They've been hives of activity and fun for thousands of Kiwi kids since the 1970s, but now toy libraries are struggling to survive.
Among the issues putting them at risk are an influx of cheap plastic toys and a lack of volunteers.
Toy library mother Kimberly McLean is one of the families still making use of the toy libraries, for her daughter Ivy and son Harvey.
The young siblings have been avid toy library fans for as long as they can remember.
"With children, who has room to store big bulky toys?" McLean told 1 NEWS.
"I love that we hire it for two weeks. They love it, enjoy it, and then we return it."
The sustainability of the model is a major plus.
"We're looking at how we can do our bit to protect planet Earth, and not be consuming too much plastic and packaging," McLean says.
Toy libraries have been community staples since 1974.
Some early toys are still doing the rounds. Barbara Williman, a board member of the Toy Library Federation of NZ, points out one made in 1980.
"It's been hired or played with by over 600 kids in its 40 years of life," she says.
"And as you can see... it's been well loved!"
The libraries are well-loved too, but many are finding it tough to stay open at all.
Twenty-four around the country have shut up shop or merged in the last five years.
Williman says it's a real loss.
"It is a loss because, especially if you're living rurally, you don't have toy shops."
The difficulties mainly stem from time-poor caregivers not being able to volunteer, difficulty finding suitable affordable venues, and an influx of cheap plastic toys flooding the market.
"They only last a certain amount of time and then they go off and join the 252,000 tonnes of landfill that are going into New Zealand," Williman says.
"We just want to divert as much toys from going there as possible. So hiring rather than buying is a way better way to go."
The hope now is that more families can get involved with their local branch to save money, and the planet, while spreading the joy of toys.
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