Prepare a Christmas toy donation a local organisation can accept

A toy can be in good condition and still be unsuitable for a Christmas gift appeal. Before your family buys a gift or packs toys from home, choose a recipient and check its current requirements.

Use the recipient-check and toy-sorting sheet to record those requirements and decide which toys to pack. Complete it privately on paper; no account or app is needed.

Choose a recipient for the toys you want to give

Start by deciding which kind of donation you want to make:

• Giving a new Christmas present: find a gift appeal and check its current local requirements before shopping.
• Passing on toys your family already owns: find a recipient that explicitly accepts used toys. Do not assume a Christmas gift appeal is also a reuse service.

Choose a local Canadian recipient and confirm its current intake directly. The examples below describe US and UK appeals; they do not establish a Canadian donation policy or confirm that a local collection is open.

In the United States, Toys for Tots describes collecting new, unwrapped toys. Its FAQ directs donors to a local campaign, whose coordinator can answer questions about uncertain items. You still need to confirm your local deadline and drop-off location.

Other appeals have their own rules. The Salvation Army's UK Christmas Present Appeal requests new, unwrapped gifts and excludes used, homemade and knitted gifts. Some participating centres use wish lists, vouchers or cash instead of physical presents. Each example applies to that appeal; other charities may have different requirements.

If you only have used toys and your chosen appeal requires new ones, keep those toys out of that donation. Look for a separate reuse recipient and confirm its requirements before preparing them.

Check the details before buying or packing

Find the recipient's official page or contact the organisation directly. On the sheet, record:

• Recipient name, official source or contact, and the date you checked.
• Whether new items, used items or both are accepted.
• Ages supported and gifts or items currently needed.
• Whether gifts must be unwrapped, plus any exclusions.
• The current deadline and the exact drop-off address and hours.

If a detail is missing, ask the recipient. Last year's deadline or a national appeal page cannot confirm that a particular collection box is operating now.

You can ask:

“We would like to donate toys. Are you currently accepting them at this location? Do they need to be new and unwrapped? Which ages or items do you need, what should we leave out, and when and where can we drop them off?”

For a used toy, add its name or model and describe its condition. Ask about that item before packing if the published policy does not answer your question.

The Toys for Tots FAQ says it does not distribute realistic weapons or gifts containing food, and age coverage varies locally. Check your recipient's policy for its exclusions and supported ages.

Check used toys separately

First, confirm that your recipient accepts used toys. Then check each toy's identity, condition and recall status.

Record the brand, product name and model details where available. Look for damage and missing essential parts, and check for recalls. Health Canada's guidance on second-hand products recommends checking recalls and bans, damage, essential parts and current safety requirements before giving used products away. It advises asking the manufacturer when you are unsure.

Check Canada’s official recalls and safety alerts.

Record what you checked and any unresolved concern. A recall search is not safety certification, and cleaning or repairing a toy does not establish that it is safe or that a recipient will accept it. If you cannot identify the toy or resolve a safety concern, keep it out of the donation until you can clarify the issue.

Give each item one decision

Use these three labels as a family sorting aid. They are worksheet recommendations, not an organisation's official categories.

Confirmed eligible for this recipient. The item matches the recipient's current rules, and you have no unresolved safety or condition concerns. Keep it in the confirmed group and follow the recipient's packing instructions.

Ask before packing. The item's suitability or a recipient rule is unclear. Write the exact question and keep the item aside until you have an answer.

Hold out of donation. There is an unresolved safety concern, the item does not meet the recipient's rules, or no suitable recipient has been confirmed. Keep it out of this donation while the issue remains unresolved.

For example, a used puzzle belongs outside a new-gifts-only appeal even if all its pieces are present. A separate reuse recipient may accept it, but you must confirm that recipient's rules and check the puzzle before changing its decision.

Pack only the confirmed group

Before leaving, recheck the drop-off arrangements and resolve any remaining questions about the items you plan to take. Follow the recipient's wrapping and packaging instructions. Keep anything awaiting an answer out of the box.

Your completed sheet should show which items to prepare for the named recipient and which need another check. It does not book a donation or guarantee acceptance. Contact the recipient about any missing details before packing.

Use the blank sheet

Open the recipient-check and toy-sorting sheet, or download the printable PDF. Complete the recipient section first, then use the item rows for the toys you are considering. Leave personal notes on your own copy; there is nothing to submit.