'Protect Our Playground' toy library launches in Croyde

Sometimes the best ideas are the simple ones. Building sandcastles on the beach is a favourite with children (and let’s be honest, a fair few grown ups too), and plastic bucket and spades are a common sight in seaside towns and villages. Sadly many of these toys are broken or just discarded at the end of a trip, either on the beach or added to already overflowing bins. Even when families do the responsible thing and take their purchases home with them, the majority are only used once or twice a year and spend the rest of their time taking up cupboard space. Given the vast number of visitors to our beaches every summer, that’s a lot of plastic buckets and spades being produced and sold for minimal, if not single, use.

So one of our brilliant team of trustees Andy Clee, who just so happens to be a talented carpenter, came up with a simple solution. He built a shed from scratch, his wife Karen painted the gorgeous seal artwork to accompany our ‘Protect Our Playground’ message, and then they filled the shed with buckets, spades and bodyboards that are free for visitors to borrow and return.

Our new toy library at Croyde allows families to borrow and return these items on one of our most popular beaches - reducing plastic waste, saving them money, and encouraging visitors to connect with the environment in a more meaningful and sustainable way.

One recent visitor had this to say:

“I saw this bucket and spade library yesterday. What a great way to engage children in looking after the environment and community in a way that is meaningful to them.”

- Leanne Ridgway, Montessori Practitioner and parent to an enthusiastic young sandcastle-builder

We would love to see this idea grow, whether that’s a dedicated bookshelf in your bed and breakfast or holiday let, a box in your beachside cafe, or a table in your holiday park reception area. Or if you want to go the whole hog and build your own toy library for your local beach or your businesses, Andy has kindly offered to make his plans freely available. Click here to download the plans for your own hut!

We’d love to see your efforts, so please share your photos, tag us on social media, and help us spread the toy library love. Please use the hashtag #protectourplayground.