Sand toy library gets quick expansion
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FAIRMONT - Around two months after the project first received support from the Fairmont Park Board, Fairmont Women of Today have added a second sand toy library, this one at the Fairmont Aquatic Park.
Jodi Pouliot, who went before the park board to discuss the idea, said the inspiration came while she was out with her grandkids at Gomsrud Park last year.
"I brought it out and played with the kids," she said. "Some other kids would wander over, trying to get them out of my toy bin. I’d be like, 'Oh, that’s ours.' Sometimes I’d let them play with them depending on the age and if my kids were using them or not."
During the wintertime, Pouliot found some articles online about starting a sand toy library. She brought the idea to Fairmont Women of Today's Committee, and they said yes. Pouliot said it is a new twist for the group.
"We’ve had more just special day events," she said. "We used to do Touch a Truck. We’ve had CreativiTEA. We’ve had mostly single-day events, not really purchasing and having something on site."
When it came to stocking these libraries, Pouliot said they were looking for durability.
"I’ve tried some lower-end buckets, and they have cracked right away," she said. "I’m looking for some thicker buckets, and typically more that would be designed for a sand castle and shovels and scoops. Even the scoops from the feed stores work well for the kids to dig in."
So far, Pouliot said they have gotten positive results from the new sand toy libraries.
"A lot of people say it’s enough to get the kids in the car in swimsuits and beverages, and then to think about the toys, it’s hard to think about that," she said. "They’ve just been glad. When I was there last summer too, I saw some kids just playing with cups, plastic silverware. The more they have toys that are more user-friendly, would be better."
After the first one took off, Pouliot thought of the Aquatic Park and the big sand pit available there.
"I also had my toddler grandson with me last year here," she said. "When they rang the whistle, and you have to get out of the pool for 10 minutes, he’s like, 'I don’t want to get out of the pool.' They can’t understand that. If this was here, I could distract him and come play with toys instead of having to go to the concessions."
On top of this, she said it can help provide kids with water fears a separate opportunity.
Thankfully, Pouliot said it is a low-cost endeavor to start, around $100. With around $250 raised at their last Singo music bingo, they were able to add the Aquatic Park sand toy library.
The toys have been there for less than a week, but in visiting the Aquatic Park on Wednesday, Pouliot said she saw they have been used plenty.
Right now, Pouliot said the effort is going toward replacing toys that are taken away or, in the case of Gomsrud Park, float out into the lakes.
"I go there at least once a week to look at the toys, and a lot of them are missing," she said. "We’re having to replenish that every week, so it is going to be more costly than we first anticipated."
Right now, the plan is to maintain the sand toy library for two years. At the end of that period, they will evaluate it to see what they want to do moving forward. Regardless, Pouliot said she wants this to help the community grow in aiding its tourism.
"Knowing that we have nice parks and there’s tools for them to use," she said.