Children do not actually need toys. Even in our society, where what you have and what you buy tend to make up a large amount of your social weight and your social status, kids do not actually need to have toys in order to both have fun and learn the important things in life. For kids to learn, they actually need more attention from the adults who care about them, and time to play and be creative with other kids their own age. However, no matter what age a person may be, it is still fun to get something, especially during a time of the year (the holiday season) in which it seems as if everybody else is getting things.
This is why it is a good idea that if you are going to be donating something, donate some toys to the kids who are most in need of everything. True, it is not the most logical thing you can do. But it will ultimately make them feel a whole lot happier, which may inspire them to be more ambitious when they grow up. Ultimately, sometimes it is the little things in life which can take a person from being poor and fatalistic (when they do not believe that things could ever possibly get better) to being middle class and striving to make things as great as they could possibly be.
Naturally, if everybody donated nothing but toys, a lot of kids would be going hungry while they played with their shiny new playthings. So there is definitely a balance which must be struck here. Just be aware that in some cases, a charity has plenty of food for the children, but not enough of the fun little things that lighten up the otherwise cold, dark winter season. When you really think about it, the thought really does count, especially for kids getting nothing else.