Donations can be brought or sent to 81 Junction Road, Archway, London N19 5QU, Monday to Friday 11am to 4pm and Saturday 10am to 4pm.
Please note we do not have a collection service.
Donate toys
We take new and used toys at The TOY Project shop. In the run-up to Christmas we only accept new toys, which go to the children referred to us. For the rest of the year we take new and used toys.
Archway Underground is less than five minutes’ walk and there are pay and display bays outside the shop.
Yes please
- Games and puzzles
- Wooden toys
- Character figures such as superheroes
- Lego, Duplo, Playmobil and Sylvanian Families, boxed, incomplete or loose
- Construction toys such as Meccano or K’Nex
- Children’s books, fiction and non-fiction
- Dressing up costumes and accessories
- Toy animals and dinosaurs
- Baby toys
- Dolls, toy babies and accessories
- Barbie and Bratz dolls and accessories
- Toy kitchens and play food
- Children’s bikes, scooters and ride-on toys
- Vintage and collectable toys
- Soft toys and plushies, which go to the Rehoming Centre
No thank you
- Toy weapons, including Nerf guns and water pistols
- Anything broken, dirty or unsafe
- Baby equipment such as highchairs, pushchairs or car seats
- Used craft sets and paints
- CDs and DVDs
- Electrical items that plug into the mains
- Children’s clothes and shoes
Please make sure toys are clean and in good working order, and that puzzles and board games have all their pieces. If possible, pack donations in bags or boxes you are happy to leave with us, as it is not always possible to sort donations the moment they arrive.
School toy collections
Toy collections in schools can happen at any time of the school year, although January, after Christmas, is when lots of toys need new homes. Arrange a day with your school for the children to bring in the toys they no longer play with. You won’t be asked to sort, clean or hand out the toys.
We ask that only complete toys are donated, but all types of toy are welcome. We particularly like Playmobil, which is the perfect size for play therapy in a sand tray, and robust baby toys, which are very useful in hospitals and doctors’ surgeries.
If you know a school that would like to take part, please get in touch.
What happens to the toys you donate
Donated toys are sorted and may end up in all sorts of places. We give toys to those who need them, including schools, hospitals, community centres and local families. Books may go to a classroom story corner, baby toys to a hospital play therapy team, board games to a community centre after school club.
Sylvanians and LEGO are used in our own workshops and play sessions. We also send toys further afield, to a library we set up in Grenada and to Small Steps Project, which supports children living on rubbish dumps in Uganda and Kenya.
Some donated toys are sold in our shops, and the money raised covers the cost of giving toys to those who need them. As not all donations are resold, we cannot offer Gift Aid on donated items.
Any questions? Email donations@thetoyproject.co.uk.