How Does a Toy Drive Work?

What Is a Toy Drive?

During the holidays, many people get into the spirit of giving. Some people give to family members or friends and others give to complete strangers. If you have a desire to give to those you don't know, consider holding a toy drive. A toy drive is a gathering of toys from neighbors, family and friends and is held during a set amount of time. The toys are then given to children at a chosen location. Follow a few simple steps to make the process easy and fun.

Who Do You Want to Give the Toys to?

Decide who you want to give the toys to -- whether to children at a local hospital or children in a homeless shelter. Once you decide who you want the toys to go to, ask if there are any requirements or toys you need to avoid giving, such as toy guns or weapons. Set up a time to deliver the toys to the location you've selected. Maintain contact with one person at the location throughout the process, in case problems arise.

Storing the Toys

Find a place to store the toys. You need to have a place to store the toys before you start collecting them from family, friends, neighbors and businesses. You may consider storing them at a place of business, in someone's home or in a storage unit. You may even find someone who is willing to donate space for you to store the toys until you give them away.

Advertise the Toy Drive

Get the word out about the toy drive. Put up fliers at your grocery stores, gyms, banks and doctor's offices. You may even want to set up big cardboard boxes with gift wrapping around the outside and a sign asking for toys for the drive. On the sign, include who will receive the toys, whether you accept new and/or used toys, what age ranges they're for, whether the toys should be gift wrapped, an e-mail or phone number to contact with questions, and a date when the toy drive ends.

Involve Family, Friends and the Community

Get family, friends and the community involved. Have family and friends tell their friends, co-workers and neighbors about the toy drive. Ask your local police department, fire department and libraries to get the word out. Often, these institutions are more than willing to help out. Be sure to let the institutions know who the toys will be given to and when they will be given, just in case volunteers want to help distribute them to the children.

Collecting and Preparing the Toys

Collect the toys daily. To prevent theft, plan to collect the donated toys every day until the end of the toy drive. You may want to wrap the toys as you receive them, so that the majority of the work is done when the toy drive comes to an end. The benefit of wrapping the toys yourself is that you know what toys are being given and you know they will be acceptable at the location receiving them. After you wrap the toy, attach a label indicating whether it is for a girl, boy or both.

Distributing the Toys

Give the toys to the children at your selected location. Ask family, friends or members of the community if they'd like to help distribute the toys to the children. You may even consider asking the staff of the locations that allowed you to set up a collection box if they'd like to help distribute the toys to the children. Once you've given the toys to the children, send thank you notes to the institutions, business offices and volunteers who helped make the toy drive a success.