Too Old for Preschool Toys: What's next?

When you are buying toys for your children, whether you are a teacher, doctor, parent, or grandparent, you will see that there is an age limit on most toy boxes. Toys are designed to be age appropriate and you will often find the limit on the box and it will say, for example, age's three to five or from ages 11 to 13. You shouldn't buy toys that are too advanced or complicated for your children to play with. On the other hand, buying toys that are designed for children younger than your own may find the toy boring and will be discarded into the bottom of the toy box within hours or days.

What should you do when your children have outgrown their old preschool toys? There are many options besides throwing them out. This is a great way to get your children involved in cleaning out their old toys from the toy box and teaching them about sharing, donating, or recycling. There are many places that would be happy for you to donate your toys that your children are too old to play with. Keep in mind however, only donate toys that are not damaged or too worn out to play with. You can donate toys and stuffed animals to hospitals, places with waiting room such as doctors' and dentists' office, thrift stores such as Goodwill or the Salvation Army, various toy drives during the holiday season, and to daycares. A great way to teach your children about sharing is to give the toys to family friends that have younger children than your own, kind of like hand me down clothes for a younger brother or sister. You could also sponsor a family that is in need and share the toys with them too. If preschool toys are damaged or too worn out from being played with, recycle the ones that are made from plastic.

If you decide to donate, it is a good idea to clean the toys first especially if you are donating them to a hospital or doctor's office. Toys can carry germs on them because children often times put them in their mouth or haven't quite mastered the idea of hand washing. It is very simple to clean toys especially if they are dishwasher safe. If they aren't, just fill up your kitchen sink with warm water and bleach and leave them to soak for a few minutes. Rinse of the toys thoroughly so that no bleach is left on them. Once they are cleaned, donate or share.