Greetings!
If you’re a parent struggling to meet your children’s needs during this pandemic, our hearts go out to you. As so many navigate job loss and so much uncertainty, parents are overwhelmed. They worry about food for their family, juggling child-care and school time (virtually or in-person), and isolation. Stressed to the max, many have lost confidence and feel ill-equipped to support their children’s needs.
The good news is, there is a solution! Did you know that a great way to help manage stress is screen-free play? It’s essential for children’s healthy development, and it also helps their parents, especially now!
Cape Cod Toy Library is uniquely positioned to support parents and their children’s need for play.
As a “Family Play Learning Center”, we are a community resource for families to access developmentally appropriate toys and information on “how to” facilitate play for children to be actively engaged in meaningful learning.
With your help, we can rebuild parents’ confidence, reduce family stress and regenerate household joy!
Your gift of as little as $25 can help launch our exciting toy lending program. And to make it even more exciting, a group of generous donors has offered a special Holiday challenge. They will match any gifts, dollar for dollar, made by December 31st, up to $3,500! Your gift today will be worth twice as much!
Over the past several months, a dedicated volunteer team of early childhood educators have been cleaning, organizing, photographing and cataloging a curated collection of 1,200+ high-quality toys to prepare for opening our toy lending library.
Your support of our toy lending library will enable families to select appropriate toys and borrow clean/sanitized toys from our collection, by appointment or curbside pick-up. Parents can also borrow from 200 resource books on child development and parenting. Our wide selection of toys and books is thanks to generous donations from more than 100 Cape families and businesses.
Your gift today will also help us develop additional parenting resources and guides for parents on “how to” use different types of toys and upcycled materials. All resources are aimed at facilitating fun, developmentally appropriate play to meet their children’s diverse needs as they grow.
Childcare, school closings and virtual-learning are expected to continue well into 2021. Who knows what the impact of this will be on learning gaps and increased mental health issues arising for both children and parents? Your support today is more important than ever!
Play and learning, and, play and well-being, are inextricably linked. The need for play is vital for children and families. Your gift today will help make that possible.
Your gift will help Cape Cod Toy Library serve as a beacon to families throughout the year. Imagine the smiles you will bring to parents and children, because they can now choose toys based upon their age, interests and needs.
Through the gift of play, you can help families experience joy in their homes, and with each other!
Gratefully,
Deb Willsea
Volunteer Founder & President/Acting Executive Director
