Early Learning Play Area Gives Young Children Developmental Jump

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Ohio's Lane Road Library is now open for business, and "My Town" is the name of its new Early Learning Play Area.

It's a 500-square-foot space on the library's lower level that features a miniature map of Upper Arlington, a cash register that kids can use to learn numbers, a toy train that kids can operate, and mirrors that make it easier for kids to crawl and play, the Columbus Dispatch reports.

"We believe in play-based learning that covers all the early literacy skills we try to integrate into storytime learnings," says a youth services librarian at the Lane Road Library.

"We like that it encourages creativity, problem-solving, socialization, and things like that."

The library's director tells WBNS that the goal of the play area is "to engage children in their social and emotional development through peer interactions and relationships, to foster creativity and critical thinking and critical cognitive development by providing opportunities and support for children to engage in pretend play together, and health and well-being by learning to explore through play, (like) shopping, cooking."

The library spent $80,000 on the project, which was paid for with donors' names featured on street signs.

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