where to donate baby toys

by Prof. Darryl Donnelly 8 min read

How can I get my kids to donate old toys?

Ship your own brand-new, unused items or gift cards to us directly at this address: Children's Hospital Los Angeles – TOY DONATION. Volunteer Resources. 4650 Sunset Blvd., #64. Los Angeles, CA 90027. Drop-off donations in-person. As soon as possible, fill out an intent to donate form, click here for the form.

Where is the best place to donate toys?

You can donate used baby items near you to women’s shelters, daycares, and day camps. They may be able to use items such as baby swings, cribs, mattress, playpens, toys, and anything else that can be cleaned up. These charities rely on donated items, so this is a great way to get rid of those baby things you don’t need.

Where can I donate brand new toys?

Donate new or gently used items We are so grateful to our community of donors who have blessed the home with household, baby and maternity items. At this time, we are requesting our wonderful donors HOLD ON to their donations until we are able to accept them.

Where you can donate stuffed animals your kids have collected?

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Why do doctors need toys?

Doctor’s offices need toys to keep children occupied in the waiting room or even as a reward for making it through a checkup. So you could help out by donating toys.

What is Marine Toys for Tots?

The Marine Toys for Tots is a program that gives children free Christmas toys. By donating, you put presents under the tree of a less fortunate child on Christmas morning.

What is second chance toy?

Second Chance Toys is an awesome organization that exists to provide toys to kids in low-income households, particularly the ones living at or below the poverty level. You can donate any plastic toy that has all of its parts and batteries.

What is stuffed animal for emergencies?

Stuffed Animals for Emergencies is a wonderful organization that does just as its name suggests – it provides stuffed animals for children to cuddle in times of emergency. Having a stuffed toy to cuddle can help children to feel safe during times like natural disasters or during an ambulance ride, for example. 9.

What is a military charity?

This is an awesome national 501 (c) (3) nonprofit dedicated to helping military families so they can thrive. They help military families with anything from rent and mortgage to utilities, groceries and foods as well as toys for their kids. Visit their website to contact them to see about donating your kid’s gently used toys (or brand new toys) to military families in your area.

Is LetGo a charity?

LetGo isn’t a charity, but it’s still a place to consider giving away used toys. The site is a marketplace where you can buy and sell stuff locally. Although its focus is on selling stuff, there is actually a section just for free stuff where people can list the stuff they want to give away.

What is Ronald McDonald House?

The Ronald McDonald House is an organization that provides accommodation and facilities to families whose children are getting care in a nearby hospital. Basically, it makes it possible for families who live further away from the hospital to be near their children while they’re being cared for.

How to claim toy donations on taxes?

Then, you must specifically donate to a tax-exempt organization. If you’re not sure if a facility can claim exempt organization status, check the IRS EO Select Check tool. Then, ask the organization for a donation receipt when you drop off the toys – you’ll need it for your tax records.

Can you deduct toys from a church?

Churches are tax-exempt organizations, so you can claim a deduction if you donate old toys to a church nursery. Many religious organizations offer daycares or nurseries to their parishioners, and since the service is often low-cost or free, they’re often in need of toys.

Do shelters accept toys?

If you know of a shelter or children’s charity in your area, there’s a good chance that it accepts toy donations. After all, kids will be kids, and children who visit shelters can feel more at ease when there are toys nearby. You just need to call ahead, as some charities won’t accept toy donations.

What charities accept gently used toys?

There are so many charities that will accept gently used toys and distribute them throughout their networks. For example, thrift-store organizations like Goodwill and The Salvation Army will resell toys in their shops and use the profits to support their charitable work. You could also give to Toys for Tots, the United States Marine Corps Reserve-run program that gives donated toys to children in need. Toys for Tots hosts popular toy drives around the holidays, but they also accept gently used toys year-round. Cradles to Crayons is another organization that accepts new and nearly new toys to benefit low-income families.

Can daycares go through toys?

If you've ever been to a day-care center, you know that they go through toys quickly. That's why if you have a ton of lightly used toys to donate, you might contact a center in your area to see if they're able to give your items a second life.

Can hospitals accept toys?

Hospitals. Many hospitals will accept donated toys for their young patients to play with, or to keep children entertained in the waiting room; the same thing goes for doctor's offices. But keep in mind: If you want to donate toys to your local children's hospital, they must be new.

About Our Toy Donation Program

We welcome your toy donations for our patients. Can you imagine the difference your gift can make to a hospitalized patient family? Your donations are so important to us! The global pandemic has had an impact on our toy donations this year and we are so grateful for your potential gift.

Toy Donation Guidelines

To help us prevent infection and maintain patient safety and well-being:

Our Registry and Wishlists

Click here for a link to our registry, you may buy and ship our wish-list items directly to us from the links on the site.

Items We Cannot Accept

If the items don’t fall within our guidelines or are unsafe/inappropriate for our patients, we reserve the right to politely decline donations.

Gift Cards: The New Toy Drive

Space in the hospital to store all the wonderful toys is at a premium; as such we kindly recommend holding a “Gift Card” drive, instead of a traditional toy drive whenever possible. Gift cards allow us to maximize your gift to our patients because they provide our staff with the flexibility to make “on-demand” toy purchases.

