Lend & Learn Toy Lending Library

🚼🚗🚙🚗 National Diaper Need Awareness Week is Sep 23-27! One in every two families do not have enough diapers to change their baby as often as needed. On Tuesday, Sept 24, we will set up a Diaper Drive Thru & Drop Off in our parking lot at First Chance. For children’s safety, our Lend & Learn indoor play will be closed. Instead, you can drive thru to pick up diapers for your child or drop off diaper donations for our Diaper Bank program. And we do accept opened packs that your baby has grown out of!

💦 Splash in our water table and stir your child’s creativity at the Family Fun Fest tonight (Wed 9/18) from 6-8pm at Albert Oakland Park (1900 Blue Ridge Rd, Columbia)! Lots of fun and it’s the last one of 2024!!

🎣Don’t miss your chance to sign up for the Missouri River Explorers program through Missouri River Relief!

Join us on Sunday, October 13th for the Missouri River Explorer Program at Cooper's Landing Riverside Resort & Marina! This FREE program includes boat rides, hikes, nature crafts, special guests and more! To register and learn more, visit: https://bit.ly/2024-missouri-river-explorer

☀️ Get your GLO on this week with us at Twin Lakes Park (2500 Chapel Hill Rd, Columbia)! Our GLO group meets up and explores new playgrounds each Tuesday in September from 3:00-4:00pm. Lend & Learn staff bring snacks, water, outdoor rug, bubbles, and chalk. Free, fun, and open to all families!

https://www.facebook.com/share/uiohjVoamTZQ61km/?mibextid=9l3rBW

Lend & Learn is closing early on Friday, Sep 13. Play time will be open 8:30am-11am.

🚨Be sure to check our LOST & FOUND at Lend & Learn for items you may have left behind. Plenty of jackets, some cups, a backpack, and a carrier are all waiting to come back home with you. 💞

📷The photo is of actual items in Lend & Learn’s Lost & Found bin located underneath the sign-in table.

🤭🥰 The babies wiggled and giggled at story time today! Thanks to all the families who joined us and to Ms. Tess for leading, reading, singing, playing, and bringing us together!

☀️ GLO will explore and play at Lions Stephens Park (104 N William St, Columbia) on Tuesday, Sep 10 from 3-4pm. This park is a hidden gem for toddlers as it has musical features and lower climbing structures in the playground.
🛝 GLO is a free and fun play group organized by Lend & Learn for all families who want to get their littles outside, explore the parks, and play with new friends!
➡️ Please note - while it has Stephens in its name, this park is NOT Stephens Lake Park. It’s located nearby in the Benton-Stephens neighborhood. Also, there is no parking lot - you can park on the streets around the park (Williams, Windsor, Ann) or in the Boone hospital lot across Walnut. A stroller might be handy for walking from your car to the playground!

🎉🥳 Such exciting news for our community!

We're thrilled to announce that First Chance for Children has been nominated for The Columbia Chamber of Commerce’s Nonprofit of the Year! 🎉 As a local organization, with just eight dedicated team members and the incredible support of our community partners, we’re proud of the work we do to make a difference in our community.

Thank you to the Columbia Chamber of Commerce for recognizing and honoring the important work that nonprofits do. A big shoutout to the other amazing nominees— Brothers Big Sisters of Central Missouri, In2Action, Heart of Missouri CASA and The Food Bank for Central & Northeast Missouri. Congratulations to all of you!

Our Fun Farm Play Event 🐮🐷🚜 is ONE WEEK AWAY! Explore and play at Nifong Park (3700 Ponderosa St, Columbia) on Wednesday, Sep 11 from 9:30-11:30am. Meet us at the park for farm-themed activities on the playground, sensory tables, snacks, and play time with friends. Free & fun event for children 0-5 and their caregivers.
*Indoor play time on Fay Street will not be open on Sep 11.

☀️ GLO (Getting Littles Outside) is back for September at a new day & time! Join us on Tuesday afternoons from 3-4pm to explore a new playground and meet with new friends each week. We start on Tuesday, Sep 3 from 3-4pm at Clary Shy Park (1755 W Ash St - next to the farmer’s market pavilion and the ARC). Lend & Learn staff will be there with an outdoor rug, bubbles, chalk, snacks, and water. Free, fun, and open to all families to enjoy time outside! 🛝 🌽

Lend & Learn is closed on Monday, Sep 2 for Labor Day, so we’ve bumped our normally scheduled activities. ⭐️ North Boone will be open on Mondays Sep 9 & 16 from 9:30-11:30am for play time and diaper drive thru at Lend & Learn North - 1023 E Hwy 22, Centralia. ⭐️ CoMo Dads will meet next Monday, Sep 9 from 9-11am at Lend & Learn - 1002 Fay St, Columbia.

