Best toys for donating?

[snowinafrica16]

Our school is collecting gifts for children that get distributed via a charity, does anybody have any views on the best toys to donate? I tend towards being an educational gift giver but that's not going to make anyone's Christmas so advice needed!

Is this within the UK?

Things that are self-contained, eg a Lego set, are better than something you can't play with on its own.

Most collections are overwhelmed with gifts for young children but those 8+ and particularly 12+ get nothing. At that point you could look at the gift cards you can pick up easily in the supermarket such as Claire's Accessories or Cineworld.

We have a charity local to us that distributes donated toys locally, they usually have a list of suggestions available to anyone who is unsure. They also have a system which gives you the name and age of the child which definitely helps when deciding what to get. The very youngest children under 1 and the oldest 14+ seem to be the ones less popular for people to pick to buy for so you could maybe look to get something for those age groups.
Are the gifts going to children in the UK or overseas, as that may affect what you want to buy
I only donate things that can be played by an individual child rather than something like a board game, as you won't know the family set up where the child lives. Personally I would steer away from educational gifts / books because if this gift is the only gift that particular child is going to receive at Christmas you want it to be fun. Unless it is a shoe box style of gift donation where practical and educational bits and pieces can be added to a fun gift.
I wouldn't donate anything that requires batteries as some toys, esp remote controlled things, are very heavy on the batteries and the families may struggle in the future to replace batteries on a regular basis.
I also would suggest fairly robust things that will stand a lot of wear and tear as the toys may be played with by all of the children in a family, if toys in general are scarce in the home.

i'm glad I posted - I looked at my potential amazon basket for this and everything is for 8 and under because my children are this age - I believe it is families in Scotland - and at least half my basket has batteries...I have not a clue what an 8+ year old would like these days. I don't have the exact details of the scheme yet - last year the rules were pretty vague. Sounds like the best bet is to call up the charity and ask them for the best toys to donate, I'll do that.

Hmm... Great question. Has got me thinking. I would have gone for a board game which is both fun and educational but appreciate the point that this may not be the best if there aren't others available or willing to play along. I'm wondering what games might have a good variant to play solo?

Looking forward to seeing what others suggest on this thread!

I'd go for something that doesn't need batteries, and something that won't be worth selling on. Also something that doesn't need others added to it as part of a collection.

Jenga - quiet if in hostel, can play alone or in group, still works if odd piece gets lost, good for all ages, no tiny pieces if baby also with them

Magformers magnets - good construction kit, no tiny pieces again, no batteries, good imagination, suitable for all ages, quiet again if sharing space. Additional sets and pieces can be added later on if they wanted