What to Do with All the Small Toys

I put them on freecycle. I usually have a response within a day, and someone comes and picks them up from my front porch. http://www.freecycle.org/group/US/Michigan

Take them to the nearest hospital for children. They really appreciate them and so do the children that have to be there either in the ER or have to stay for a short time.

K.,

Personally I send my to school with my 1st grader. The teacher is always needing prizes to give to the students that have followed the behavior plan sucessfully each week. It's funny how she will have stopped playing with it at home and be thrilled to receive it again while in school. :)

The other moms have some great suggestions as well.

I worked at a daycare/preschool that had McDonalds Toys as an actual play-station. There was the traditional home living, blocks, cars, craft, sand/water table, dress up, babies, etc. that were varied daily. We also had a large Rubbermaid bin filled with all of those exact type of toy (Wendy's, McDonalds, etc) that was in the rotation and pulled out about once or twice a week as a play station. The kids LOVED it and to this day, I don't know why! I have used the idea at home as well and collect them in a bin. On rainy days or when it's too cold to go outside, it can be a real novelty to pull out the bin and their creative juices seem to go nuts! Because there are seemingly limited options for how to play with a single toy after the Happy Meal is finished, the kids seem to lose interest very shortly. When you pull out a whole tub of them together, however, they entertain themselves in all sorts of creative ways for hours! Good luck!

Take them up to Second Hand ROse in Mt. Clemens. The resale store is what funds Turning Point in Clinton Twp/Mt. Clemens area. Tell them they are for the shelter and the kids there, the worst they will do is put them in the shop, but the money will still be helpful.

Another idea maybe kinda cheeze, but how about donating them to one of the groups that does care packages to the troops...who knows it may actually make someone's day.

Chelle E

Second Hand Rose in downtown Mt. Clemens donates toys/clothes, etc to the families in their shelters. Usually domestic violence families. The items they don't take to the shelter goes up for sale in their resale shop, and all the money benefits the domestic violence shelter as well.
Also, you can donate just about anything in your home to Salvation Army (several in Macomb County), or any of the Thrift shops up on the north west corner of 16 Mile & Gratiot.
Just pull up and drop them off!