Realia are toys, articles and other three-dimensional objects that a child handles, manipulates or plays with to gain direct experience and information about his/her environment. Realia may include: models, toys, games, tools, puppets, costumes, and musical instruments. Children of all socioeconomic levels have the same developmental needs for play experiences and many of their parents need guidance in supplying toys appropriate to their child's specific stage of development. Toys can aid in perceptual development, release creativity, and provide an important bridge to reading, when prop boxes are used in conjunction with story books. By providing realia, the public library can extend its services to children too young to read and serve as a resource to parents and early childhood educators--alerting them to a variety of new and useful materials. Using a variety of financial arrangements and program designs, a number of Connecticut public libraries have implemented realia programs. Along with a brief description of these programs, this guide lists criteria for the selection of realia and suggests methods for processing, circulating, and using realia in the library program. (Author/SL)