As a mom of three boys, we've accumulated a vast collection of LEGO blocks over the years. Some sets are still complete and have become decorative items in the boys' rooms, while others have lost many of their pieces or were simply intended for free play.
Fortunately, we discovered an excellent option for unused LEGO sets. There's a program that repurposes these sets and creates new activity kits to share with children who may not otherwise have access to larger Lego sets, keeping the love of LEGOs alive for all.
Enter LEGO Replay. LEGO Replay launched in the fall of 2019 a a collaboration between The LEGO Group and various nonprofits such as: Give Back Box, Teach For America, and Boys & Girls Clubs of Boston. To learn more about how this program was started AND about the nonprofits they are partnered with head here.
Pro Tip: While it may be tempting to put the sets back together, I've discovered that this is often more hassle than it's worth.
LEGO Replay has made this process so simple and they even provide you with a pre-paid shipping label. All you have to do is the following:
Gather up your LEGOs.
Please do your best to take all the bricks apart.
You do NOT need to clean them
Box them up
Head to LEGO and answer a few questions
Enter your email and zip code
Check your email to retrieve a pre-paid shipping label they will email you
Print the label, stick it on the box and drop it off at UPS
Side note: Do not send battery operated pieces or electronic pieces. For a full list of what is or isn't accepted, and for FAQs click here and scroll down on that page.
They do not donate full sets, which is great news for you! You don't need to locate the instructions, the original box, OR even all the pieces. Just donate what you have, dump it all in and ship it off.
LEGO is committed to keeping their product out of landfills. If some of the LEGOs sent happen to not meet their standards every effort is made to STILL keep those items out of the landfill. According to LEGO:
"Bricks that don’t meet our high standards after being molded aren’t just thrown away. We can sometimes grind them down to make new playful items. Pieces that can’t be ground down and reused in molding help generate power in our facilities. When we make too many bricks of one kind, we donate them through Replay and our LEGO Foundation to charities all over the world!" - quote take from this post.
Prefer to donate to a local organization in need of your LEGO bricks?
Consider the following:
STEM schools
STEM camps
Foster Care centers
Childcare centers - (DUPLO bricks only)
Preschools
Want to sell your bricks?
If you have bulk bricks check your local children's consignment shop such as Kid to Kid as they typically purchase bricks. Also places like Half Price Books will also purchase bulk bricks.
If you still have full complete sets intact, your best bet would be collectors who are looking specifically for Legos:
1. Ebay
2. Bricklink
3. Brick Owl
4. Mercari
5. Facebook Marketplace
Final thoughts
As a parent, it can be frustrating when your children mix up the pieces but then only want to play with the original kit. Then when you do attempt to put the kit back together, you will most likely discover that many pieces are missing. In these situations, you may find it best to donate the Legos to an organization that will recreate activity kits using the pieces.
Take comfort in knowing that you're changing the lives of children in need. LEGO Replay is a great way to give back to the community and ensure that the Legos will be used to their full potential. Your contribution is something you and your kids should be proud of!
Do you have a category of toy that you struggle to let go of? I'd love to hear in the comments below, maybe your topic will be the next blog post!
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