The cost of living crisis is putting pressure on every aspect of household finances but children still need toys to play with. However, rather than buying new play sets and games, more and more parents are finding thriftier and more sustainable ways to keep their children entertained. Here’s how.
Buy secondhand toys online
Facebook Marketplace is a great way to source cheap toys in your local area. Not only can you get some bargains – especially if you haggle – you can often have that bargain in your possession pretty promptly, which is excellent if, say, you check the weather forecast, see a heatwave approaching at the weekend, and suddenly realise you’ve forgotten to buy a paddling pool.
Vinted also sells secondhand toys as well as preowned children’s clothes, while the Octopus Club is another preloved marketplace for parents. It is up to buyers and sellers to manage the transactions themselves: some will ask for cash, some PayPal, some a bank transfer. Do what you are comfortable with, make sure you see the goods before handing over any money, and be wary of anyone who asks for a deposit.
Also consider joining local parents’ groups on Facebook or WhatsApp, which can be a great place to pick up, and sell on, secondhand toys and books. People usually send pictures of the items they are selling, the prices, and a location for collection. Then it is up to you to get in touch. Usually it’s first come, first served. Ask around to see if there are any groups you can be added to in your area.
View image in fullscreenYou can find secondhand toys and books on local parents’ groups online. Photograph: fizkes/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Charity shops
They have long been a go-to destination for anyone in search of a bargain, so toy hunters of all ages should make a beeline for the children’s section to see what they can find. Sometimes it will turn up nothing; sometimes it will turn to gold.
Katy Mowbray says her children call their local Barnardo’s “the toy shop”, and whenever they go there, she lets them each choose something for a pound or two. “If they enjoy playing with it, then fantastic, it stays. If not, I’ll donate it back to the shop a few weeks later. I love that you never know what you will find there.” Another bargain hunter, Abigail Connolly, picks up gifts for other people’s children from charity shops. “Every six months or so I go to a posh area like Primrose Hill in London and raid the charity shops for stuff that would make good gifts – often I find games that haven’t even been opened.”
View image in fullscreenCharity shops have long been a place to go for toy bargains. Photograph: Tim Rooke/Rex/Shutterstock
Although charity shops are cheaper than buying new, the range, quality, and pricing in them can vary hugely, so it’s worth taking time to suss out the best ones local to you and then popping in now and then to check the stock, which will rotate and change rather unpredictably as new donations come in. Be prepared to be patient: it’s not Amazon Prime and sometimes you have to wait to find the toy you’re looking for.
NCT Nearly New Sales
The National Childbirth Trust (NCT) runs Nearly New Sales, selling everything from clothes to toys to general baby kit. It can be a great place to buy toys from other parents in your local community. You don’t have to be an NCT member, or have even attended the classes, to visit the sales but members do get early entry so they could grab the best bargains.
Borrowing or rental services
It is a good idea to investigate toy libraries near you. Madelaine Fallow describes them as “a godsend when they’re babies and they move on so quickly”. Some run play sessions that are free to attend. There is usually a small membership fee, and rental costs range from 50p to £2, depending on the toy.
Or you could consider online toy rental options such as Brick Borrow, a Lego subscription service where you can borrow a Lego set for as long as you want and then send it back when you’re done with a prepaid returns label. Delivery is £4.95 and that price includes the return. Subscriptions start from £9.99 a month. Active kids could also look into the Bike Club, which rents out bikes and scooters from £9.99 a month. After 18 months (12 months for balance bikes) you can exchange the bike for free for a bigger version.
View image in fullscreenHave you thought about borrowing Lego? Photograph: James Veysey/Rex/Shutterstock
Subscriptions
Other toy subscription sites are available and can be cost-effective. Lovevery, for example, offers play kits – a range of new, age-appropriate, educational toys – for children aged 0-3 years, with costs starting at £80 a kit. Once you start your subscription, new kits arrive automatically every two to three months, in line with your child’s latest developmental needs. While it may be a bit pricier than secondhand options, if you pay for multiple kits upfront you get a discount of up to 10%. You also get to keep all of the toys, and each kit is tailored to your child’s specific age, meaning – in theory – they will be ready and keen to play with them.
Friends and family
View image in fullscreenThe cost of living crisis is putting pressure on households but there are ways to save money on toys. Photograph: kriangkrai_net/Getty Images/iStockphoto
Of course, the best toys are often the free ones. Hand-me-downs from friends and family can be helpful when looking for children’s toys – not least for the friends and family who are desperate to declutter their loft or garage. But another, perhaps more untapped, option is to set up toy rotations with friends. This works especially well with larger toys. It’s free, reciprocal, and keeps playtime fresh and exciting for your children.
School fairs and car boot sales can turn up some affordable gems; and local book exchanges or phone box libraries can be a great place to find children’s books. Or just keep your eyes peeled and pick up the toys people leave outside their homes for others.
