 Have you tried any of these designs while at home? Blanket or sheet forts encourage problem solving, imaginary play, gross and fine motor skills, and, if you're lucky, time for a quiet cup of tea while it's still hot. Share your pics!

15.01.2022 Friends, we are OPEN TOMORROW- SATURDAY from 9-11 for Returns and Contactless Click and Collect Thankyou for your patience and for looking after your toys through lockdown! Why not borrow something new?... Check your latest email from us for the booking process. OR If easier just MESSAGE US on this page and I’ll offer a time and some freshly sanitised suggestions for toy borrowing Jerusha Saturdays 9.00-11am Tuesdays 9.30-11.30 am

14.01.2022 * L O C A L G E M S * Have you discovered any special little spots in your local walks of late? A few new residents have popped up in Albion's Selwyn Park, and we believe the population is growing steadily Tell us what you have discovered in your area recently!

14.01.2022 BALANCE What is it and how can the toy library help? Being able to control a body position during an activity. Static balance is being able to hold a stationary position & dynamic balance is being able to control body position during movement.... Why do we need it? -Standing, sitting, crawling, running, riding a bike or scooter, dressing (standing on one leg to put on pants), playing on the playground (wobbly bridges / rope ladders), sports that require standing on one leg e.g. kicking a soccer or football - Reading / writing: When kids have to work really hard to hold themselves up in sitting at a desk, they can have have troubles with grasping a pencil, applying the correct amount of pressure & get tired Here are some easy balance activities to try at home: - Stick a long line of masking tape down the hallway floor & ask your child to walk like a tightrope walker. Try walking backwards! - Heel toe walking along a wiggly chalk line. - Make a hopscotch / footpath obstacle course with chalk, including lots of hopping on 1 leg. - For babies, create a safe play space where they can practice moving their bodies without restriction. Using playpens, rockers, walkers or activity centres for extended periods can limit opportunities for getting up into all fours, sitting themselves up & pulling up to stand...these skills take lots of time and practice to master! Please share any balance promoting activities you have tried at home

09.01.2022 Visual Perception What is it and how can the toy library help? Visual perception refers to the brain’s ability to make sense of what the eyes have seen. Why do we need it? ... Reading, writing (spacing between letters / words, lining up maths sums), cutting, drawing, following directions, and many daily living skills, for example, finding your grey lead pencil in a full pencil case, locating a pair of socks from a drawer or finding the milk in the fridge! The toy library has a HUGE selection of jigsaws and puzzles which are sooooo good for encouraging a child to scan from left to right, understand spatial relations (hmm, will this fit in here?) & also develop their visual memory Here are some activities for visual perception to try at home! - Drive a toy car along a road made from 2 lines of masking tape - Play I-spy or look at a book and ask child to find something red / find me a butterfly / can you see a spider? / etc - Activity books / print outs with a maze or a word search Please feel free to comment with any activities you have tried at home to encourage visual perception

09.01.2022 Say hello to...Princess Baby Elsa Robot, playing dress ups with Mummy's scarf! How have your kids re-used old materials to entertain themselves in lockdown?

08.01.2022 Fine motor skills What are they? A group of skills that involve the use of little muscles in the hands & fingers, that are required for small, precise, controlled movements. For example, grasping, holding, manipulating, releasing or controlling an object. Some fine motor skills include stability / extension of the wrist, hand strength, pincer grip, in-hand manipulation & palmar arches (allowing the palm to curl inward). ... Why do we need them? Writing, drawing, painting, buttoning, zipping, hair / teeth brushing, spooning, lacing, un/locking, threading, computer mousing, tracing, colouring, snipping, toileting & SO much more! How can the toy library help? - Duplo - Puzzles - Shape sorter - Doll house - Bead maze - Magsnaps - Mini potatohead - Dressing dolls / teddies - Lace & trace animal cards Our fine motor toy range is ENORMOUS. Some fine motor activities to try at home: - Games like connect 4, hungry hippos, jumping frogs, cards, anything with a dice. - Stickers, stamps & ink pad. - Craft / knitting / sewing / painting. - Baking / cooking (rolling out dough, using cookie cutters). - Cut a hole in an empty ice cream container to post little Pom poms, marbles or coins. - Thread dry penne pasta onto a shoelace & make a necklace. - Screwdriver, nut, bolt activities. OR try a multi sensory fine motor activity (incorporates lots of different senses to help switch on the brain & encourage learning / skill development): - Make a potion / stew with lots of different sized spoons, jars, containers with ingredients to pinch, sprinkle, scoop (see photo). - Playdough: squeeze, press, roll, pinch, twist, poke...... it is such a great fine motor activity & so good for strengthing little muscles in the fingers. - Use shaving cream to help with letter / number formation (see photo). What fine motor activities have you tried at home with your little ones?

05.01.2022 This may resonate for many of us at the moment. Add "I can't go to kindy/childcare" for us at the moment. Do you have any tips for helping your little ones through life's frustrations?

04.01.2022 Bilateral Coordination What is it and how can the toy library help? Using both sides of the body at the same time This could be both sides doing the same thing (banging cymbals) or alternating movements (skipping) ... Why do we need it? Crawling, clapping, walking, climbing stairs, playing an instrument, pulling apart Duplo / Lego pieces, throwing / catching a ball with 2 hands, pulling a lid off a texta Can you think of any fun activities to help practice bilateral coordination? Here are some easy activity ideas: - Pull apart cotton wool balls and paste onto a paper outline of a sheep - Tear newspaper into long strips to make hair for a balloon person - Use 2 hands to wring water out of a face washer while giving a doll a bath in a bucket

01.01.2022 CLICK AND COLLECT IS BACK! Contact-free toy borrow-and-return sessions are now open on Tuesdays 9:30am-11:30am and Saturdays 9:30am-11:30am. Yay! We're following the same process as before, so just check our previous emails for details, go to our website, or message us. Looking forward to seeing you (through the window)!

01.01.2022 Have you joined Creative Brimbank's Toddler Tuesday facebook page? Each week they present Art and Craft activities you can make easily with things around your home. Check out this session on Shadow Puppets! https://www.facebook.com/442449635785373/posts/3473588082671498/ Have your little ones tried any of these activities?... Pretend Play: https://raisingchildren.net.au//pl/imagining-play-toddlers Forts: https://raisingchildren.net.au//activi/cubbyhouse-activity DIY dress ups: https://www.facebook.com/665932670085989/posts/3220629234616307/ We can't go out, but we can bring the world in!