Toy Drive and Gift Giving Guidelines: Items You Can Collect

Holding a toy drive or collecting items is a fantastic way to bring smiles to kids at the hospital. Every year, we are amazed by our community's generosity, especially at holiday time! We wish you could see the grateful smiles!

Still, toys are needed year round (especially in the slower summer months) and for all age groups (our patients range in age from just a few days to 19 years old). To help you think about your gift, we've provided ideas on the lists below. Please, be sure to read the donation guidelines, too -- we have some rules about what we can and cannot accept for safety purposes.

Important Considerations and Policies (please read!)

Top needs, overall:

1. Crayola art supplies
2. Model Magic (modeling dough)
3. Small, fun personal care products (e.g., flavored lip balm, scented lotions)
4. Simple craft supplies (e.g., scissors, Elmer's glue, paper)
5. Infant rattles and teethers (no fabric, please)
6. Jewelry-making bead kits
7. Miracle or Tootsie Toys Bubbles
8. Playing cards (regular deck, UNO, Skip-Bo)
9. Small stuffed animals
10. Puzzle books (e.g., Suduko, crossword, word search)
11. Precious Hands (plaster-molding hand print kits)

Or, select from gift ideas by child's age:

Infants

Toddler and School-Age Children

Teenagers

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Infants

• baby rattles
• “sippy cups” and bottles
• crib toys
• bibs
• receiving blankets
• thermometers (digital, please)
• crib mirrors
• teethers/infant spoons
• plastic and board picture books
• music: lullaby/classical, cassette or CD format
• baby sleepers or outfits (Sizes: S,M,L)
• baby undershirts (“Onesies”) (Sizes: newborn through 24 months)
• Halo sleep sack
• crib mobiles, Ocean Wonders crib aquarium

Toddlers and School-Age Children

• coloring, activity, and paint with water books
• crayons, markers, colored pencils                  
• craft kits and art kits
• small Fisher Price Sets, Little Tykes, or Playskool toys
• books (I SPY/musical/picture/Spanish)
• view finders with reels
• games (Connect 4, Memory, Guess Who, Checkers)
• Playdoh & Playdoh sets
• Lego kits/KINNEX
• drawing boards (e.g., Magna Doodle or Etcha Sketch)
• Matchbox or Hotwheels cars or trucks
• new stuffed animals
• mittens and hats
• multicultural dolls [cloth or plastic]
• children’s music [cassette or CD]
• stickers
• character bandages
• puzzles

Teenagers

• pocket and video games [Battleship, Yatzee, etc.]
• personal care kits [nail polish, lip balm, etc.]
• playing cards, Uno, SKIP-BO
• drawing pads, markers, colored pencils, gel pens
• craft kits, art sets
• Discmans (radio and CD headsets)
• pony beads, jewelry kits
• Nerf balls, soft sports balls
• Velvet coloring posters
• t-shirts (Sizes: S-XL)
• Sweatshirts and sweat pants (S-XL)
• Slipper socks (women’s and men’s)
• sports team posters, banners, clothing, books etc.
• books, videos, CDs, cassettes, DVDs
• watches, jewelry
• plastic model car and truck kits
• lotion and bath sets
• school supplies (folders, clip boards)
• journals, scrapbooks

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Thank you for your interest in donating a gift to a child in the hospital; pediatric patients need toys for play year round. Toys donated by community friends keep playrooms supplied and help make special celebrations possible.

Toys and activities that encourage creativity and support development are preferred. The children and adolescents are from a diverse cultural background; please consider their diversity when making your selection.  Thank you for your support and consideration.

Please Remember

Visiting Policies. Because our patients are acutely ill, and because many families desire privacy, it is not possible to deliver gifts directly to the children. Still, many donors like to meet the children they are helping. To meet some of our patients and hear their stories of courage and triumph, we're happy to introduce you to this year's Miracle Kids.

Only new toys are used at the hospital due to infection control and safety concerns.  Please deliver toys to the Patient Discharge area located off Crittenden Boulevard.  Hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday, and 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.  Please call our office to arrange for large donation drop offs.  Please attach your name, address, and a list of your donation, all addressed to "Child Life."

Please do not wrap gifts.  Safety regulations require even labeled gifts to be checked for gift appropriateness.  Wrapping paper, ribbons, tape and tags are most welcome as a donation.

Toy safety guidelines protect children.  Before you select gifts, please make sure they meet our toy safety guidelines, listed below. 

Please remember, in order to respect the individual beliefs of our families, we cannot display or give out denominational or religious materials.

Safety Guidelines

• Only new stuffed toys can be given.  Used stuffed animals or ones stored on shelves are not allowed.  Plastic pellets (e.g., "Beanie animals") are allowed for children over 3 years old.  Avoid toys with detachable parts, like button eyes, that can be removed and swallowed or inhaled.
• Fire regulations forbid electrical, spark-producing, or friction-producing toys.
• Toys should be sturdy.  Avoid toys that can break and leave sharp edges.  No toys should be made of glass or brittle plastic.
• Avoid toys with sharp edges or parts that can be poked into eyes.  Avoid latex products.
• Painted toys should be non-toxic.
• Toys should not have parts that can pinch fingers and toes or catch hair.
• Any glue or paint in craft kits must be non-toxic.
• Toys with numerous small parts which require close supervision are not appropriate.
• “Humorous” medical toys and games cause fears and misconceptions and are inappropriate.

 

Most importantly, thank you! We are most grateful for your contribution!

For additional information, please contact the Child Life Office:

Golisano Children's Hospital at Strong

Child Life Program

601 Elmwood Ave., Box 619-11

Rochester, NY 14642

(585) 275-9878