Toy With This

Gone are the days of simple dolls and kitchen sets. As television and tabloids bombard us with images of lifestyles of the rich,it’s not surprising to see the trend coming up. Renting designer bags,limousines and even wedding guests is already a passé,as now kids,and in turn their parents are even renting toys.

“Buying and collecting toys is both an expensive and tiresome affair and that is the reason we decided to begin this concept,” says Malhotra,who is also a grandmother.

The toy renting library offers a wide range of options and has a variety of toys — ranging from vocabulary games,zero gravity cars and musical games — along with CDs and books. There is everything for somebody between the age group of zero to 12 years. “The endeavour is to provide the children with an absorbing and fun experience,one which forces them to stay away from getting bored,” says Grover,as she opens doors to the interiors painted with cartoon characters.

The store functions on a monthly membership basis (starting at Rs 250),where a parent can avail a membership at nominal charges. The idea of the store,they tell us,was inspired from a similar place that they saw in Bangalore. “Everybody wants their kid to be active,but then there are constraints. Sometimes there are no children in the same age group to play,you have limited time and buying a new activity-based toy to keep them interested is very expensive. And that is where our rented toys help,” says Grover,who believes that they help children move away from TV and video-games and develop their motor skills. “I have seen children,who have stopped pestering their parents to buy new toys and don’t manhandle a toy,for they know they will get another one,only if they would return the toys in good shape,” says Grover.

A premium segment toy library,the toys inventory at RentMeToy includes varieties of internationally recognised brands like Fisher price,VTech,Lego,Funskool,Playschool and Little Tikes. “Here,there are accessories for comfort that keep up with the child’s development rate and attention span,so one does not have to stock baby toy warehouse at home,” says Grover.