🌟 Join us for the Uniquely Ours Group this Friday, Aug 30 from 8:30-9:30am at Lend & Learn! The group gives a place for caregivers to connect and share resources while children play.

🎉 Bingo for Babies is such a fun event to get more involved at First Chance for Children! 🎟️ Tickets are on sale now: https://firstchance4children.harnessgiving.org/events/1844

🎉Only 30 Days Left!🎉

Mark your calendars—First Chance for Children’s 7th Annual Bingo for Babies is just around the corner! 🗓️ Get your tickets today for a night of cutthroat bingo, exciting games, a silent auction, a delicious meal, refreshing beverages, and a bourbon & wine pull. 🍷🥃

By joining us, you’re not just having fun—you’re making a difference. Your support helps thousands of children and families across central Missouri meet their basic needs. 💙

Don’t wait—grab your tickets now and be part of something amazing! 🎟️

🚜🐷🐮So many opportunities in September to PLAY and enjoy time with your little ones and other families in our Lend & Learn community! And yes, we are bringing GLO (Getting Littles Outside) back at a new day and time! 😮😀 Plus, we have play groups, baby story time, fun farm play, and events for Diaper Need Awareness Week and Pridefest.

🚸 Back to school means back to our regular hours! Lend & Learn is open for indoor play time Tuesdays-Fridays 8:30am-1:00pm. Your child will grow essential skills through play!
➡️ Free and fun activities for young children ages 0-5 and their caregivers.

🚸 Need a soft place to land after school drop off this morning? We are serving up free coffee, tea, muffins, fruit, hugs, high fives, and listening ears here at Lend & Learn. And as always, play time and friends for the littles ages 0-5! Drop in during our new fall hours: Tuesday-Friday 8:30am-1:00pm.

🔥 We had an amazing team of young summer workers who played with kids, sorted donations, wrapped diapers, packed smart start kits, loaded and unloaded necessities for events, cleaned, and so much more! We want to send them a shout out and well wishes as they head back to school this week. Thank you Ash, Grace, and Lexi! 📢 👏👏👏

🤩 Thank you to the wonderful team from KidSight MO for offering free vision screenings to 17 children last week at Lend & Learn! Read more about their fantastic work: https://kid-sight.org/

♻️🤩 What a fantastic turnout today! Families shopped for free at our FC4C FREEcycle event and took home needed children’s items such as clothing, books, toys, baby supplies, shoes, blankets, and more. For parents of young children, every bit of support makes a big impact! We also love how it helps our environment and builds a strong community. 🌳🫶

♻️ Our generous community has pulled together and donated lots of gently used children’s clothing, baby supplies, maternity and breastfeeding supplies, bottles, shoes, potty seats, books, toys, blankets, and more for our FC4C FREEcycle event! Families with young children 0-5 are invited to “shop” for free items on Friday, Aug 16 from 10am-12pm outside in back of our building (1002 Fay St, Columbia) and stay to enjoy play time and snacks on our playground.

👀 Free vision screenings for children ages 6 months and up will be offered by KidSight MO this Thursday, Aug 15 from 10am-12pm during play time at Lend & Learn (1002 Fay St, Columbia). The screenings take only a minute and provide early detection of vision problems in hopes of preventing learning delays and a lifetime of potential vision loss.

🙌 We want to send a big THANKS to Compass Health Network for offering free dental screenings, information, and resources to children at Lend & Learn this month!
Learn more about their dental care services:
https://compasshealthnetwork.org/dental-care/

🚸 Free screenings for young children 0-5 while you play at Lend & Learn!
🪥 Thurs, Aug 8 - Dental screenings by Compass Health from 10am-12pm
👀 Thurs, Aug 15 - Vision screenings by Kidsight Missouri from 10am-12pm
🫶 Development and social-emotional screenings by request any day during play time or by appointment with Lend & Learn staff.