As the holidays approach you might be thinking about making a nice gesture for sick kids?
Your donations of toys, games, books and more are really appreciated. Not only do they entertain our patients, but they also contribute to brightening a hospital stay.
In order to maintain patient safety and security, we ask donors to respect the following criteria:
- NEW toys only are accepted.
- All toys must be age appropriate and safe.
- We do NOT accept aggressive toys, e.g. toy weapons or violent video games/movies.
- Toys should be sturdy. Avoid toys which can break and leave sharp edges.
- Avoid toys with sharp edges or protrusions which can be poked into eyes.
- No toys should be made of glass or brittle plastic.
- Toys should not have parts which can pinch fingers or toes or catch hair.
- Any glue or paint in craft kits must be non-toxic.
- Avoid toys stuffed with shredded foam, small pellets or beans. Look for items filled with fabric or solid foam.
The following wish list provides gift ideas for all ages and suggestions of the most popular brands.
INFANTS AND TODDLERS (0-3 YEARS OLD)
- Music boxes
- Musical toys easy to hold (musical tv)
- Infant mobiles (washable)
- Unbreakable baby mirrors for cribs
- Infant seats
- Rattles and squeeze toys
- Play Pen
- Activity Centres for cribs
- Light-up and pop-up toys
- Stacking and sorting toys
- Wooden puzzles
- Washable cuddle cushion (horseshoe shape)
- Leap Pad toys for infants
- Baby Einstein stimulation toys
- Pop-up activity toys
- Activity play mat
PRESCHOOLERS (3-6 YEARS OLD)
- Little houses, farms, garages with people, animals and cars.
- Extra little people for houses, farms and garages
- Little cars, trucks, school buses
- Farm animals
- Wooden puzzles
- Puzzles (12-24-30-60 pieces
- Big dinosaurs
- Drawing boards, Magna Doodle
- Tutti Frutti Dough and accessories
- Doctor’s kits (e.g.: Fisher-Price)
- Memory games
- Ravensburger games: Colorama, Fugurix, Lotino, Tactil, Coco Crazy, Mole in the hole
- Musical toys (V-Tech)
- Duplo blocks
- Leap Pad Toys
- Mr. Potato Head
SCHOOLAGED (6-12 YEARS OLD)
- Board games: Guess Who, Connect Four, Clue Junior, I Spy, Coco Crazy, Candyland, Snakes and Ladders, UNO, Sorry, Monopoly Junior, Yahtzee Junior, Memory, Trouble, Yum Safari.
- Puzzles (60-100-150-200 pieces)
- Lego kits
- 3D puzzles
- Activity books: crossword puzzles, labyrinths, connect the dots, word search, sudoku
- Model Magic Dough
- Window Color Arti’stick
- Arts and Crafts material: sparkling glue, Crayola markers, glue sticks, paint by number.
- Hand-Held electronic games (Yatzee, Connect Four)
- Playmobil sets
- Little cars (Matchbox)
ADOLESCENTS (12-18 YEARS OLD)
- Board games: Chess, Checkers, Scrabble, Rush Hour, Decks of cards, Monopoly, Battleship, Yathzee, Yum, Skipbo, Othello
- Puzzles (100-200-250 pieces)
- Small electronic games (Yathzee, Connect Four, Battleship, Tetris)
- Personal journals and address books
- Scrapbooking kits: paper, album, stickers, etc.
- Arts and crafts kits
- Fimo dough
- Beads (Pony Beads)
- Beauty products (make-up, nail polish, creams)
- Hair accessories
- Gift certificates:HMV, Future Shop, Zellers, movies, restaurants
- Magazine subscriptions in French and in English (Cool, Filles, Seventeen, Sports Illustrated, etc.)
- Models
- Comics
GENERAL IDEAS
- NEW stuffed animals and dolls (Barbie, Bratz, Groovy Girls, etc.)
- Bubble kits: bubble solution and accessories
- Distraction books: I Spy, Where’s Waldo, Comic
- Books, sound books.
- Disposable cameras
- Polaroid cameras and films
- Gift certificates for IGA (cooking program)
- Gift certificates for HMV, Future Shop, Omer Deserres, Toy’R’Us, Zellers, AMC Forum Pepsi
- Arts and crafts kits or materials
- Stickers and stickerbooks
- Regular playing cards
- Little surprises from the dollar store to give as a reward for our courageous children
AUDIOVISUAL MATERIAL
- DVD/VCR combo players
- CD-Radio players with headphone or earphones
- Portable DVD players (7inch monitor)
- Diskman
- Ipod
- Televisions (no more than 17 inches)
MUSIC (French and English)
- CD music for infants: lullabies, soothing music, classical, nature sounds
- CD music for children: songs, relaxation, calm music
- CD music for adolescents: relaxation, popular music
ELECTRONIC GAMES
- Nintendo Game Cube and games
- Play Station 2 and games (general)
- Gameboy Advance and games
MOVIES
Please note that we ONLY accept donations of DVD movies for children and adolescents. Usually, DVD movies can be watched either in French or in English but, some DVDs are only in one language. We prioritize DVDs that offer the choice of language. We do NOT accept DVDs rated 18+.
- DVDs for babies: Baby Einstein collection
- DVDs for young children: Caillou, Elmo, Barney, Clifford, Franklin
- DVDs for children: Walt Disney collection, Harry Potter, comedy
- DVDs for Teenagers: Lord of the Rings, action, comedy (14 and up only)
- Television series: Friends, Seinfeld, Malcolm
- New releases
PORTABLE COMPUTERS
Portable computers should ALWAYS be purchased through our Information Services Service Centre. If you wish to donate a portable computer, we will accept the money and make sure to purchase the equipment with our Information Services Service Centre.
We do accept donations of CD-Rom games (The Sims, Zoo Tycoon, Harry Potter, sports games, racing games, educational games like Lapin Malin and Adibou).
If you have any questions about any of these suggestions or would like to know about our greatest needs at any one time, please call the Child Life Department at (514) 412-4400 ext. 22529. We can help you plan your gift to the hospital.
