Being concerned about toy safety brought me to the point where I was becoming afraid to donate toys to less fortunate children, because I would never forgive myself if I ended up donating a dangerous toy. However, there are children out there that will not have much of a Christmas, or any Christmas at all, if others don’t donate holiday items for them and their families.
Here are some ideas, if you tend to share the same concerns:
Give Art Supplies
Paper and crayons are great and give children the opportunity to be creative. While it’s difficult to choose brands today, I’m leaning towards Crayola. It has been a trusted brand for over 100 years. Click here to read their quality guarantee, certifying their crayons as non-toxic.
Be Cautious with Clothing and Accessories
Be aware of embellishments or accessories such as metal buttons or jewelry that may contain lead. Along with toys, a lot of metal jewelry has been recalled as well. When choosing clothing, plain styles may be preferable to fancier items. Warm, colorful cotton sweatshirts are a practical option and a good value. Warm socks and gloves work too. Take a pair of gloves and a flavored candy cane, and tie a bright ribbon tightly around the center of them. These make good gifts to drop into collection boxes.
Make Toys
If you can sew, you can find cute patterns for stuffed toys. You can purchase terrycloth by the yard or pick up towels on clearance. Cut to the pattern, stuff, and sew. These are nice, soft toys for cuddling and are great gifts for small children. By using all new supplies to make stuffed toys, you shouldn’t have any trouble with donation drives accepting them.
These are good ideas to keep in mind for children on your Christmas list as well.
*Check to see if there is a SAFE (Stuffed Animals for Emergencies) program in your area. This is where first responders collect stuffed toys to give children to help calm them in emergency situations such as accidents.