Whitfords Rainbow Toy Library in Hillarys, Western Australia, Australia | Community group

Whitfords Rainbow Toy Library

Locality: Hillarys, Western Australia, Australia

Phone: +61 8 9307 2243

Address: Whitford Family Centre, 21C Endeavour Rd 6025 Hillarys, WA, Australia

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• Community group
• Non-profit organisation
• Library

25.01.2022 We would love to accept your quality, complete and in great condition toy donations

24.01.2022 Some reasons we love "Learning through Play"

15.01.2022 Looks like a kid playing with a car, right? Actually, at this moment they are developing the skills that will help them one day tie their shoes, write a letter,... and even play tennis! It's called "crossing the midline". Crossing the midline is when a child crosses the imaginary line in the middle of their body, using a hand to reach across to the opposite side (left to right, or right to left). It may sound simple, but it is actually a complex movement that requires both sides of the brain. Building this skill is key for tasks that require both hands working together, such as catching a ball, threading, using a knife and fork, or getting dressed. It is also critical for helping the child learn to learn movement patterns that cross the body, such as reading or writing. Crossing the midline begins as early as 4 months when babies begin tracking an item from side to side. Simple things like playing with their feet and reaching across their body for a toy also help develop this skill (by placing toys to the side of a baby lying on their back you can also help promote rolling... if that's what you want ;) ). To help build this skill in other ways (because while cars are great they can't do everything!), you can incorporate things like: - Threading: start big, with chunky beads available from many toy libraries, and get smaller as the child develops their skill - Craft: activities like painting or drawing (if your child already has a dominant hand, try placing the pencils on their non-dominant side for extra effectiveness) - Dress ups: putting on clothes of any kind requires crossing the midline (as well as developing gross motor skills like balance and spatial awareness). Finger puppets and bangles/bracelets are also fantastic as they require putting on and taking off with the opposite hand. - Musical instruments: xylophones are fantastic for this, children instinctively know you've gotta run that stick up and down the keys! As always, keep the activities fun and child-led - these skills develop over time with incidental practice, so don't put pressure on yourself or your child if they struggle or become frustrated with more structured activities. We all learn best through play!

09.01.2022 Black Friday is almost here. Every year, the environmental impact from Black Friday grows and grows, as people are encouraged to consume and spend and spend and... consume. So this year we invite you to pause. To ask if you really need that item. To ask if perhaps you could borrow it (through toy libraries, tool libraries, or just your community), or get it second hand or even free through concepts like the Buy Nothing Project. To ask yourselves what that item truly costs, in environmental costs, in labour costs - because someone, somewhere always pays.