Donate Books

If you would like to donate reading books, please visit our Literally Healing Program for more information. You can also contact them at 323-361-4312 or [email protected].

Wondering what to do with all that old baby stuff?

Especially if you’re a new parent, you’ve got a house full of baby stuff. You may have gone on a nine-month-long shopping spree because you weren’t sure what would work for you. A lot of it probably came from a baby shower or two.

Where to Sell Baby Items

If you’re wondering how to get rid of old baby gear that’s still in great condition or has never even been used, it’s a great idea to try selling it for a little extra cash.

Where to Donate Used Baby Items Near Me?

If you’re looking at donating baby items, there are organizations in every town that want your old baby gear. You can donate used baby items near you to women’s shelters, daycares, and day camps. They may be able to use items such as baby swings, cribs, mattress, playpens, toys, and anything else that can be cleaned up.

How to Recycle Baby Stuff

Recycling your old baby stuff is a great way to get rid of old baby items that may be broken, expired, or worn out. One way to recycle this stuff is through some companies that offer recycling programs.

How to Get Rid of Your Old Baby Gear Easily

As the parent of small children, you may not have the time or energy to spend on baby crib disposal. If you want to keep all your old baby gear out of the landfill in the easiest way possible, you can have a licensed junk removal company like LoadUp do all the hard work for you.

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Toy Donation Options

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1. Resell Charities Charity thrift stores such as Goodwill and The Salvation Army accept toys and then put them on the store floor for others to buy. Any proceeds they collect from the sale of the toys is put back into programs that benefit the needy right in your own community. However, you should call your local store prio…
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Specific Charities

  • While local charities may or may not need toys, national charities generally always accept donations. Here are several specific national charities that are looking for goods, such as toys and games. 6. Toys for Tots While you may associate Toys for Tots with a call for new, unwrapped toys, the Marine-facilitated charity also takes used toys in great shape. If you have a box to dona…
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What to Avoid

  • While most charities are thrilled to receive toy donations, there are several things that you must avoid: 1. Don’t Give Broken or Soiled Toys. Most facilities don’t have the ability to clean and repair items, so they may simply be tossed in the garbage if they can’t be put back together quickly. 2. Don’t Give Items With Pieces Missing.It’s unlikely that a charity has the ability to locate a replace…
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Toys and Taxes

  • You can often claim toy donations as a deduction on your taxes, but you have to do a few things first. To start, catalog all of the items you’re donating by type and what shape they are in. Then, you must specifically donate to a tax-exempt organization. If you’re not sure if a facility can claim exempt organization status, check the IRS EO Select Check tool. Then, ask the organization for …
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Final Word

  • If none of these option work for you, visit DonationTown.org, a website designed to facilitate free donation pickups for charities in your area. By going to the website, you can schedule a pickup and delivery to a charity of your choice simply by inputting your ZIP code. Wanting to donate old toys is definitely commendable, and there are literally hundreds of deserving charities that coul…
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Charities

Buy Nothing Groups

  • Especially amid the coronavirus pandemic, it can be difficult to find charities and organizations that will accept donations of gently used toys — but that doesn't mean your kid's old things are destined for the dump. If you can't find any places to donate toys, try posting the items on your local Buy Nothing Facebook group. You could also list the toys on Freecycle or Craigslist. Make …
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Hospitals

  • Many hospitals will accept donated toys for their young patients to play with, or to keep children entertained in the waiting room; the same thing goes for doctor's offices. But keep in mind: If you want to donate toys to your local children's hospital, they must be new. Most hospitals have strict hygiene policies, so you'll need to purchase the toy specifically for the purpose of donating (cont…
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Children's Homes and Shelters

  • Your toys will definitely get played with if you donate them to a local children's or women's shelter. Get in touch with the director of the children's home nearest to you to see where and how your donations can be most useful. Your local social services office might also be able to direct you to children in the foster care system and other childre...
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Daycare Centers

  • If you've ever been to a day-care center, you know that they go through toys quickly. That's why if you have a ton of lightly used toys to donate, you might contact a center in your area to see if they're able to give your items a second life.
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Police and Fire Departments

  • Police officers and firefighters often carry stuffed animals and other small toys with them to comfort children at the scenes of traumatic events, and their supply of toys sometimes depends on donations. Reach out to your local police and fire departments to see if they're accepting donations right now. For an easy way to donate toys to this cause, give your items to Stuffed Ani…
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Churches

  • The leader of your local church may know of families within the church who could use a few new toys. Otherwise, the church itself may want the toys to keep children occupied during Sunday school, services or other local events. Contact the church's children's ministry coordinator for more information.
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Recycling Programs

  • If the toys you're looking to get rid of are soiled, torn or otherwise not in great shape, recycling them may be the best bet. You can get in contact with your local recycling service and see if they take toys (because they don't always!), or check out TerraCycle. TerraCycle has a partnership with Hasbro specifically for recycling old toys — it's free and easy! You mail in your toys, and they bre…
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