How to Rehome Your Toys
Rehoming toys is one of the easiest ways to reduce waste and teach kids about sustainability. Every toy saved from landfill is a win - for children, for parents, and for the planet.
Here’s your guide to giving toys the second chance they deserve.
Donate: Share the joy forward
Got toys in good shape? Clean them, check they still work, and remove batteries to get them donation-ready! Great places to donate include:
- Local charity shops and op shops
- Daycare centres, libraries, and schools (especially for educational toys)
- Specialty rehoming services like community toy charities or soft-toy adoption groups. In the USA Second Chance Toys and Loved Before offer rehoming for toys.
- In the UK, Loved Before, The Big Toy Rehoming, The Toy Project, Toys 4 Life and Anglo Doorstep Collections are great options for donating toys.
- In Australia, Kimbriki Recycling & Reuse Centre and The Toy Adoption Company rescues and rehomes pre‑loved soft toys
A well-loved toy might just become someone else’s new favourite!
Sell or Swap: Turn Toys into Treasure
If your toys still have plenty of play left in them, why not pass them on through:
- Online Platforms: eBay and Facebook Marketplace are great for selling in-demand or good-condition toys.
- Buy Nothing Groups in your local area are a great way to rehome your toys and extend their useful life! Find your nearest group here
- Attend Toy Swaps because trading toys = doubling the fun! You can check out Eventbrite, Humanitix, or Meetup to find toy swaps in your local area.
- Toy Trader is a new app in the USA for trading toys and Joy of Giving in Australia organises community toy swaps!
Recycle: When Toys Reach the End of Playtime
Broken beyond repair? No worries - many pieces can still be recycled responsibly.
- Try toy recycling drop-off programs like Big W’s Toys for Joy program in Australia and Wastebusters Toy Recycling in the UK
- E-waste centres or kerbside e-waste collection accept battery-operated toys. Battery recycling points for loose or removed batteries include B-cycle (AU), Earth911 and Call2Recycle (USA) , Recycle Now (UK)
- Sorting materials (plastic, metal, electronics) helps ensure they can be processed into something brand new.
Upcycle: Craft Something New and Creative
When toys can’t be donated but still spark joy, turn them into something magical:
- Mini toy figurines become quirky art on mirrors or lamps
- Stuffed animals bring whimsy to a garden
- Old dolls and critters make perfect fairy-garden friends.
Upcycling = creativity + sustainability.
Let’s keep toys out of landfill - together. If we all give our toys a little more life, we can create a big impact.
*Disclaimer: The third-party sites shared in this article are for information purposes to help you on your toy rehoming and recycling journey. Moose Toys does not endorse any of these entities nor their services*