Gisborne Toy Library

27/05/2026

🎉 WORLD PLAY DAY is here! 🎉

We’re open today from 10am–1pm and ready for lots of PLAY, laughter and fun at the Gisborne Toy Library! 🧸🌈

Come along, say hi, and celebrate the joy of play with us — see you soon! 💛

26/05/2026

🎉🌏 WORLD PLAY DAY is TOMORROW! 🌏🎉

To celebrate, we’ve teamed up with Bevan for Breakfast on MORE FM to give away a fun, play-inspired prize! 🧸🎲🚂

Make sure you’re listening to More FM tomorrow morning for your chance to WIN! 📻✨

Haven't heard about us before? Check out our Gisborne Toy Library page 💚

26/05/2026

👋 New here? Welcome to the Gisborne Toy Library!

If you’ve heard us mentioned on the radio for World Play Day and are wondering what exactly a Toy Library is — here’s a little about us 😊

We’re a local not-for-profit organisation that works a lot like a book library… but instead of borrowing books, families borrow toys!

Rather than spending hundreds of dollars on toys children quickly outgrow, our members can hire from a huge range of fun, engaging, and educational toys for a very small fee. We have toys for babies right through to older children — from puzzles and pretend play to ride-ons, games, outdoor toys and more.

✨ More variety for your children
✨ Less clutter at home
✨ Affordable family fun
✨ Better for the environment too

📍 Find us at:
91 Innes Street, Awapuni, Gisborne

🕙 Open: Thursdays & Saturdays 10am – 1pm

💰 Memberships:
• 12 months — $65
• 6 months — $35

Once you’re a member, toys can be hired for two weeks, with toy hire fees ranging from just 50c to $5 depending on the toy.

As a community-run organisation, every membership and toy hire helps keep this wonderful resource running for local families across Tairāwhiti ❤️

If you’ve never visited before, feel free to pop in and have a browse — we’d love to show you around and help you discover what we’re all about 😊

24/05/2026

📣 Gisborne Toy Library AGM 📣

We’d love to invite all our members to attend our upcoming Annual General Meeting.

🗓 Date: Tuesday 9th June
⏰ Time: 7:30pm
📍 Venue: To be confirmed
✅ RSVP essential

Our AGM is a great opportunity to hear about what’s been happening at the Toy Library, help shape the future of our community space, and support the continued success of our much-loved library.

Please RSVP via fb messenger or our toy library email [email protected] so we can confirm numbers and venue details.

18/05/2026

A huge THANK YOU to Trust Tairāwhiti for their incredible support of the Gisborne Toy Library!

​Their amazing grant has allowed us to pay the wages of our wonderful Toy Librarian, easing some of the financial strain so often experienced by not-for-profit community organisations.

​Having this support means we can continue providing a welcoming, affordable, and valuable service for local whānau while keeping the Toy Library running smoothly for our community.

​We are so grateful for your investment in families, children, and community connection here in Tairāwhiti.

​From all of us at the Gisborne Toy Library — thank you for helping us continue to make play accessible for everyone! 💛

01/05/2026

⭐️⭐️NEW TOYS HAVE ARRIVED! ⭐️⭐️

We are so excited to share that a whole bunch of brand-new toys have just landed at the Gisborne Toy Library, and they are ready for some playtime action!

We know how much our members love seeing new items on the shelves, and we can’t wait to see these out in the community.

⭐️ A Huge Thank You! ⭐️

This massive drop was made possible thanks to a very generous grant from the ✨️Potter Masonic Trust✨️. We are incredibly grateful for their support of our mission to provide sustainable, varied, and affordable play for all tamariki in our region.

The best part? There are still even more toys on the way! Keep an eye out over the coming weeks as we continue to add to our collection.

Come visit us and be the first to borrow them:

• When: Thursday & Saturday,
10:00 AM – 1:00 PM (TODAY!)

• Where: 91 Innes Street

See you at the library! 🥳✨

22/04/2026

📣 GISBORNE TOY LIBRARY UPDATES 📣

Hi everyone!

Just a quick update regarding our hours for the upcoming Anzac weekend.

✅ OPEN TODAY: We are open today, Thursday 23rd April, until our usual closing time. Come in and grab some fresh fun for the long weekend!

❌ CLOSED SATURDAY: We will be CLOSED this Saturday, 25th April, for ANZAC Day as we take the time to remember and show our respect.

💡 Important Info for Loans:

Don't worry about those returns! Any toys that were due back this Saturday will be automatically extended for one week at no extra charge. We hope to see your smiling faces in the library today! If not, we wish you all a safe and lovely long weekend with your whānau.

Lest we forget. 🌹

18/04/2026

🧸 The "Sad Toy" Pile is Growing – We Need Your Help! 🚗

We have a bit of a situation at the Gisborne Toy Library. Our "Missing Parts" pile is steadily growing, and it’s making our shelves look a little lonely.

Did you know that when a toy is returned with a piece missing, we can’t put it back out for hire? These toys have to sit "unloved" on the back shelf behind the desk until they are complete again. We want to get them back into the hands of our tamariki, but we need your help to make that happen!

How you can help:

🥰 Found a stray piece? Even if it’s just a tiny block, a puzzle piece, or a plastic animal—if it belongs to the library, please, please, please return it! No judgment, no stress; we are just thrilled to have the toy whole again. 💃

🗑 Think it’s gone for good? If you’ve searched high and low and think a piece is truly lost, please let us know. Instead of the toy sitting in limbo, we can try to figure out a way to make it work without the part or find a replacement. 🤔

🚘🙋‍♀️ Can’t make it in? If you’ve found a piece but can’t get to us during our Thursday or Saturday hours, just send us a message! One of our amazing volunteers will happily work out a way to get it from you. 🫡

We want these toys back on the shelves being played with and loved!

Thank you for being such an awesome community and helping us keep the "shared economy" thriving here in Gizzy. 🌍

Ngā mihi,
The Gisborne Toy Library Team 💛

17/04/2026

10/04/2026

Hi everyone,

Just a quick reminder that the Gisborne Toy Library is closed today, Saturday, April 11th.

We hope the weather isn't as bad as predicted and that you all keep dry and safe!

All the very best,
The Gisborne Toy Library Team