After six years in its current home, the Rutabaga Toy Library is relocating this fall, though it will not be moving far.
The team has signed a lease for the new spot, which will be located at 3301 Scotts Lane in the Falls Center in East Falls.
“It’s so important to me to continue to provide a space for folks to meet, to share in the journey of parenting and to play. When times are tough and it’s scary, I turn inward and really lock in on what this has become. I have no doubt that the next space will be just the same. Even better,” owner Krystal Cunillera said in a social media post.
Cunillera is actively building out the new location with the help of the community through hosted community days.
“We’re hosting a series of Community Volunteer Days where folks are invited to come help us scrub walls, mop floors, scrap gum (this used to be a school!), pull weeds, and lots of other Worker Bee tasks,” the website reads.
The library began as Rutabaga Circle in 2019, when Cunillera, then caring for a toddler and a newborn, looked for ways to connect with other families in the neighborhood. She hosted meetups and classes, and as caregivers began asking for more opportunities to gather, she realized a permanent space was needed.
“As a new mom, I began learning about low-waste alternatives to parenting and came across an article about a toy library in Austin, Texas. Their space served as a gathering space for families, while also providing an alternate path for families to share resources instead of always buying new. I decided this was a perfect way to support families in Philadelphia and Rutabaga Toy Library was officially born!” Cunillera said.
A toy library works much like a book library, but with toys. Children and caregivers can explore more than 1,500 toys for ages 0 to 8, along with puzzles, games and books during each visit.
Rutabaga Toy Library offers memberships for families as well as options for non-members.
Memberships cover the entire family and are available as 10-day mini memberships, month-to-month plans, six-month memberships or 12-month memberships. Members can check out up to four toys for four weeks, with the option to borrow additional toys for $10 per set of two.
Non-members can pay $15 per child for a drop-in visit and $8 for a sibling. A bonus: every first visit to the toy library is free.
The new space is on track to open in September. Visit the Rutabaga Toy Library website and follow along on Instagram and Facebook for the latest updates.
What Now Philadelphia reached out to the team. This article may be updated.
