We have taken down the Christmas tree and all of the decorations, meaning my wife actually took them down and I physically carried the heavier boxes downstairs to the basement. All of the new toys sat out for a few days while the kids tried to decide what to play with first. Of course, this toy influx necessitated sorting through all the oodles of toys they already had to determine what we should keep, and what we should part with.
As I was grabbing beignets one recent morning, I was chatting with the owner of the restaurant about this incredible accumulation of toys. He agreed that his son was completely overwhelmed by his Christmas presents, but then he shared an interesting story with me.
It seems that he came into contact with a local refugee family with a toddler boy. When the boy came over to a neighbor's house, he immediately sought out and clung to toys that resembled car keys and a mobile phone. The owner learned the boy did this because the family had NO toys whatsoever for him to play with, so his parents let him have their keys or phone.
Inspired, I checked into some organizations that could use gently used toys. For starters, here is a good eHow post on toy donations.
Here is a short list I developed, too:
Of course, please be sure to check that the toys you intend to donate have not been recalled. You can do so by checking with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
I hope that you enjoyed your holidays as much as we did, and Happy 2011!
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