How about joining a library for your six-month-old? Although toy libraries are common in the West, the concept is relatively new in India. At Chinchwadgaon in Pune, 54-year-old Shashikala Subhash Surana, a life insurance agent, has been running a toy library in the neighbourhood.
She undertook the initiative after a visit to her son in London, where she saw a toy library. “I immediately decided to start one in Chinchwad. In London, the government runs such libraries which are free for children, but they are not found here . I therefore decided to start a library with a nominal membership fee,” she said. Shashikala offers four types of memberships ranging from Rs450 to Rs1,500 per quarter.
The toy library took its baby step in July 2009 and attracted many parents. “We keep saying that learning should be fun, but it is not easy to make it so. That is why we have kept various games and puzzles that will not only entertain children but also educate them,” she said.
The library has toys and puzzles for babies, constructive games and fun-and-learn games for older kids. Care has been taken to ensure that the materials used are safe and non-toxic. In all, there are 415 games, 250 books, and 150 CDs.
Members are allowed to take materials worth the amount of their membership and return them after eight days. Nanda Mogre, who has joined the library for her son Sarthak, said the toys complement the educational material at school.
In case the child loses a small part of a game, the parents are asked to pay only for the lost bit. If a major part is lost and the game cannot be played further, an appropriate amount is recovered.
For further information, Shashikala Surana may be contacted at 9689927767.
Source | http://www.dnaindia.com/
