where to donate stuffed toys

by Johnpaul Jaskolski 7 min read

Shelter homes that house children are also a good place where to donate stuffed animals. These facilities find it hard to prioritize procuring toys more than other children’s needs. You can contact one near you or contact your local social services to help you connect with a shelter where you can arrange your donations.

Full Answer

Where is the best place to donate toys?

The Salvation Army accepts donations of new and used toys, stuffed animals, clothes, shoes, housewares, electronics and more. Your donated toys, games and clothes will be sold in Salvation Army thrift stores, allowing low income families to purchase them and give their kids toys they might otherwise never get.

Where can I donate brand new toys?

Where to donate toys to make a difference?

Where to donate toys for needy kids?

image

Where can I donate stuffed animals in my area?

Here's Where to Donate Toys to Kids Who Need Them MostCharities. There are so many charities that will accept gently used toys and distribute them throughout their networks. ... Buy Nothing Groups. ... Hospitals. ... Children's Homes and Shelters. ... Daycare Centers. ... Police and Fire Departments. ... Churches. ... Recycling Programs.Oct 13, 2020

How do you get rid of stuffed animals?

We've got some excellent ideas for you, ranging from donating them, to repurposing them into handy items for around the home .Donate To Op Shops Or Not-for-profit Organisations.Donate To Emergency Services Or Hospitals.Donate To A Pet Shelter.Arrange A Swap With Family Or Friends.Hold A Garage Sale.More items...•Oct 24, 2020

What do you do with too many stuffed animals?

In addition, if you've got room for a large amount of stuffed animals, a stuffed animal zoo may be a great storage solution for you. (You can fit a LOT of stuffed animal into one of these zoos.)

Are old stuffed animals worth anything?

Apart from ordinary used stuffed animals that people buy there are the ones that sell to serious collectors. Some of these can go for hundreds of dollars. For example, just about anything old that was made by the German company Steiff is sought after by collectors.Nov 5, 2021

What Kinds of Stuffed Animals Can I Donate to Charity?

With all the birthdays and holidays, toys and stuffed animals start to pile up in the corners of the kids’ bedroom. You can invite your children an...

Which Charities accept My Stuffed Animal Donations?

Many charitable organizations will gladly collect your stuffed animal and children’s toy donations. DonationTown.org will help you find a charity i...

I Have Boxes and Boxes of Items to Donate! What Should I do?

DonationTown.org will help you connect with a charity in your area that will pick up your items from you at a convenient time. It is a fast, free s...

I Have Other Items to Donate to Charity, Too

Charities welcome a range of donations. Donate clothing, donate shoes, donate a dress, donate baby clothing and other baby items. Donate books, toy...

Charities

There are plenty of charities that will accept your gently used toys and distribute them to their various networks. Two of the most recognizable charities known for taking toy donations are the Salvation Army and Goodwill. But you want to call your local branch just to confirm that it’s accepting toy donations.

Hospitals

Have you seen any toys in your local hospital? People likely donated them. Many hospitals will accept toy donations to keep kids entertained in the waiting room or for their young patients to play with while they’re in the hospital.

Local Shelters

People often overlook shelters for the homeless and women’s shelters as toy donation sites. But these locations often have children with very few possessions, not to mention toys. Children who visit these shelters will feel more at ease when they have toys to occupy themselves.

Daycare Centers

If you have plenty of lightly used toys in your basement or attic, they’ll likely find better use in a daycare center than gathering dust in a closet somewhere in your house. With so many kids to entertain, daycare centers go through toys quickly. You’ll rarely find one that doesn’t need more toys.

Religious Centers

Local religious centers often provide childcare services to a variety of children during facility events and religious services. They’ll have kids of all ages, from newborns to school-age kids. Contact your nearest religious centers to inquire about what they need.

Police and Fire Departments

Firefighters and police officers will often carry toys, primarily stuffed animals, to comfort children at the scene of traumatic events. And these departments generally depend on donations from the public to provide this service. So, call your local fire department and ask whether you could drop off some gently used toys.

Recycling Programs

If the toys you’re looking to dispose of are worn, soiled, or in poor condition, consider recycling them. Contact your local recycling center and see if they take toys because it’s not always apparent that they will. Alternatively, check out TerraCycle. They have a partnership with Hasbro to recycle old toys for free.

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.

What charities take toys?

Salvation Army and Goodwill are two of the most recognizable charities that take toy donations. But call your local branch before you go to confirm that it's accepting toy donations. Such charities often give toys directly to less fortunate children, or they sell the toys and put the proceeds toward the organization's efforts. Either way, the toys will be helping people in your community. As an extra incentive, you can donate toys to a qualifying charity or nonprofit group and deduct the items on your taxes.

Can you donate toys to a charity?

