New Home For Reading’s Free Toy Library

Reading’s Toy Library opened in its new location on Wednesday (18 March) at Palmer Park Leisure Centre and Stadium, offering families the chance borrow age‑appropriate toys for toddlers and children for free.

Delivered by Reading Council’s library service, the town’s Toy Library offers a wide range of fun and educational toys, games, puzzles, dressing up clothes and sensory resources suitable for babies, toddlers, and young children.

The Toy Library offers over 300 toys that can be borrowed and then returned, just like with a library book. The aim of the service is to support childhood development while at the same time reducing the financial pressures felt by families when buying new toys.

Toys can be reserved in person or online. Most toys can be collected from any of the Reading library branches, but large toys must be collected from Palmer Park Leisure Centre and Stadium during Toy Library opening hours – Wednesday’s 10.30am to 12.30pm during term time only. To check Toy Library opening times before travel visit https://www.reading.gov.uk/leisure/libraries/all-libraries/toy-library/

The Toy Library will be staffed by tutors and SEND students from Reading College and University Centre, which will provide invaluable work experience for students to learn new skills to help them get workplace-ready.

Cllr Adele Barnett-Ward, Lead Councillor for Leisure and Culture, said "We are incredibly proud of the Reading Toy Library, an initiative that reflects our ongoing commitment to supporting families and giving every child in Reading the best possible start in life. By offering high‑quality toys that encourage learning and creativity, at no cost to borrow, we’re making play more accessible and sustainable for our community.

I look forward to seeing families make the most of this fantastic resource in the Council’s popular new Palmer Park Leisure Centre and Stadium. This location is served by multiple bus routes and has car parking on site, which will make it easier for families to borrow and return the larger toys that can't be borrowed via our main library network."

Elle Stear, LLD/D Lecturer at Activate Learning said: “We’re really excited to be working with Reading Borough Council and the Toy Library. We’re looking forward to getting started and meeting new customers. It’s a great opportunity for SEND students from Reading College and University Centre to get some work experience and learn new skills to get them ready for the workplace."

Reading Borough Council first launched the Toy Library in 2003 at Southcote Library before moving to Central Library in 2018 and now relocating to Palmer Park Leisure Centre and Stadium, in collaboration with the council’s leisure partner Greenwich Leisure Ltd (GLL).