Buy vs Rent Books, Toys and Games – Which is Better for Your Child?

Nothing excites your children more than a new book, toy or game!

While you want to see the happiness on your child’s face, a new purchase often creates a parenting dilemma. Children’s books, toys and games are quite expensive these days. Moreover, children tend to lose interest or outgrow these things very soon. If these challenges not enough, children’s stuff ends up taking too much space in the house, especially if you are not giving them away to maids or raddiwala at regular intervals.

Have you ever considered exploring book and toy libraries? These libraries allow you to rent age-appropriate (usually, 6 months to 12 years) books, toys and games for your children at a nominal rate. They save you a fortune! All you need to do is to register as a member and pay a pre-determined fee as per the package you select. Once your membership activates, you can commence borrowing and return after use as per the agreed timeline.

These book and toy libraries also have a vast collection of books across various genres and authors. The variety of branded toys and games can also spoil you for choices. Right from board games, puzzles and sensory toys to dollhouses, pretend play sets, push ride-ons and outdoor games, you can rent anything. You can even borrow toys and games for children’s parties, get-togethers and other events. They also offer home delivery and pick-up services.

Worried about the quality, safety and hygiene of the things you rent from these libraries? The good ones sanitize everything as soon as the parents return the things. They also ensure the books do not have torn pages/covers, and toys and games do not have sharp edges or elements that could pose danger to a child’s health and life. It is always advisable to check the library’s product catalogue and sanitization policy before you become a member.

The only co-operation that these libraries expect from you is to maintain the book or toy in the same condition you rented. Or else, they may ask you to pay a penalty fee, purchase it from them or replace the product. There is no doubt that book and toy library keep your child happy and engaged with various choices while saving you from loosening your purse strings. You can browse through the list of such libraries in Pune here.

Remember that the definition of ‘new’ is subjective. Most children just enjoy the feeling of getting something they didn’t possess earlier. It doesn’t matter whether it is brand new, a handover from an elder sibling, or borrowed from someone else. You can spend money on brand new books, toys and games for special occasions like birthdays or festivals, or when they need to own something for long-term use.

Eventually, buy or rent is a personal parenting choice. There is nothing right or wrong about it.