For little ones, birthdays and holidays are probably the most favorite times of year. After all, it is the only time when they receive an influx of gifts from relatives, friends, and even neighbors. The downside to a sudden inflow of toys is that not all will be met with a happy smiling face and ‘ah’ expression. Some of the new and old toys will be forgotten about while others will only be used a few times and then cast away after their allure fades.
That leaves us parents with unwanted but still usable toys that tend to increase with each passing year. I hope these four ideas will help you clear the clutter.
1. Donate to Charity
The holiday season is the best time to donate new and used toys to charity, there are many kids that go without otherwise. Not the holiday season? Why not try a few of these places to donate the unwanted toys:
- hospitals
- charity shops
- children’s homes
- local shelters
- schools
2. Throw a Toy Swap Party
For this to work it is essential that kids are included in the swapping part of the party. Getting kids involved in the exchanging of toys helps to ensure that items are exchanged quickly and everyone goes home happy with a toy that they will actually use.
Our local schools host a recycled-shopping event during the holidays with much of the same idea and all the kids in the communities love it. With recycled shopping the students are able to take home gifts for everyone in their families!
3. Make Use of Online Stores
Whether it is a busted kitchen faucet or the premature malfunction of the washing machine, there are always situations that call for the use of money you had not budgeted for.
Thanks to online selling sites such as eBay and even Facebook Groups, you can rid yourself of unwanted toys and solve emergency monetary situations without digressing too far from your usual household budget. And if this fails why not host a garage sale at home.
4. Try Re-gifting
If you have kids, chances are that you also have little nephews, nieces, & cousins or friends with children. The unwanted toys in your home offer you a chance to save money during the holiday season. Gather up all unwanted toys, reseal them, and store them for the next holiday whether it be Christmas, New Year, or a birthday.
I hope these four tips can help you declutter your home and stay on top of the unwanted toy chaos that is quickly created.