CINCINNATI, Ohio — What happens when broken toys and plastic waste are given new life? At "Happen's Toy Lab," an innovative outreach program in Northside, Cincinnati, the answer is creativity, imagination, and a lesson in sustainability.
Since 2001, "Happen's Toy Lab"—an outreach extension of local nonprofit Happen Inc.—has been dedicated to bringing people together through creative expression. The lab has a simple yet powerful mission: to give pre-owned toys a second chance by upcycling them into fun, one-of-a-kind creations.
Graham Schaafsma, an engineer turned imagineer, leads the way. Schaafsma guides children through a hands-on process of transforming old toys into new and exciting projects. If you can glue it, you can do it!
The lab is filled with broken and discarded toys, which are donated and sorted. What was once headed for the landfill is now a raw material for something entirely new.
“You can see the gears moving in their minds as they figure out what they can create next,” Schaafsma said.
Children ages 6 to 12 learn the value of upcycling. With more than 20,000 toys built to date, the lab continues to make a mark on the community.
Watch WCPO's Kristen Skovira create a toy below:
Each toy costs $23 (plus tax), which supports the lab’s operations and provides free art activities and community projects.
Parents looking to declutter can also contribute to the lab’s mission. The Toy Lab encourages plastic and rubber toy donations, offering a free T-shirt to those who donate 25 pounds of materials.
“We’re cutting, cleaning, and sorting these toys that are being donated to us,” said Schaafsma. “We’re allowing kids to understand how they’re keeping items from the landfill while creating something new and unique.”
So, before you toss out a toy that has seen better days, consider donating it—and watch what happens.
