How to donate to holiday toy drives around Seattle

Many Seattle-area families are in need of many things. Toys and gifts for kids are one area that can really tug at the heartstrings, but lots of good people are working hard to make sure that kids will get gifts during the holiday season. You can help by your donations of toys and cash. In most cases, this is not a time when you go through your closet and get rid of hand-me-downs (here are ideas for that). Instead, it’s an opportunity to think about a child or perhaps a few kids and purchase a specific present with them in mind.

Get kids involved in the process of choosing a gift for another child. You might even make a game out of it, as one family we know did: Each person was given a budget. They spread out in a toy store and go to town, seeing who could come up with the “best” gift for the money (subjective, of course). Consider chopping at independent toys story in Seattle to spread the community giving. Here are some of the holiday toy drives we’ve heard about. If you know of anything else, please reach out to editor@seattleschild.com.

Toys for Tots

Toys for Tots is one of the biggies, run by Santa’s helpers in the U.S. Marines, with collection points spread far and wide. A gift of money is also a great (safe) way to go. For a list of all the places you can drop off toys, go to the Toys for Toys toy donation page and simply put in your zip code.

The Seattle Fire Department is partnering with the Toys for Tots drive. The department will collect new, unwrapped toys on Saturday, December 7, from 1 to 3 p.m. at these five Seattle fire stations

Ballard – Fire Station 18 (1521 NW Market St.)
Greenwood – Fire Station 21 (7304 Greenwood Ave. N.)
West Seattle – Fire Station 29 (2130 Ferry Ave. SW)
Hawthorne Hills – Fire Station 38 (4004 NE 55^th St.)
Magnolia – Fire Station 41 (2416 34th Ave W.)

Seattle firefighters will be there to say “hi” as they hand out candy canes and collect items for this year’s Toys for Tots toy drive. You can also take a photo in front of one of our fire apparatus!

KIRO-7 Cares Toy Drive

Donate a new, unwrapped toy to the KIRO 7 Cares Toy Drive, benefitting The Salvation Army and Toys for Tots. Salvation Army and other local nonprofit agencies will distribute toys to local children and families. The most needed toy donations include items for babies, girls, and boys aged 9-13 and items for pre-teens and teens. Suggested teen items include sporting equipment, skateboards, books, cosmetic and bath gift sets, board games, remote control toys, and video games. How to deliver:

Drop off your donation at any Albert Lee Appliance.
Drop off your donation at any Albert Lee Applicance, or at any of the KIRO partner locations listed on the toy drive webpage.
Friday, December 6, drop off a toy at any Western Washington Fred Meyer location
You can also purchase a toy online and have it sent directly to the KIRO 7 Cares Toy Drive: 2807 3rd Avenue, Seattle WA, 98121
Or, call and make a donation, or donate directly to The Salvation Army..

KOMO Toy Drive

Celebrating it’s 30th year, the KOMO News toy drive is helping spread the holiday spirit to local military families in need. KOMO is partnering with Santa’s Castle to celebrate the holidays and help local kids.

Make an online monetary donation and see where you can shop and send gifts directly to Santa’s Castle.
Drop off new, unwrapped toys, books, games or bikes to our community partners: Any Titus-Will Automotive Group dealership or Harborstone Credit Union branch.

Les Schwab FOX 13 Drive

All 83 Western Washington Les Schwab Tire Centers offer donation drop-offs of new and unwrapped toys between now and December 15. December 12, FOX 13 will be dedicating their airwaves to the toy drive all morning. FOX 13, together with Les Schwab, will be collecting toys at the Tukwila location.

Donate new and used toys at any Les Schwab Tire Center between now and December 16
Donate on Dec. 3 at the Covington Les Schwab location. Come out and watch Santa fly in on a helicopter provided by Life Flight Network. Donate a toy and get your photo taken for free with Santa.
Donate on Dec. 6 at the Lakewood Les Schwab location. We’ll also share the meaningful work of the benefiting charities that provide help for families in our community.
Donate on Dec. 8 at the Seattle Thunderbirds vs. Spokane Chiefs game, starting at 5pm at ShoWare Center.
Donate on Dec. 10 at the Seattle Thunderbirds vs. Wenatchee Wild game, starting at 7pm at ShoWare Center.
Donate on Dec.13 at the Mill Creek Les Schwab location.

Federal Way Cares for Kids

This nonprofit serves families in the Federal Way School District. It will distribute toys for kids is grades K through 5. Check the organization’s website for drop off locations, or check out its Amazon wish list. You can also purchase gift cards for adolescents and teens. In addition, it has a cool program in which you can “sponsor Christmas morning” with a donation via PayPal or Venmo.

RISE Holiday Hope Drive

his holiday season, RISE (Resilient in Sustaining Empowerment) Holiday Hope Drive is spreading joy, comfort, and hope to families impacted by gun violence. The organization aims to raise $100,000 and collect toys, coats, and essentials for more than 100 families. All items must be new and unwrapped to ensure the health and safety of recipients. Every donation, whether big or small, creates a ripple of hope and love!

Drop-Off Locations:

The Postman – Central District: 2715 E Union Street Seattle, WA 98122; Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Postman – Columbia City: 6901 Martin Luther King Jr Way South, Seattle, WA 98118; Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
A 4 Apple Learning Center: 2323 23rd Ave S, Seattle, WA 98144; 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
RISE Office: 1210 SW 136th St, Burien, WA 98166; (206) 257-6901

Seattle Storm Toy Drive

Help the Seattle Storm meet its goal of helping kids in the hospital find comfort and joy in new toys and essential items throughout the year. To help, please visit the Storm’s Amazon Wish List to ship items directly to the hospital. If you do not have an Amazon account, please consider making a cash donation to the Child Life Toy Fund, which allows the hospital to purchase items throughout the year.

Kidzz Helping Kidzz Toy Drive

Last year, Kidzz Helping Kidzz collected thousands of Christmas toy donations for children in the hospital by putting out toy donation collection boxes out in numerous communities. Toys should be new or used in good condition and appropriate for kids aged 2-16 years old. Drop off new toys at any of the many donation sites listed on the group’s toy donation page. Donations will be accepted through December 18. .

2nd Annual Tevin’s Adaptive Toy Drive — help adapt toys for kids with special needs

Join the effort to adapt toys for kids with special needs at this special event on December 14 from 10 a.m. to noon. No experience adapting toys is necessary; you’ll learn everything you need to know during the workshop as you adapt a toy you bring. What toys are adaptable?

Be sure a toy is battery operated (does not plug into the wall),
Toys should. be a “cause-and-effect toy,” which does something special when the child interacts with it
Toys should have a button in the hand/leg/stomach/ear, or any other body part
It has an On-Off Switch.

Learn more about this important project and why it was launched: “Passing on the joy of toys.”

The Seattle Times Fund for the Needy

It’s not a toy drive, but it is a drive that help improve the lives of families and and nonprofit organizations that support them, including Akin, Hopelink, Youth Eastside Services, Wellspring Family Services, Big Brothers Big Sisters and more. The Seattle Times Fund for the Needy celebrates it’s 46th year in 2024. To make a donation, go to the fund website.

The 2024 A to Z local holiday gift guide for kids

The re- re- re- approach to holiday gifting