How to start a toy drive at your school or office

Last updated October 2026

To start a toy drive, choose who you are collecting for, set a goal and dates, get permission, set up labeled collection boxes, spread the word, then collect, count and deliver the toys. A school or office drive takes about two to four weeks and one or two organizers.

Learning how to start a toy drive is easier than most people expect. With a clear goal, a few collection boxes and two or three well timed messages, a school class or an office team can bring in dozens of new toys in a few weeks. This guide walks you through eight simple steps and gives you ready to copy templates so you can start a toy drive this week.

At Little Smiles Foundation, a Beverly Hills based 501(c)(3) founded in 2019, we support refugee children of all ages across the Los Angeles area. Toy drives hosted by schools, offices and community groups bring new toys to refugee children through our Moments of Joy program. If you would like to run one for us, you can tell us about your drive here and we will send you our free drive kit.

What does it take to start a toy drive?

Here is the whole plan on one page. Each step is explained in detail below.

Step 1: Who are you collecting for?

Decide which charity and which children your drive will support before you announce it. Donors give more when they know exactly where their gift is going.

Pick one organization and confirm with them what they need and when. Ask about age groups, whether they accept only new toys, and how they would like to receive the toys. If you choose Little Smiles, your toys go to refugee children in the Los Angeles area, from babies to teens.

It also helps to explain why the cause matters. According to the UNHCR, children make up 39 percent of refugees worldwide. Many refugee children have lived through very hard experiences, and the National Child Traumatic Stress Network notes that refugee trauma can affect children’s health long after the events. A new toy is a small, real way to bring back some joy.

Step 2: What goal and dates should you set?

Set a clear number and a short window, usually two to four weeks. A visible goal turns a vague request into a shared challenge.

• Pick a number. For a class, 25 to 50 toys is a good start. For an office floor, try one toy per person.
• Pick dates. Start right after a big announcement and end a few days before the date your charity needs the toys.
• Make it visible. A poster with a progress bar or a simple thermometer chart keeps people engaged.

If you are collecting for the holiday season, begin in early November so the toys can be sorted and delivered before winter break.

Step 3: Who needs to give you the green light?

Ask the person in charge for permission before you place any boxes or send any messages. At a school that is usually the principal or parent group, and at an office it is a manager, HR or the building manager.

Share a short plan: the charity, the dates, where the boxes will go and who will empty them. Ask whether you can use the internal newsletter, staff email or school app. Many schools and companies also have rules about collecting donations on site, so this step prevents surprises later.

Step 4: How do you set up collection boxes?

Place clearly labeled boxes in busy, safe spots where people already gather. Our free kit includes a poster, a flyer and a box label you can print.

• Use sturdy boxes or bins and attach the label on at least two sides.
• Choose spots like a school front office, a break room or a reception desk, not a hallway where boxes can be knocked over.
• Add a short sign: “New, unwrapped toys for refugee children. Ages 0 to 18. Thank you!”
• Empty the boxes at least twice a week so they never look full or messy.

Share a simple age guide next to each box so you get gifts for every age, including teens, who are often forgotten. Our guide on what toys to donate by age is easy to print or link.

Step 5: How do you spread the word?

Announce the drive with one clear email, a flyer and a social post, then send two short reminders. Copy the templates below and add your own dates and box locations.

Ready to copy email

Subject: Join our toy drive for refugee children

Hi everyone,

We are collecting new, unwrapped toys for refugee children in Los Angeles through Little Smiles Foundation. Our goal is (your goal) toys by (end date).

How to help:
1. Pick up a new toy for any age, from babies to teens.
2. Leave it unwrapped in the box at (your location).
3. Can't shop? Give online at littlesmiles.foundation/donate.

Need ideas? See the age guide at littlesmiles.foundation/what-toys-to-donate.

Thank you for helping a child smile this season.
(your name)

Ready to copy flyer text

TOY DRIVE FOR REFUGEE CHILDREN

Bring a new, unwrapped toy for any age, 0 to 18.
Drop it in the box at (your location) by (end date).

Every toy goes to refugee children in Los Angeles through Little Smiles Foundation.

Ideas: balls, art kits, building sets, books, journals and sports gear.
Please no used toys or toy weapons.

Can't shop? Give at littlesmiles.foundation/donate

Ready to copy social post

We are running a toy drive for refugee children in Los Angeles! Bring a new, unwrapped toy to (your location) by (end date), or give online at littlesmiles.foundation/donate. Every gift helps a child feel like a kid again.

Replace the words in parentheses with your own details before you send. Post a photo of the first full box halfway through the drive. Seeing progress is the best reminder there is.

Step 6: How do you collect and count the toys?

Check each toy as it comes in, keep a simple tally and share progress every week. A quick count also helps your charity plan.

• Set aside anything used, opened or broken. Most drives can only pass on new toys.
• Check age labels. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission bans small parts in toys meant for children under 3, so keep those for older age groups.
• Watch for toys with loose button batteries or strong magnets, which the American Academy of Pediatrics warns can cause serious injuries if swallowed.
• Sort toys into age groups: 0 to 2, 3 to 5, 6 to 9, 10 to 13 and teens.
• Count each group and note any gaps so you can ask for them in your last reminder.

If some donors would rather give money than shop, point them to our donate page. Money lets us fill the age groups that are short.

Step 7: How do you deliver the toys?

Deliver the toys on the date you agreed, or ask us to pick them up. We arrange pickup for larger drives.

Before delivery, pack toys by age group in sturdy boxes and write the age range and a count on each box. Email us your total and the number of boxes so we can plan. We do not have a public drop off location, so please use the host a drive form to arrange delivery or pickup with us directly.

Step 8: How should you say thank you?

Thank everyone who took part and tell them what their gifts made possible. A good thank you makes next year’s drive easier.

• Send a short thank you email with the final count.
• Share a photo of the boxes, without any children’s faces.
• Thank the people who gave permission and helped carry boxes.
• Put next year’s date on the calendar while the energy is high.

Want to do more? You can volunteer with refugee children in Los Angeles, read about other ways to help refugee children, or plan a gift for Giving Tuesday.

What goes on a toy drive checklist?

Print or copy this checklist and tick each item as you go.

Not sure what to ask for? Our guide to donating toys in Los Angeles also explains timing and how to check that a toy drive is legitimate.

Frequently asked questions