Leigh Jurd is a parent of three with hands-on experience in early childhood environments, including roles as a playgroup day leader, preschool volunteer, and learning support aide, shaping her perspective on meaningful, sustainable play.
As children grow and toy collections increase, so does the challenge of what to do with items that are no longer used. Selling or donating toys is a simple way to reduce waste, recoup some costs, and give well-loved items a second life.
When listing or passing items on, a little preparation can make the process smoother and more successful.
Before selling or donating old toys, check for any damage or missing parts. Some toys are still usable even if incomplete, for example, LEGO or other building blocks. Missing game pieces can often be replaced with generic tokens, and consumable board game parts can sometimes be reprinted from online resources.
Toys should be clean before selling or donating. A quick wipe down to remove surface dirst is usually enough, as people will clean items again after receiving them.
Items that are damaged beyond repair may need to be recycled or disposed of. However, smaller items like tokens, small figures can sometimes be repurposed by mixed media artists. It’s often worth listing these as a free bundle on Facebook Marketplace or in a Buy Nothing group before throwing them away.
Selling options:
Some toys retain value better than others. Before deciding on whether to sell or donate, do a quick search on your preferred platform to see how many similar items are listed and what price they are selling for.
The main selling platforms online are eBay, Gumtree and Facebook Marketplace. eBay is best for collectable items, but be aware there are listing and postage costs. Gumtree is an Australian platform focused on local sales, though it typically has less traffic as eBay or Marketplace.
In my experience, Facebook Marketplace is the best balance of cost and visibility. It’s free to list items and is widely used for local buying and selling.
For digital items such as game consoles, stores like CEX and EB Games offer trade-in options.
Donating:
Start by checking with family and friends – baby and toddler items in particular have a short use window and are frequently passed between households. Larger items like play gyms and activity centers are also commonly shared due to storage limitations.
Facebook “Buy Nothing” groups are an easy way to pass on outgrown toys. Listing items in bundles and clearly marking them as free can help them move quickly.
Hospitals and doctor’s surgery waiting rooms may accept quiet, easy to sanitize toys.
Little libraries are a great option for donating children’s books.
Giving toys a second life doesn’t have to be complicated. With a little effort, unused items can be sold, shared or donated, reducing waste while helping other families.
Whether you’re clearing space or simply passing things on, small choices like these contribute to a more sustainable approach to play.