Those old toys sitting in cupboards and spare rooms could be ready for their next adventure.

Somewhere in the back of a cupboard or packed away in the shed there’s a good chance a little piece of your child’s childhood is still waiting.

Maybe it’s a favourite teddy bear, a box of building blocks, a collection of cars or perhaps even a Buzz Lightyear figure that once travelled “to infinity and beyond” across the lounge room floor.

The child who loved it may now be grown up with a life of their own, but for many parents and grandparents, letting go of those little reminders is not always easy. More than just toys, they were bedtime stories, rainy afternoons, imagination, laughter and years of memories wrapped up in something small enough to hold in your hands.

A second life for childhood treasures

Now, with Disney and Pixar’s Toy Story 5 currently showing in cinemas, Save the Children hopes some of those much-loved toys sitting in cupboards around Australia can begin a new adventure.

The Walt Disney Company Australia has teamed up with Save the Children and Reading Cinemas for a Toy Rehoming initiative, encouraging Australians to donate quality pre-loved toys, books, puzzles and games.

Special Toy Story 5 themed donation booths are located in the foyers of participating Reading Cinemas, ready to collect gently used toys in good condition. The donated items will be given another chapter through Save the Children’s op shops, helping reduce waste while raising funds for programs including Play2Learn, which supports children and families through guided play.

Why play is more powerful than we realise

Save the Children Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer Mel Parks (pictured) said play is often underestimated, but it plays a crucial role in a child’s development.

“Play is absolutely central to how young children learn and how their brains develop,” Parks said. “It helps build literacy and numeracy, but just as importantly it strengthens their social and emotional skills.”

She said those simple moments of discovery are where children develop confidence.

“When kids play, you see their curiosity and resilience in action. They try things, make mistakes, and keep going. Those experiences build confidence and are really important skills for life.”

Parks said adults can sometimes forget that play is a child’s way of understanding the world.

“We often forget that play is about generating new experiences and building confidence,” she said.

The special role grandparents play

For many Starts at 60 readers, play has entered a new chapter — not with their own children, but with grandchildren and even great grandchildren.

According to Parks, those moments matter more than many people realise.

“Grandparents and older generations bring a different kind of role modelling,” she said. “When grandparents and older relatives get involved, they’re sharing their time, experience and attention in a very focused way.”

She said simple activities such as reading together, building blocks or imagination games can create powerful connections.

“When a grandparent sits down and gives a child 100 per cent of their attention — reading, imagining, building — that interaction is incredibly powerful,” Parks said.

“And grandparents often do exactly that.”

She said the benefits can also flow both ways, helping older Australians feel connected and valued.

Giving old favourites a new adventure

The new Toy Story 5 film explores a familiar modern challenge for families: how technology is changing childhood play and Parks says screens may have their place, but nothing replaces connection.

“Technology can be useful, but it should never replace human connection,” she said.

“Human connection is absolutely critical for brain development in the early years.”

Through the Toy Rehoming initiative, donated toys will be sold through Save the Children op shops, with funds helping support Play2Learn programs across Australia.

The program reaches more than 10,000 children under six and their families each year through free supported playgroups.

For those looking at old toys and wondering if it is time to finally let them go, Parks said passing them on can create something positive.

“Those toys are then given a second life,” she said. “They’re repurposed and enjoyed again. The funds raised support playgroups for children and parents around the country.”

Perhaps Woody had it right all along. The best adventures don’t always end when someone grows up… sometimes they simply find another child to love them.

Until July 19 you can donate quality pre-loved toys, books, puzzles and games through participating Reading Cinemas as part of the Toy Story 5 Toy Rehoming initiative, or support Save the Children through its op shops and Play2Learn programs.

For more information about Save The Children visit the official website