Picture the table on handout day: plush animals and toddler toys piled high, and nothing for the 13-year-olds. Planning by age is how you avoid it. One Salvation Army Angel Tree program says its greatest need is toys for children aged 9 to 12, especially girls, plus gift cards for teens.[1] If you're working out how to run a toy drive this year, start before you collect anything: build the list around the children you serve, by age.
How to run a toy drive in six steps
- Count the children, by age. Use last year's sign-ups, your current client list, or numbers from the schools or programs you partner with. Write down how many children you expect in each age group.
- Set the rules. Decide whether you accept only new, unwrapped toys, and whether to set a value range. One Nashville drive, for example, asks for new, unwrapped gifts worth $10 to $25 for children from newborns to 18.[2] Asking for new, unwrapped gifts makes it easier to check each one and match it to a child.
- Build the list by age group. One or two specific gifts per age band, in quantities that match your count. More on this below.
- Pick the date you hand out gifts, then work back. Close the drive about two weeks before distribution, so everything arrives and can be sorted by age.
- Launch early and say who it's for. "Gifts for 120 children aged 0 to 17 in our housing program" tells donors far more than "toy drive".
- Plan the handout. Decide who wraps, who matches gifts to families, and where it happens. Letting parents choose gifts for their own children keeps it personal, if you have the space to set that up.
How to match toys to ages
An age-banded list lets you plan a gift for every child, not just the youngest. Give each band one or two specific items and a quantity.
| Age | Ideas that work | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| 0 to 2 | Board books, stacking toys, soft blocks | Small parts |
| 3 to 5 | Picture books, art sets, simple puzzles, play vehicles | Anything needing lots of batteries |
| 6 to 8 | Building sets, chapter books, sports balls, craft kits | Toys that need an app or a subscription |
| 9 to 12 | Books, board games, science kits, art supplies | Running short: one program's greatest need[1] |
| 13 to 17 | Headphones, journals, hobby supplies, toiletry sets | Toys that read as "for little kids" |
Plan for teens on purpose. Many programs stop short of them: one Salvation Army Angel Tree program serves children up to 16, another up to 12,[1][3] so check whether older teens in your families are covered anywhere else. Ask families what teens actually want, and accept practical gifts. The Nashville drive suggests teen gift cards of $15 to $20,[2] and the Angel Tree program with the 9 to 12 shortfall asks for $25 cards, along with books, especially in Spanish, and board games.[1]
Keep a short "any age" list too: books, board games and art supplies suit a wide range of children and fill gaps when a family's ages don't match your bands.
What to leave off the list
- Used toys. You can't check them for safety or missing parts, and they don't feel like a gift.
- Toy weapons. Decide your policy before you launch and state it in the ask. If you're unsure, ask the families or the partner who hands the gifts out.
- Very large items that families can't fit in a shared room or carry home on the bus.
- "Surprise me." Name the item and the age, so donors can choose straight from your list.
An online toy drive timeline for the holidays
- Late October: count children by age, set the list, pick the distribution date.
- Early November: launch, with the number of children and the age bands in your first message.
- Giving Tuesday, December 1, 2026:[4] share progress by age band. "Gifts for 0 to 5 are covered, 13 to 17 still needs 40" is a precise, shareable ask.
- About two weeks before distribution: close the drive.
- Distribution week: sort, wrap, hand out, and take photos for the thank-you (no children's faces without permission).
Run a holiday toy drive without collection bins
Collection bins can bring in gifts that don't match your list, and everything that comes in has to be sorted. On Aid Registry, donors fund the exact toys on your list instead. When the drive is funded, Aid Registry buys the toys and ships them to your charity in one delivery, rather than a box from every donor. You can add toys from Amazon, Home Depot or Walmart, or paste a link to any product, so each age band gets the gifts you chose. If the drive falls short by its deadline, you've already chosen whether to buy what was raised or extend.
For more seasonal options, see these holiday donation drive ideas, or how Aid Registry works for emergency shelters and faith communities. When your list is ready, build your campaign step by step. Aid Registry is free for charities: register your charity and launch your holiday toy drive.
Frequently asked questions
- How do you run a toy drive?
- Count the children you serve by age, set your rules (new and unwrapped, a value range), build a list by age group, pick the handout date and close the drive about two weeks before it, then launch early and say who it's for.
- How do you match toys to ages in a toy drive?
- Use an age-banded list with one or two specific gifts per band and a quantity for each, plus a short any-age list of books, board games and art supplies to fill gaps.
- What do teens want from a toy drive?
- Ask families. Practical gifts like headphones, journals, hobby supplies and toiletry sets work, and some programs ask for teen gift cards in amounts like $15 to $25.
Sources
- Angel Tree FAQ, The Salvation Army
- Nashville Toy and Food Drives to Support This Holiday Season, StyleBlueprint
- The Salvation Army Greater St. Louis Angel Tree Program, The Salvation Army
- GivingTuesday Inspiration - GivingTuesday, givingtuesday.org
