Swap and Play the order of the day at Ballyogan Library

Families in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown were invited to take part in a fun and eco-friendly Swap & Play event hosted by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown and facilitated by The Toy Library. The event took place on 10th May at Ballyogan Library, providing children and families with the opportunity to swap pre-loved toys, engage in play, and experience the joy of sharing and reuse.

The free event included a Swap and play zone for the kids to enjoy and share their pre-loved toys, a teddy bear wellness centre where teddy bears received cuddles prescriptions and a stand that offered Eco-friendly temporary tattoo stickers. 

An Cathaoirleach, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, Councillor Jim O’Leary said: 

"Today's event saw families embrace reuse in a fun and impactful way. Sharing toys that would otherwise go into the bin or get lost in our attics is a great and easy way to promote sustainable communities. The Council is delighted to support such events that promote a circular economy that benefits all.”

Over 80 families attended the event, which was designed to promote toy reuse, reduce waste, and encourage Circular Economy principles in communities. Attendees were welcome to bring up to five gently used toys to swap or simply take home pre-loved toys without any donation. 135 toys were given a new home on the day which meant a host of happy kids and an estimated saving of 500kg CO2 by swapping and not purchasing new. That is equivalent to 2 months of electricity in the average EU household.

Frank Curran, Chief Executive, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council added: 

“We are all thrilled with the success of today's toy swap in the Ballyogan Library. Throwaway culture is one of the biggest roadblocks achieving a circular economy and swapping children's toys is a great way to educate kids and parents alike in the benefits of reuse. We are also pleased to host this event in the new Ballyogan Library which is a fantastic addition to the area and the Samuel Beckett Civic Campus.”  

The Toy Library is a Social Enterprise with the goal of making toy reuse a normal part of family life. The Toy library offers a free and privacy friendly digital platform to connect families who want to share toys and hosts “Swap & Play” events to promote social cohesion in local communities across Ireland. More information on their app and in-person events can be found on their website The Toy Library