UPDATE: This subscription is no longer available. Check out our list of the Best Kid Subscription Boxes of 2019 to find a great alternative.
Toy Library is a monthly toy rental subscription service that lets you borrow two toys at a time from a library of over 500 toys. Each month you receive credits based on one of three plans that you can use when you select your toys. They offer Novice - 2 credits per month for $24.99, Wizard - 4 credits per month for $39.99 or Einstein - 24 credits per year for $269.99 and all plans include free shipping. Toys range in credits from 1-3 depending on their size, so if your child likes larger toys, you will need a plan with more credits. Credits do roll over from month to month and will not expire as long as you are an active, paying member.
You may keep the toys as long as you want and once you are done you send them back in the included mailer where they are cleaned and sanitized for the next child to borrow. Find out more information here.
This box was sent to us at no cost for review. (Check out the review process post to learn more about how we review boxes).
About Toy Library
The Subscription Box: Toy Library
The Cost: Plans start at $24.99 plus free shipping
The Products: Rent two toys per month for as long as you want. Choose from popular brands like Lego or American girl.
Ships to: the U.S.
Good to know: You do have the option to purchase toys through your account if your child loves one and doesn't want to part with it!
Toy Library September 2018 Review
One thing that is special about Toy Library is that when your child borrows a toy, they provide information about how that toy is helping your child grow whether it is through fine motor skills or play and social skills. Once they understand how your child plays, they will suggest toys that will help develop skills that they may not have been focusing on through their previous toy choices. See more about personalization here.
Included in our box was this guide for parents with a pledge for kids on the back that reminds them to take care of their toy and return all the pieces. I think this is a fantastic idea! It really teaches them the value of taking responsibility for something and treating it with respect. Ideas I have been working hard to instill in my kids!
Bonus Toy:
Pley Firefighter Brickband
Every once in a while Toy Library will send an item that you are able to keep and it will be indicated on a note within your package. While we didn't receive anything telling us this is to keep, it came separately from the other toys without a mesh bag and is made by their former company brand, Pley, so I am assuming that this is for us to keep as a little welcome toy. We put our little firefighter together and gave him a fire to put out all on this band that we can wear like a bracelet. Super fun and simple!
Toys come in their own separate mesh blue bag with a zipper, which I thought was perfect to keep the toys in when not playing with them and will make returning them easy. The mesh is also fine enough that smaller parts can't make their way outside of the bag, either.
These items were sent based on toys appropriate for my four-year-old daughter. Please note that our toys were chosen for us and we did not select them as a paying subscriber would! Let's see what we got:
Toy 1:
American Girl: Maryellen's Poodle Skirt Outfit and Pajamas - (Combined) Retail Value - $60
The first toy that we received is this set of American Girl clothing and wow! I knew that American Girl doll items can be pretty pricey, but I didn't realize they cost more than I would spend on an outfit for my own four-year-old! Since they do have such a high retail value, I think that makes it an excellent toy for a rental service. I loved that they sent us a little card with pictures of all of the items that should come in the bag. That way we know if we are missing anything and don't have to keep track of it on our own.
Maryellen's Poodle Skirt Outfit - Retail Value $36.00
Maryellen's Pajamas - Retail Value $24
These outfits were super cute and I love that they came with the accessories like shoes, socks and a hair scarf. Everything felt clean and was in great shape with all of the pieces. The outfits had velcro on the back to put them on the dolls, so these were easy for my daughter to put on independently. Unfortunately, my daughter does not own an American Girl doll, so this wasn't an ideal toy for us, but she does love baby dolls and has other dolls that we (attempted) to use the outfits for. This was definitely appropriate and a great choice for her, other than her not having the right doll to use it with. As a paying subscriber, you would not have this issue, since you get to select your own toys!
Toy 2:
Lego Friends Heartlake Pizzeria - Retail Value $29.99
The second toy that we received was this Lego Pizzeria set. It was brand new, which was a little nerve-wracking since my kids are two and four, but having the instruction booklet with the contents and also the little card on the outside telling us what we needed to return was very helpful. It seems that Toy Library is actually very understanding about missing pieces, which is great and takes a bit of the pressure off! From Toy Library:
No worries, we understand that a few pieces can get lost during play and we don’t charge for normal wear. Our plans include a guarantee so that you will not be charged if normal loss occurs (up to 15 pieces).
If you received a LEGO set and are unable to find a piece or are missing a piece, you can complement the set with a piece of your own, that's what some of our members do.
Our Detective feature allows you to report the status of any toy that you receive. Be a ToyLibrary Detective! It’s part of the fun.
We have not yet gone down to this size of Legos yet so this was our first experience following the instructions and building something with such small pieces! And wow, were there a lot of pieces! The directions were actually very clear and easy to read so my daughter was able to do it with just a little assistance from me. I did end up doing the majority of the building though because they were so eager to play with it, but I really loved how it gave her the opportunity to follow instructions, build with her hands and identify different shapes and colors while counting to ensure we had the correct pieces!
We got to build a little pizza delivery vehicle and a pizzeria complete with a rooftop terrace. They even had little pizzas and pans and plates, etc. So much fun! My kids have really been enjoying this set! There are so many Lego sets out these days, so this is another great rental toy that we can try before we buy or just have some fun with before we try a different set. We get to keep this for as long as we want, then we just put it back in the mesh bag, then into the Toy Library bag and stick on our prepaid label for FedEx to pick it up!
Verdict: This was our first experience with Toy Library and I think that we received some great items! It was very easy to know exactly what we needed to send back since the mesh bags were labeled for us. I thought the toys were appropriate for my daughter and she has been playing with that Lego set non-stop, so it's great that we can keep it until she grows tired of it! This was a very hassle-free way to try out some new toys and I'm excited to see what else they send. This box costs $24.99, but the toys we received retail for $89.99, so I think that is definitely a fair price for such coveted toys as Legos and American Girl accessories! Plus we don't run the risk of my children tiring of these toys, but probably losing pieces in the process which would make them not as fun to donate!
To Wrap Up:
Can I still get this box if I sign up today? Yes, you get to select your own toys, so it is possible for you to choose these!
Value Breakdown: This box costs $24.99, but the toys we received retail for $89.99. That means we paid approximately $12.49 to rent each set for as long as we want.
Check out more kids activity boxes for ages 0-10 in the Kids Subscription Box List!
Keep Track of Your Subscriptions: Add this box to your subscription list or wishlist!
What did you and your little one receive in your most recent Toy Library box?
Please do not enter your email address in the Name field or in the comment content. Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *. Remember to post with kindness and respect. Comments with offensive language, cruelness to others, etc will not be approved. See our full comment policy here.