As an extra incentive, you can donate toys to a qualifying charity or nonprofit group and deduct the items on your taxes. 2. Hospitals. Many medical facilities accept gently used toys for their young patients to play with while they are hospitalized.

Do religious centers take donations?

If it's not accepting toy donations at the moment, there's a good chance it will be able to direct you to a reputable location that will take your donations.

Do police officers carry toys?

Police officers and firefighters often carry small toys, usually stuffed animals, to comfort scared and injured children on the scene. And local departments generally look to the public for donations to provide this service. So call your local police and fire departments to find out whether they would like some gently used toys. Around the holidays, departments also often serve as drop-off locations for toy, coat, and other donations.

Do daycares need more toys?

It is rare to find a daycare center that is not in need of more toys. With so many children to entertain, daycare centers run through toys pretty fast. If you don't use a daycare center yourself, check with parents in your area to find one that will take your toy donations.

How to donate toys?

Ans: The process to donate toys is actually very simple. All you need to do is, locate an organization or charity that you wish to donate your toys to. You can check the credibility and background of the agency you are donating your toys to, before making the donation. Then, checking the eligibility criteria is a must.

What is the best thing about stuffed animals?

Stuffed animals are the dearest to kids. While growing up, these stuffed animals prove to be the best friends of children. They add an emotional value to the kids. But the less fortunate kids couldn’t possibly have the pleasure of playing with them.

Can you donate old stuffed animals?

Ans: The answer to this is very simple. You can donate stuffed toys that are old and of no use to you anymore. You can contact NPOs and charities and schedule a proper time for donating stuffed toys that you wish to give away. Not only you can donate these stuffed animals, but you can also give them to those who you find need them actually, in your neighborhood.

image

Charities

Image
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 Co…
See more on goodhousekeeping.com

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 …
See more on goodhousekeeping.com

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…
See more on goodhousekeeping.com

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 children in need who would greatly appreciate gentl…
See more on goodhousekeeping.com

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.
See more on goodhousekeeping.com

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…
See more on goodhousekeeping.com

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.
See more on goodhousekeeping.com

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…
See more on goodhousekeeping.com

Charities

Image
Salvation Army and Goodwill are two of the most recognizable charitiesthat take toy donations. But call your local branch before you go to confirm that it's accepting toy donations. Such charities often give toys directly to less fortunate children, or they sell the toys and put the proceeds toward the organization's efforts. Either w…
See more on thespruce.com

Hospitals

  • Many medical facilities accept gently used toys for their young patients to play with while they are hospitalized. Your local hospital might have a toy wish list posted on its website that you can check for its exact needs. Always check with the medical facility before you show up with a box of toys. Some won't accept any items that aren't new due to the risk of spreading illness from seco…
See more on thespruce.com

Doctors' Offices

We can't find any more info about this page right now

Daycare Centers

  • It is rare to find a daycare center that is not in need of more toys. With so many children to entertain, daycare centers run through toys pretty fast. If you don't use a daycare center yourself, check with parents in your area to find one that will take your toy donations. The greatest need will likely be toys for young children.
See more on thespruce.com

Shelters

  • Women's shelters, as well as shelters for homeless people, are often overlooked as toy donation sites. But children end up at these locations too, and they often come with very few possessions. So many of these shelters will gladly take gently used toy donations. At the same time, you might be able to donate other items, including clothing, bedding, and toiletries. Contact a particular she…
See more on thespruce.com

Children's Homes

  • Children's homes are another place where you can donate used toys for kids in need. Groups of kids live together in children's homes, so toys for kids of all ages are usually appreciated. Don't forget about toys for older children, as they're often an overlooked group in favor of cute toys for young kids. Check your local directory to see whether there is a children's home near you, and fin…
See more on thespruce.com

Military Families

  • With military families constantly on the move, some toys might not make the trip to the family's new home. So some gently used toys could be a nice welcoming gesture for a military family with kids that's new to your city. You also can contact a local military family support group to find a home for your toy donations, or contact Operation Homefrontto search for current needs.
See more on thespruce.com

Religious Centers

  • From newborns to school-age kids, local religious centers often provide childcare services to a variety of children during services and other facility events. Contact a local place of worship to find out what its needs are. If it's not accepting toy donations at the moment, there's a good chance it will be able to direct you to a reputable location that will take your donations.
See more on thespruce.com

Social Services

  • Your local social services division likely will be able to connect you with a variety of kids who would love to play with your gently used children's toys. Contact your local department to find out what it needs and where to bring donations. It also might have needs for other children's items, such as clothing and shoes.
See more on thespruce.com

Police and Fire Departments

  • Police officers and firefighters often carry small toys, usually stuffed animals, to comfort scared and injured children on the scene. And local departments generally look to the public for donations to provide this service. So call your local police and fire departments to find out whether they would like some gently used toys. Around the holidays, departments also often ser…
See more on thespruce.com