Tired of buying new toys that kids quickly lose interest in? Borrow free toys to take home!

On Hanhan’s birthday, I was the only one taking care of him during the day. I had originally thought we could go on a little mother-son trip, but because I also wanted to take his umbilical cord seal to the bank to open an account as a keepsake, and it was supposed to rain in the afternoon, I decided to go to a parent-child center to play after opening the account. By the time we finished at the bank, it was almost four o’clock, and with the rain making it inconvenient to move around, I chose a parent-child center not far from home. I had two options in mind—one was a parent-child center in Zhongzheng District, which I heard was clean and not too crowded—and the other was the one we ended up going to, the “Infant and Toddler Supplies Exchange Center.”

I chose the “Infant and Toddler Supplies Exchange Center” because I often saw friends bringing their babies here to play, and it has a great feature: you can borrow toys to take home. So I thought, why not experience it firsthand and share it with everyone? (What a public-spirited neighborhood chief!)

Upon entering, the left side of the venue is the stroller parking area.

On the right, there is a coin-operated (10 NTD, refundable) locker and a cute honeycomb-style slippers section.

All visitors to the parent-child center, including adults, must wear socks. If you forget, you can usually buy them on-site. What sets this place apart from other parent-child centers I’ve visited is that they sell socks via a capsule toy machine—and they even come in different designs. How cute!
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Even if you’re just using the public play area, you still need to sign up. To borrow toys, you can borrow two items at a time, with a loan period of 14 days.

Since it was my first time here, I didn’t know I could apply for membership in advance, so I just filled out the form on-site (you must bring your baby’s health insurance card & receive a verification email).

The center’s work involves collecting, selecting, cleaning, and categorizing supplies, then distributing them to disadvantaged groups, remote tribes, charitable organizations, and parent-child centers for use.

As a parent-child center, it’s not very large or fancy—wooden flooring + large puzzle mats. The number of toys is decent, but it’s not entirely clear where each type of toy should be returned.

The larger toys include a slide and two small playhouses.

There are also some transparent storage boxes holding toys, plus three or four rocking horses and a stroller parking area. In the center, there are several small tables with tabletop toys.

Next to the pillars, there’s even an old-school pinball machine. I loved playing that as a kid!

Role-play and pretend play area.

I think parent-child centers are great for killing time, and babies have a lot of fun. But what worries me more is the hygiene issue. Although temperatures are taken for both adults and children upon entry, I’ve seen kids with runny noses still playing here, which really bugs me. When I see that, I remind the staff, and they quickly hand the mom some tissue to clean up (I always keep Han away from them—I hope he doesn’t catch anything!)

Babies tend to put toys in their mouths, and if those mouths or snot-covered hands touch the toys, isn’t it easy to spread colds? I think moms, please—yes, I know it’s super relaxing for moms to come here, but if your child isn’t fully recovered from a cold, really don’t bring them out to infect others. Not every baby has strong immunity, and with such a mix of ages, the little ones with weaker antibodies can easily get sick!
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This next toy is pretty funny—it’s basically a big ball that makes lights and sounds, and when you push it, little balls inside spin and roll forward. It’s perfect for dachshund-type kids who love chasing things. If I were living in Taiwan long-term, I might consider renting this toy for Hanhan to play with at home!

This is probably a traditional toy? It makes a clanging sound when you push it forward.

Han prefers playing with toys that other kids are using, or playing alongside other children (who also love the slide). Since he can’t walk well yet, he can only take a few steps while holding onto something, so he mostly just pushes the stroller around.

But because I rented a highly sensory stroller for him during this trip back to Taiwan, he occasionally tries to stand up holding onto it—but his feet can’t keep up with the stroller’s speed, so after two steps, he just flops back down (and if I’m not holding him, he faceplants).

This wooden stroller feels pretty nice in quality, and Hanhan seems interested in the mechanisms on it too!

It’s just a bit fast for him still—he’ll probably need some time before he can really use it. This stroller is also something I plan to buy for him as a one-year-old gift when I return to Shanghai (haven’t decided which model yet).

Next, the toy he spent the most time with and couldn’t put down was this vacuum cleaner!

Argh, I forgot to check the brand, but when Hanhan saw another kid playing with it, he kept trying to snatch it—the other kid wouldn’t let go either. Eventually, the other kid stopped playing (maybe just taking a break), and I finally got the chance to grab it for Hanhan. Otherwise, losing a toy battle would’ve been so lame!

When you turn it on, the vacuum makes sounds, and there are lots of little Styrofoam balls bouncing around inside—it’s super captivating!

Babies these days love playing with adult stuff, and a vacuum cleaner with sounds and tubes is definitely a hit!

He played with it and completely ignored me. Lately, he’s so into it that as long as I can take him out, he’ll follow anyone. And once he gets to the parent-child center, he totally forgets about me (shrugs).

She barely agreed to take a photo with mommy!

Only after mommy went somewhere else to take pictures did she give me an exaggerated smile (so dramatic)!

The most important part is still to introduce how to borrow toys and what the key points are. But honestly, I’ve never borrowed any myself—I can only give you a brief overview based on the written info and what the staff explained on-site. For details and the correct procedures, please inquire directly with them!

First of all, as mentioned earlier, .

When choosing toys, you need to exchange your membership card for an ID badge at the counter. A maximum of five groups are allowed inside at one time to avoid crowding, chaos, or grabbing. The toy selection time is limited to 20 minutes, and “those who borrow items this time cannot use the parent-child experience area (i.e., the play area next door)”—this is to avoid affecting others’ rights. (Though I don’t quite get the logic—why can’t you play here if you borrowed something? Maybe they’re worried about people taking things from the experience area home too?)

Each person can borrow two toys per visit, and the borrowing period is 14 days. Personally, I think both the quantity and the time frame are very reasonable—too many and babies won’t value them, too long and the item turnover is slow, which also reduces the kids’ interest. After picking your toys, just register with the staff and you’re good to go. It feels pretty easy!

Honestly, raising kids really “boosts the economy,” but it’s also very environmentally unfriendly. Just think about how many diapers and wet wipes we go through raising one child, not to mention the amount of toys and clothes purchased—all of which create a lot of waste and unnecessary consumption.

Nowadays, there are so many bizarre and varied types of toys. Some babies love them, while others couldn’t care less. Some toys lose their appeal as the baby grows older. , it also provides a place where low-income families, or those unwilling or unable to spend money buying toys or finding space to store them, can borrow toys to bring home for their children to play with.

The “Infant and Toddler Material Exchange Center” allows all kinds of toys to be put to better use, so I think having such a center is really great, and it should be promoted to more people. (P.S. Plush toys, office supplies, food, daily necessities, and hygiene products are not suitable, FYI)!
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So yeah, if you’re looking for a super new and fun parent-child play center, this place might not be what you’re aiming for—there are more suitable ones in other districts of Taipei. But if you’re looking for a place where you can “borrow toys for free” to take home, this is definitely a worthwhile spot to visit. It’s right when you come out!