Pune: Toys come and go, but the pile of unused ones in the corner stays forever, or at least, it used to. As children outgrow toys almost as fast as they unwrap them, toy libraries across the city are reporting a rise in memberships. Parents are increasingly choosing to rent rather than buy. From STEM kits to storybooks, toy and book rental services are offering families a smarter, cost-effective and more sustainable way to keep their kids entertained.“The biggest advantage of borrowing from toy libraries is that there is less clutter at home. Children quickly outgrow toys or simply get bored with them,” Kondhwa resident Vani Gupta said. “Toys have become expensive, and children’s developmental needs change rapidly. That’s why we’ve taken memberships at toy libraries—it allows my children to explore new toys and learning materials every week,” said Neena Khare from Hadapsar.Samiksha Agarwal, who runs Kiddokin and The Toy Rent Company in Camp, said demand has been particularly strong for premium toys such as electric jeeps, slides and playpens. “We see good demand throughout the year and also offer home delivery. We cater to children up to nine years of age,” she said.Most toy libraries offer weekly or monthly membership plans, while some also allow customers to rent individual toys. “We did the calculations and realised it makes more sense to rent expensive toys. We recently borrowed a slide and swing set for a month, and my child thoroughly enjoyed it,” said Siddika Chavan, a resident of Salisbury Park.Prasad Sambar, who runs Viraj Educational Toys and Books Library in Baner, said the library offers a wide range of educational toys at affordable rental rates. “We charge a membership fee along with a monthly borrowing fee. Delivery and pick-up services are also available,” he said.Nutan Gala, owner of Unnati Books n Toys Library in Pimpri-Chinchwad, said a majority of her customers are from the IT sector. “Demand is higher for toys than books. We offer multiple membership plans so families can choose the one that best suits their needs,” she said.Renting toys has made parents more conscious about avoiding unnecessary purchases. “It reduces waste, saves money and ensures that good-quality toys are used by many children instead of lying unused at home,” said Sakshi Kumar, resident of Wanowrie.
