Make toys for underprivileged kids
Get in touchAt-a-glance
Create something small that means everything. In this hands-on and creative CSR activity, your team will design and handcraft personalised toys for children living in underprivileged communities and refugee camps for whom something as simple as having their own toy is often out of reach.
Play is a fundamental part of childhood. It supports imagination, emotional wellbeing, and development. Yet for many children growing up in difficult conditions, toys are a luxury they simply do not have. This activity gives your team the opportunity to bridge that gap in a meaningful and personal way.
Participants will create soft toys using a guided template and a variety of materials, customising each one with unique colours, fabrics, and details. While every toy follows the same base structure to ensure fairness, each one carries a personal touch, making it truly special for the child receiving it.
Why it matters
When families are displaced or living in poverty, basic needs come first. In those moments, things like toys are often left behind or never accessible in the first place. Yet play remains essential, helping children process emotions and experience moments of normalcy.
This activity was born from real observations in these communities, where children were seen playing with stones and everyday objects, turning them into makeshift toys. It is a powerful reminder that imagination is limitless.
Children experience the world differently from adults. While huge efforts often go into providing essentials like food, shelter, and education, these are things children may not fully notice. But a toy, they notice immediately. In difficult environments, something as simple as having a toy of their own can create joy, comfort, and emotional resilience. Play helps children process emotions, feel safe, and experience moments of normalcy even in challenging circumstances.
Why did we build it this way?
Every part of this activity was designed intentionally. Through our work with underprivileged communities and children living in challenging circumstances, we realised that while material support is important, opportunities for play and imagination are equally valuable.
That is why participants don’t simply donate toys. Instead, they create them by hand. Each toy is carefully assembled, decorated, and personalised, transforming it from an object into something made with genuine care and attention.
The activity was designed to balance practicality with emotional connection. The toys are simple, safe, and suitable for the children receiving them, while still allowing participants to add their own creativity and personality. This ensures that every child receives something useful, while also experiencing the joy of receiving a toy that feels unique and special.
For participants, it is an opportunity to create something meaningful with their own hands. For the children, it is a reminder that someone took the time to make something especially for them.
At the site - the experience
You and your team will be guided by experienced Companies for Good facilitators who create an engaging and meaningful experience from start to finish. The activity begins with a short welcome and introduction, followed by a presentation that shares real stories and insights into the lives of the children who will receive the toys.
To warm up the group, participants take part in a light ice-breaker activity before moving into the hands-on portion of the experience. Participants will be provided with all the materials needed to create their toys: cotton filling, fabrics, buttons and decorative elements. Using a simple blueprint, each team will shape and assemble their toy before customising it with their own creative touches.
While all toys are designed to be the same size to ensure fairness among children, each one is uniquely decorated, reflecting the personality and creativity of the person who made it.
As the session comes to a close, the group comes together for a short reflection and wrap-up. All toys are then collected and shipped to communities where they are most needed, including refugee camps and underprivileged areas across the Middle East and Asia.
Real outcomes for your team and your people
For your organisation
Unlike some team activities, this experience is not heavily focused on collaboration or problem-solving. The process of designing the toys is individual and personal. What naturally emerges instead is connection.
There is something surprisingly grounding and nostalgic about sitting down to create a toy by hand. As participants work on their penguins, conversations start flowing naturally; people laugh, compare designs, explain the stories behind their creations, and tap into a lighter, more playful side of themselves that rarely appears in the workplace.
We consistently see colleagues connecting in a more relaxed and human way through the process. It creates space for informal interaction, genuine conversation, and moments of joy that help strengthen relationships across teams without forcing collaboration.
For individual participants
There is something uniquely calming about working with your hands and focusing on a simple, creative task. A moment to engage in something meaningful. Participants often experience a sense of fulfilment that goes beyond the activity itself.
In a city built around convenience and speed, this activity gives people the rare opportunity to slow down and create something with their own hands. As simple as it sounds, many participants realise they haven’t picked up a paintbrush, scissors, or fabric in years. That hands-on, creative process feels surprisingly refreshing and grounding.
This is where the “giver’s glow” naturally comes in. The combination of creativity, purpose, and human connection leaves participants feeling lighter, more positive, and more connected, not just to each other, but to something bigger than themselves.
Hear from teams who have taken part
Farouk Mohamed
KEO
“The KEO team had a truly wonderful experience taking part in this meaningful and beautifully run event. Bringing our colleagues and families together to create 117 penguin toys for underprivileged children was incredibly special, and the sense of purpose and care behind the activity really came through. A huge thank you to Companies for Good, who were fantastic on the day — warm, engaging, and so thoughtful in how they facilitated the activity and connected with everyone involved. The atmosphere was joyful, inclusive, and genuinely heart-warming. An inspiring initiative that goes far beyond the event itself. We would happily collaborate again and highly recommend this experience to any organization looking to combine creativity, community, and real impact.”
Christina Guzman
Steelcase Middle East
“We recently joined the toy making initiative with Companies for Good and it was such a meaningful experience! The team was super supportive, well-organized, and passionate about the cause. It was a fun and creative activity that made a real impact, bringing joy to underprivileged children. Highly recommended for teams looking to give back in a purposeful way!”
