Johnny + Inkie from Star FM Volunteer at the Cairns Toy Library

Hi guys, I'm Johnny. I'm Inky, we're from Starwater 2.7 and I'm just going through the different outfits that we can be here at the Toy Library. When I say the word, when I say Cairns Toy Library, what words come to mind? Joy. Yeah, yeah joy. Joy, fun, creative, learning. I'd say a fair bit of passion. There's a lot of passion in this room which I'm absolutely loving and creativity. It's just all of it. It's beautiful. It's a beautiful place. And why do you think play is so important? Because we still do it as adults. Right, because we are still playing in our everyday life. One day we'll mature. Play is important in every aspect of your life. Play is so good for the brain. It's also so good for your body. It's so good for the endorphins. It's good for growth. It's good for creativity. Play, never stop playing. It doesn't matter how old you are. Completely. Okay, now, so you are a dad. What is the most rewarding thing about being a dad? Poor, jeepers. When he goes down for the full two hours. No, wow, I think it's probably just taught me to be flexible. Be a lot more flexible and that every day can be different. And just to go back and relive the joy of childhood through my son's eyes. I get to discover it's almost like a second life. It's a second chance at doing all these things that I forgot I did when I was a child. So it's reliving all those moments through his eyes. It's just amazing. Who's the Disney character that goes, a whole new world? Aladdin. Aladdin. Yeah, it's like a whole new world. Yeah, that's it. Yeah. And what's one of the most unexpected things about becoming a mother? Wow. I think for me, it's I think it definitely it puts me in my place, which is incredible. I think a lot of the times it's not easy to do. You think you know, you know, you know, and then all of a sudden, it's like, hold on, whatever's happening right now is not working. So I need to self adjust, which is the best thing because I think sometimes now you think you know all or you think you know better, and you don't a lot of the time. So yeah, it's also navigating, you know, different ages, which is which is definitely a challenge. It's over. I think I'm thinking that when my little one could sit up like a baby, and it's just different than when she'd be walking, it'd be fine. It's like, no, then she's running. I mean, it's just every level and different age. But yeah, the journey is incredible. I think we're so lucky to be able to guide these tiny humans into what they're going to be when they get older. So true. And now is there like, either like a play memory or a toy something either of you can think of from your childhood? It's got to do with play something memorable time or a particular toy? Well, we actually didn't ever buy any toys. So our favourite thing we used to do as a family was go to the tip. And we were lucky enough to go down there on a Sunday, I'd sit on my dad's lap and get to steer as he drove the car to the tip. And that was our free reign to go and get any toy that we wanted to that people had thrown out. This is before buyback shops and things. Yeah. And that was that is a key memory for all of myself and my siblings, whether or not you came out with a new BMX bike, of course, it wasn't brand new, but it was new to us. I'm favorite toys that I ever had from the tip. Yeah, I've heard you mentioned that many, many times before. I think for me, I would say and growing up, I remember going to my dad's boss's house. And he was the big boss. Oh, yeah, they had a bit of coin. And he had two sons as well. And I went into their toy room. And I was just like, Oh my god, they had all the Ninja Turtles figurines. And I just saw badly one of those as a child. So to see them all that I was like, Oh, I don't know why that's a memory of mine that I just hold on to. But like, it was just to see them all that I was like, Oh my god, I'm not sure you've seen somebody's house. Yeah, you've got all of them. Yeah. So it was one of those moments. Yeah. No, very cool. Yeah. Well, thank you so much, both of you for coming and volunteering. Is there any sort of final words you'd like to say to someone who's considering becoming a volunteer at the toy library? Do it, please come down to it. It's just even just to feel the joy, the passion and the love in this room that alone is a reward enough. But then you see the kids come through. Yeah. How many children do we have in here before running around playing with the toys and stuff? God, it's a beautiful experience, isn't it? Also, like I just I'm pretty sure there was quite the selection as to what outfit that one of the little ones is going to get. Do I get a fairy with a fairy wing that is sparkly or do I become a doctor this week? It's the imagination we've got. So well done to everyone's part and volunteers here at the toy library. We salute you and we think you do a bloody awesome job.