The Domino Foundation gives preloved toys and books new life in ECD classrooms
A simple clear-out can change a child’s day. Your preloved toys and books could help preschoolers build skills, confidence and a love for learning.
The Domino Foundation is calling on families to donate good quality preloved toys, puzzles and children’s books to support its Early Childhood Development programme. The organisation works with community pre-schools where teaching materials are often limited, and donated items help to strengthen daily learning activities for young children.
The appeal follows a recent donation from a local mother, Jamaica Francis, who delivered a collection of toys and books her children had outgrown. Among the items were soft toys affectionately described as “Heffalump” and a companion thought to be “Tigger in disguise”. The donation was warmly received and will now be distributed to benefit preschoolers within the programme.
How do donated toys and books support ECD centres?
According to Good Things Guy, The Domino Foundation partners with 34 community pre-schools that are on the path to formal registration with the Department of Basic Education. Many of these centres operate with limited access to educational resources, making donations of suitable toys and books especially valuable.
Rowan Phillips from the Foundation explained that the ECD centres frequently face shortages of teaching materials. Contributions of good-quality preloved items enrich the learning environment and offer children practical tools for development.
Thembelihle Mkhwanazi, who leads Domino’s ECD team, said that while centre owners and teachers receive ongoing support from field workers and attend quarterly workshops to strengthen their operations as sustainable small businesses, resources for classroom use are often insufficient. Donations, therefore, play an important role in supplementing what is available.
Why are toys and books important for early development?
Zanele Nzimakwe, the ECD Link liaison manager, highlighted the developmental value of play. She noted that toys provide opportunities for children to role-play, build language skills and express their thoughts and emotions. Through play, young learners interact with the world around them in meaningful ways.
Books are equally significant. Zanele pointed out that 43 per cent of South African homes do not have a single book. In many households connected to the centres supported by Domino, children are unlikely to have access to reading materials at home. As a result, story time at school becomes a vital part of their daily routine and exposure to literacy.
Regular access to books at an early age supports language development and lays a foundation for later academic progress. In this context, donated storybooks are more than simple gifts; they become tools that contribute to school readiness.
How can donations be made?
Thembelihle Mkhwanazi expressed gratitude for Jamaica Francis’s contribution and encouraged other mothers to consider clearing out toys, early learning puzzles and books that are still in good condition. Items can be dropped off at The Domino Foundation’s offices at 125 Adelaide Tambo Drive, Durban North.
Those wishing to make arrangements or request further details can contact Thembelihle via email at [email protected].
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