June 1st is right around the corner, which means we’re getting ready to celebrate International Children’s Day.

This special tradition dates back to 1856 and serves to remind us that mankind owes children the best it has to give.

As a mother myself, I strive to teach my son values such as kindness, compassion, and integrity.

Once a year before Children’s Day, I encourage my child to donate his gently used toys and books that he no longer needs or plays with to our local charities.

Now is a great time to introduce this exercise to first-timers as they also anticipate they’ll be doing something fun that day.

The Purpose of Decluttering

Helping children understand that old toys can benefit new people who may not otherwise have access to toys can start very young.

For children decluttering helps by:

• providing more space to think and be creative.
• giving them the chance to appreciate what they have and how blessed they are.
• teaching them happiness comes from experiences, not material things.
• teaching them the value of giving to others, and that sharing is a great feeling.
• showing them that everyone, even kids, can make a difference in the world.

While giving to those less fortunate can motivate kids who value fairness, it’s also important that they don’t mistake “giving” with “discarding”.

For example, a broken toy needs to be discarded, not donated. A puzzle missing many pieces should again be discarded and not donated.

Simple Ways to Declutter

My best advice is always to involve your children when decluttering their things. Together you can create 3 piles, one for items you keep, one for items ready to be recycled and one final one for items to be donated.

Download my printable labels here.

Go item by item and ask your child what they want to do with it, gently guiding them along the way.

If you receive resistance to donating items, don’t worry, there are a few techniques I use that work most of the time (haha)

Some Simple Tips to Get Your Kids to Willingly Donate

1. Keep this process as light-hearted as possible and turn it into a game.

We have a family donation competition where each family member is asked to fill up their donation box with items that no longer spark joy. Whoever fills their box with the most items gets to have ice cream that night.

2. When asking your child to donate items, ask them “how many toys would you like to donate today?”

If they reply with “none,” you can try asking them “ would you rather donate five items or 10 items?”

3. For toys that your child has outgrown, ask your child, “Do you remember when you used to play with this toy when you were a baby?”

My son is always looking forward to playing with “big boy” toys so he’s all too happy to get rid of toys that he deems “too babyish”.

4. Finally, when your little one is unwilling to part with certain toys, don’t stress. Just wait – sometimes they forget what they have. “Out of sight, out of mind.” You can revisit the donation later.

Where to Donate Children’s Items

Here in Shanghai, there are numerous organizations that welcome children’s items.

Here are 3 I recommend you consider donating to.

1. FeiMayi

Recycle gently loved clothing and give them a new life. FeiMayi handles the export of summer clothes to poor countries in need while distributing winter clothing to mountainous areas in China.

Get in touch by searching ‘ FeiMayi’（飞蚂蚁）in Alipay. You’ll be prompted to make an appointment for donation and the courier will pick up your old clothes for free.

2. Duozhuayu

Duozhuayu(多抓鱼) started off as a second-hand bookstore with stores in Beijing and Shanghai, and has now expanded to clothing and electronics. Duozhuoyu promotes sustainability and the use of high-quality, durable consumer goods.

To get in touch with their organization, first download the [Duozhuayu] app and sign up. You’ll then be able to scan book codes with your phone in order to evaluate the price of your items. Once you’re done scanning and are ready to place an order, the courier will pick up the book for free.

3. Grecycle

Grecycle is a trading platform for mother and baby products but you can donate children’s toys, clothes, toiletries, and many other items.

Get connected by searching ‘Grecycle(咕哩闲置母婴)’ in WeChat to find the donation cent,er near you.

If You Can’t Donate Right Away

Since we’re still recovering from Covid restrictions, some places are not accepting donations for the time being.

I suggest instead creating a box for donation and saving it until it’s safe to give these items away.

Keep your local charities in mind to make sure your donation helps the community directly.

Neighborhood Toy Swap

Another great idea you may want to try is a neighborhood toy swap. I’ve been doing this for years and my friends appreciate it!

Rather than buying toys for your child, ask your child to offer to swap toys of choice with another friend. It is a great way to share with friends and family while off-loading items you no longer need.

Finally, once the decluttering is done, thank and celebrate your little ones for their help and efforts to make the world a better place!

Let them know that without their generosity and kindness, we wouldn’t be able to make a difference.

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MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW US FOR MORE GOOD IDEAS

Instagram | Facebook | Little Red Book | Wechat

You can also contact me or subscribe to my newsletter here.

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