I adore thrift stores. So much so that when I opt to spend less on impulse buys, I have to swear up and down that I will stay out of thrift stores. It’s so tempting. A few dollars, a few more essential items….
That said, most of our toys are second hand. They’re either from Freecycle, from neighbors, from relatives who are all grown up, or from garage sales or thrift stores. I know so many people who feel great guilt about the number of toys that their children have. I don’t. While my daughter gets some new toys at Christmas, she really doesn’t have that many toys, and many of them were purchased used.
If you’re looking for secondhand toys for your preschooler, a little savvy can go a long way. Here’s some of the bad and the creepy of preschool toys. The good’s coming tomorrow – saving the best for last.
Lead-based paint can be a concern if the toys are old, whether they’re family heirlooms or garage sale finds. Get a simple swab kit for lead, and take a sample from suspicious toys. I’ve done this with my daughter’s most precious painted used toys. Although she’s no longer into chewing on her toys, she does touch them, forget to wash her hands, and put her hands to her mouth.
General safety of older toys can also be a concern. I know that we slam a lot of toys around, and they can get broken. Maybe they get stored outside and they are a little rusty. Look for sharp edges on metal, wheels that don’t work, and parts that fall off. Yes, I know that your preschooler isn’t as likely to chew on little toy parts, but preschoolers love to explore, and you really don’t want that piece of rusty metal fire engine embedded in your child’s nose now, do you? Just sayin….
Check for hidden noises. While this isn’t a safety issue per se, it’s definitely a parent sanity issue. We don’t have many toys that make noises: I prefer to let my kid make the noise. Noisy toys also take batteries. However, I’ve been tricked a few times and have come home with singing toys.
There’s also the creepy. We have one wacky doll whose blank eyes open and shut repeatedly. Creepy. For Halloween, thrift store toys can be a good thing. Dollies that resemble Chucky? Oddball vintage finds? Check.
Do you buy thrift store toys for your preschooler?