How to Remove Difficult Toy Packaging

Toy packaging has become surprisingly difficult over the past decade, primarily to satisfy child safety laws as well as to ward off shoplifting theft. But they’ve also made the process of gift giving extremely difficult.

Many parents have noticed, especially during a birthday party or on Christmas morning, how difficult and heartbreaking it is to give a really wonderful gift to their child, and after the initial amazement and excitement in the child’s soul, how nightmarish it becomes to open the gifts. This results in frustration for the parents opening the gifts as well as for the now angry and anxious child.

Over the years I developed some techniques for opening difficult toy packaging and have been using them to great success. But there was one innovation I introduced last holiday season that, while being more of a concept than a technique, trumped all other techniques and made the process of gift giving to our children infinitely easier.

Are you ready for this fantastic, amazing, new, wonderful, super-terrific and innovative idea?? Probably, but in the spirit of suspenseful reading I will save it for the end of the article. In the meantime, allow me to provide a list of what has worked on how to easily open difficult toy packaging.

Remain calm and relaxed. You are a parent and an ultimate life guide for your children. Panicking over a trivial circumstance such as gift giving sends out a poor message on stress management and priorities. Besides, this is supposed to be fun, and getting frustrated will make the process slower and more dangerous.
Prepare your Tools. This is essential. Toys are not only packaged more difficult these days, but they’re also adding unexpected securing items such as screws. Mostly though, they’re a combination of twisty ties, plastic ties, plastic secure holders, string, cardboard and lots and lots of tape. Therefore, you should have some of these handy:
- Scissors Considered your primary tool
- Wire Cutter Optional, since scissors can manage most of what cutters can do, but they’re much better at cutting plastic ties and twisty ties.
- Box cutter or X-acto knife I use the X-acto because I’ve been comfortable with it for years, but both are useful for taped up portions of the toy packaging. Most securings are covered with tape to make things more frustrating, and “drawing” an outline around them makes the tape much easier to remove.
- A Set of Screwdrivers They rarely secure toys with screws, but I’ve seen plenty to have them on hand. Have both a Phillips as well as a flathead screwdriver.
- Garbage Pail or Bag Toy packaging unfortunately produces a lot of waste. Recycle the cardboard and plastic, then throw away the rest.
- Batteries I like seeing that many toy manufacturers are including batteries in their packaging, but why take the chance? Besides the manufacturer batteries are merely demonstration batteries with a short life.
Get to Work Cut open the taped foldings, remove the cardboard casing from the original box, cut tape that secures plastics and ties, and move slowly and effectively through the process while having the bag or pail ready for the waste. Then, move on to the next toy.

It really should be that simple, but the actual process can make anyone break a sweat, and it takes a while. I average about 10 to 15 minutes for each toy, so expect to be patient. So here’s the final tip that changed the practice of gift giving to my children forever!!!

Follow all the steps above.... Before you wrap the gifts!!!! That’s right, days in advance, out of the sight of your children, away from the excitement and anticipation, and without the tension and frustration. Listen to music, watch some television, sit next to a roaring fire or chat with friends on the phone. Follow the steps above, then neatly place the toy back in its original box, and finally wrapping your gift. Once they unwrap their gift, the toy is ready to be used and you can choose when to give out the next, magically ready gift!!

You’re welcome! It has been my pleasure to illuminate your gift giving experience by showing you how to unwrap difficult toy packaging. Best wishes, happy holidays and have fun!!