Sep 08, 2022 5:30 PM
Matt Tapscott and Ana Olson Johnson
Toys Go 'Round

DRC After-Hours Sponsor: Samantha Spilde

Toys Go ‘Round (TGR) Toy Lending Library was the dream of a group of child care providers who met on a regular basis to provide support and encouragement to each other in their chosen career field.  Armed with a desire to provide a variety of tools (toys) for the children in their care, to encourage learning through play, they voted to begin the process of establishing a community toy lending library. Thirty years later, the toy library is located at 607 Washington Street and offers over 1,000 toys for check out.  The toy library serves families, grandparents, teachers, non-profit agencies, individuals and (of course) child care providers!  Ana Olson Johnson and Matt Tapscott will give you all the details of this very unique toy lending library located right here in Winneshiek County.

Ana Olson-Johnson graduated from Luther College in 1999 with a degree in political science. She has worked as the middle school science teacher at South Winneshiek Middle School for the past 12 years and taught in other schools for three years prior to that. Ana feels strongly that we learn best by a combination of methods, including play. Ana has been a member of TGR for more than 10 years and uses toys regularly at home and in the classroom. Ana, her husband and their two children live outside of Decorah. She enjoys reading, gardening and Christmas baking.

Matt Tapscott has been a TGR Member since moving to Decorah in 2010 and has been a TGR Board Member for the past three years. Matt has been professionally involved with Early Childhood Care and Education for nearly 35 years. Just recently he closed his Family (In-Home) Child Care business. In his free time, he enjoys his family (wife and three young-adult children), gardening, biking and hiking NE Iowa, as well as Iowa politics. Matt just accepted a part time position with the Decorah Community Food Pantry.

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