Mount Hawthorn Toy Library turns 35 this year, and to mark it they are opening something new: Play to Grow, a Sensory and Motor Development Lending Collection created with us at Thriving in Motion. It is built for children from their first wobbly steps through to age five+, and designed with care to meet children right across the range of early development, so every child can take part at their own pace.

It aims to fill a gap for families supporting early childhood development. Around one in five children in Australia experience some form of developmental delay or disability, yet most toy libraries hold few resources designed with these children in mind, and little guidance for the families supporting them. Play to Grow changes that, giving local families access to high-quality, evidence-informed kits that build skills through play.

This is where our expertise comes in – at Thriving in Motion we have spent years, and a good deal of research, learning how children build not just movement skills but the motivation and confidence to keep moving, including children who take a less direct path to getting there. That knowledge shaped the collection: which toys support gross motor and sensory development across different abilities, how each play guide is written, and what families most need to know.

Each kit in the collection includes: 

• selected toys chosen to support gross motor and sensory development, with thought given to different stages and abilities;
• a play guide developed by our team, with clear instructions, variations to make an activity easier or harder, and considerations for supporting development through play; and
• parent education resources on building physical literacy, the motor skills, motivation and confidence that set a child up for an active life. Those parent resources matter as much as the toys.

A child who hears “great effort, let’s try that again” learns that having a go is the win. A child who gets a choice in how to play feels a little more in charge. Small, evidence-backed habits, and they are what turn play into something a child wants to return to.

Alongside the resources in the kits, we have made additional play guides and family resources free to download from our website, so any family can use them at home whether or not they have a kit on loan.

The timing also lines up with the launch of Mini Movers, our new group program for children aged 2 – 6 years. More on that soon!

To get started, join and borrow a Play to Grow kit from Mount Hawthorn Toy Library, or download the free resources here.

Play to Grow was made possible by funding to Mount Hawthorn Toy Library from Toy Libraries Australia and Hawaiian. Our thanks to them, and congratulations to Mount Hawthorn Toy Library on 35 years.