Imagine that you could make Christmas happen every month for your kids. With a big box of toys regularly dropped on your doorstep. It would be downright magical, and you would undoubtedly be regarded with almost as much reverence and wonder as Santa himself. Well, we’re here to tell you that it’s possible.
If you can afford between $27 and $65 per month, you can take the hassle-free option and sign up with a service called BabyPlays (babyplays.com). Depending on which plan you pick, you get 5 to 10 toys for 30 to 60 days. There are hundreds of toys to choose from, suitable for kids up to age 5. They’re sanitized prior to delivery, guaranteed to be in good condition, and said to exceed U.S. safety standards. You can even sign on for a vacation shipment so you don’t have to travel with a Santa-like sack. The delights will be waiting for you at your destination, and you simply return them when it’s time to head back. Talk about convenience!
If you like this idea but you’re on a budget, then here’s an alternative: Arrange your own toy trade. It’s easy, environmentally friendly, and just as much fun. Get started by contacting another mom or two in your neighborhood with similar-age kids. Explain the concept, then have each family fill up a box with toys that were once favorites but have since been forgotten. Ask that they clean the toys beforehand with antibacterial wipes or run them through the dishwasher. It’s also probably best if they are not cherished family heirlooms or overly fragile, and do not have lots of pieces—all of which might provoke some finger-pointing (and tears) if anything gets lost or broken.
You don’t have to limit yourself to toys either. Feel free to include books, music CDs, movies, video games, or even a dress-up costume or two. Anything that’s safe, fun, and your kids enjoyed is fair game. Kick off the swap on a dreary, rainy day when the neighborhood is resonating with choruses of “We’re bored.” Keep an inventory of what’s traded. When the kids start to tire of their new treasures after a few weeks or months, mutually agree to another swap.
And why stop here? If things work out, expand your toy-trade agreement to more families in your neighborhood. You could even work out an arrangement for different day-care centers or preschools in the area to conduct periodic exchanges. (Volunteer to do the picking up and dropping off, if someone else gets the toys together.) Or arrange an adult toy trade between friends and family. We all have old jigsaw puzzles and board games in our closets that we don’t play anymore but that others would enjoy. Once you get to thinking about it, the possibilities Boggle the mind.
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