How Toy-Cycle Works

Toy-Cycle.org aims to help families save money and reduce waste by connecting them locally to give and get free used toys and games.

The cost of toys can burden a family’s budget. And most toys today are made from plastics that are not recyclable, so they are harmful to the environment.

When you join Toy-cycle, you’ll be able to access free used toys and give those your kids have outgrown to other families in your community, keeping them in circulation and out of landfills.

The Toy-cycle community is organized into small local groups. Families only give or get toys from other families that live nearby. There is no shipping involved. Each local group is associated with other surrounding groups so you can connect with more families farther away if you choose. This will increase the volume of toys to choose from, but you may have to travel farther to get them.

When you sign up for Toy-cycle, you will receive a free trial period, after which you’ll be asked to pay a small annual access fee. There is no charge for giving or getting used toys and games.

Once registered, you can begin to give and get free used toys right away. There is no limit placed on the number of toys you can give or receive.

At Toy-cycle, we define toy as anything that kids can play with: Lego sets, stuffed animals, rocking horses, dolls, ride-on toys, board games, play tables, walkers, figurines, action heroes, imaginary play clothes or costumes, puzzles, kites, sports gear, musical instruments, sand toys, card games, swim fins, water toys, train tables, electronic devices, books, science kits, educational toys or games, DVDs, play yards, etc. If kids can have fun with it, you can give or get it in the Toy-cycle community.

You can give toys individually or in collections, whatever makes most sense for you. Please read the Posting Guidelines for detailed information on how to create and respond to toy posts on our site.

The annual access fee allows us to operate and grow our community without relying on corporate sponsors or advertising. We do, however, intend for Toy-cycle to be inclusive and accessible to all. If you find the fee to be a financial burden, please contact us here to request a fee waiver. Or if you are an educator in a public school, or employed in a non-profit agency with a child-centered mission, please contact the Toy-cycle team here to request a free membership.

You can find more information and answers to frequently asked questions here.