Families! If you want to give your child a variety of toys to enjoy without buying them all and cluttering up your house, or if you’re looking for a private, indoor play house to rent affordably for parties or other get-togethers, there’s a new business in the Twin Cities that you have to check out!
Toylend USA
I recently had the pleasure of meeting Dr. Elizabeth Wilcox, a local mom who started a toy rental business for Twin Cities families called Toylend USA.
Elizabeth started this business last year after realizing how quickly her daughter outgrew her toys:
“When I was a new mom, I kept buying brand-new toys and baby gear for my daughter,” Elizabeth recalled. “She always needed something new to keep her interested. As she has grown I have found that she needs toys and gear that are age and developmentally appropriate: from colors and sounds, to singing and moving, to riding and building, and so on. I didn’t think that it made sense for me to keep buying her new toys and gear when she would outgrow it so quickly.”
Elizabeth thought about how many items she had bought that were no longer being used and could be shared, and how many other families have been down on the same path.
‘Why don’t we rent from each other?’ she thought. “That is how the Toylend idea came to me.”
Elizabeth started her business in March 2014 and started having rentals soon after.
At Toylend, she wants to use the toys and baby gear that are not currently being used and could be shared among families, so that young children can access a variety of toys and baby gear at a fraction of the cost.
It works like this – you can browse by category and age. To order, you create/login to your account, place an order, get confirmation via email, and then the toys and baby gear are delivered to your home. Later you’ll receive an email to schedule your pick-up date and time. You can request an extension of your rental time if you wish.
There are also memberships available for a $60 or $120 yearly fee. They include free delivery and pick-up, discounts and more. I just became a Toylend member myself and am excited to try it out for my kids!
Concerned about cleanliness? Don’t worry – the toys are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between uses! She described to me her process which uses 100% natural cleaners, a steam-cleaner for fabric, and a hospital-grade cleaner for tough stains (which are then quarantined for a week). Because it’s a parent-run business, they understand how important cleanliness is and do everything possible to keep the rentals thoroughly sanitary.
Playlend
Playlend is Toylend’s indoor play house. It’s located in Roseville and is open for all Toylend members to rent for private use at affordable prices.
Playlend is also open for an open house once a month. The next one is this Saturday, February 28th with guest speaker, Dr. Melheim, who will talk about 5 simple things you can do each day to enrich your children’s growing brains!
Check out Toylend’s website and Facebook page for more information! Plus, if you join the new Twin Cities Kids Club, you can get $2.00 off per toy rental and 10% off your Playlend reservation!