A picture speaks 1,000 words
A picture speaks 1,000 words. Please take the time to review a curated collection of media resources created with various teams from across the UAE who have engaged in this impactful activity.
Aligned with global goals and the UAE's vision
UN SDG Alignment
The United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to create a better and more sustainable future by addressing global challenges such as poverty, inequality, and wellbeing. Making toys for underprivileged kids strongly aligns with the following sustainable development goals:
Good health and well-being
Reduced inequalities
Partnerships for the Goals
By creating toys for children living in underprivileged communities and refugee camps, your company contributes to improving emotional wellbeing. Play is a fundamental part of childhood development, helping children cope with stress, express themselves, and build resilience.
This initiative also supports reduced inequalities by providing children who have limited access to basic resources with something that is often taken for granted: a toy of their own. It helps restore a sense of dignity, normalcy, and belonging.
It also highlights the importance of partnerships in driving social impact. By bringing together businesses, facilitators, and distribution networks, the initiative ensures that toys are created, collected, and delivered efficiently to the communities that need them most.
UAE Vision 2030 Alignment
The UAE places strong emphasis on building a cohesive, inclusive society where wellbeing, human development, and social responsibility are at the core of national progress. The country continues to invest in initiatives that support communities, promote compassion, and improve quality of life for all, locally and globally.
This activity aligns closely with that vision by supporting children in underprivileged communities and refugee settings; it reflects the UAE’s broader commitment to humanitarian values and global social impact.“The UAE has made humanitarian work a global mission that reaches every person on the globe.” Dr. Ahmed Al-Haddad, Grand Mufti of Dubai
By taking part in this activity, your team contributes to bringing this vision to life, supporting children who need it most while reinforcing the values of empathy, generosity, and shared responsibility that define the UAE’s development journey, or in the words of Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, “Children are the true wealth of societies… and the builders of the future”.
Lasting community impact
Companies for Good was created to help businesses make a positive impact for the environment and the wider community. This initiative reflects that mission by giving companies the opportunity to create something deeply personal: an object that carries meaning far beyond its material value.
Since launching this initiative in July 2024, 6900 handmade toys have been created by more than 190 corporate teams across the UAE and shipped to communities where they are most needed in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Our most recent shipment went to the Baharkha refugee camp, 100km North of Mosul, in Iraq, where 1,800 displaced families call home.
Every toy is made to the same size to ensure fairness among children, yet each one is personalised through colours, fabrics, and creative details. This means every child receives something that is not only theirs, but also one of a kind.
Supporting children’s wellbeing today is an investment in stronger, more resilient communities tomorrow.
What makes this initiative especially meaningful is that your team is creating something by hand, with intention and care. These toys are not mass-produced, but are made by people, for people. The impact is simple, human, and lasting: a small gesture that restores a piece of childhood where it is needed most, and a contribution your employees can genuinely feel proud of.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, this is one of those activities where the impact feels very real. Your team isn’t just participating, they’re creating something by hand that will end up with a child who has very little. That makes a big difference in how people experience it.
Pretty much any team. It works well for mixed groups, different seniority levels, and people who don’t necessarily want something too physical. It’s creative, relaxed, and easy to get into.
We start with a short intro and a bit of context about where the toys are going. Then your team gets into making them step by step, with all materials provided. It’s simple, hands-on, and surprisingly engaging. We wrap up with a short reflection and group moment.
This one tends to land really well. It’s creative, a bit nostalgic, and quite personal. Once people get into it, they usually forget it’s a “corporate activity” and just focus on making something nice.
We collect everything, combine them with toys from other teams, and ship them in batches to communities where they’re needed: refugee camps and underprivileged areas in places like Egypt, Iraq, Syria, and the Philippines.
We’re a UAE-based social enterprise. That means we operate as a business, but our goal is to create a positive impact for your employees and for the communities and causes we support. We’re not a charity, which allows us to run structured, scalable activities and work with multiple partners to deliver consistent impact.
It’s a fair question. While your team is volunteering their time, there’s still a lot happening behind the scenes: sourcing materials, organising logistics, coordinating with partners, and making sure the toys actually reach the right communities. Your contribution helps make the activity happen properly, and supports the wider impact beyond the day itself.
You could, but it tends to be more complex than it looks. From sourcing the right materials to ensuring consistency and handling distribution, there’s quite a bit involved. We take care of the full process so your team can simply show up and focus on the experience.
Yes. It’s usually around 1.5 to 2 hours, so it fits easily into a morning or afternoon session without disrupting the whole day.
It’s flexible, from small teams to larger groups (around 5 to 80 people). We adjust the setup based on your group size.
Not at all. Everything is guided, and the process is simple. It’s designed so anyone can take part and enjoy it.
It’s very real. These toys go to children who often don’t have anything similar. It might seem small, but for the child receiving it, it’s something personal they can keep and that matters.
In most cases, yes and we encourage it. It’s a great way to show your team’s impact. We’ll just guide you on what’s appropriate depending on the beneficiaries involved.
t’s straightforward. You share your preferred date and group size, and we take care of the rest: setup, materials, facilitation, and logistics.
From what we see, yes. It’s not just about “doing good”. It genuinely helps with team morale, connection, and engagement. And it reflects well on the company too.