Free Christmas Pajama Drives for Kids in Need
Give new pajamas and books through verified Christmas drives that deliver before early-December cutoffs.
Yes — free Christmas pajama drives collect new pajamas and storybooks for children in shelters, foster care and other unstable housing. Donors give new pairs, and nonprofit partners deliver them to kids before Christmas. A pajama drive is a seasonal collection where the public donates new sleepwear for children in need.
Some drives add a new book with each pair to support a calm bedtime routine. The drives below show where gifts go and what rules donors must follow.
Verification note: Program terms and availability can change. This page was checked against linked sources on November 03, 2026.
How national drives work
Beyond Bedtime, formerly Pajama Program, runs a national network. It supplies new pajamas and books to children in shelters and foster care, according to the Beyond Bedtime corporate partnerships page. That same source reports Carter's point-of-sale campaign has raised over $15.2 million and Carter's has donated 2.6 million pajamas.
Scholastic's annual Great Bedtime Story Pajama Drive enlists more than 500 classrooms each fall. Classrooms collect new pajamas, and Scholastic donates one new storybook per donated pair up to 100,000 books, according to the 2025 registration page. Drives end about Dec.
6, so classroom collections close early.
Where can you donate locally?
Community Choice Foundation's PJs & Pajamas Holiday Drive collects new children's pajamas and new children's books. The collection runs Nov. 12-Dec.
12 across Michigan and delivers them to local partners before Christmas, according to the 2025 event page. Treat this as one verified current option, not a complete list. Check the event page for towns, drop sites and hours.
Confirm the date before you travel with donations.
What can you give?
Most holiday drives accept new sleepwear only. Pajama Jams accepts only brand-new pajamas with tags in sizes 5T through Adult XXL at seasonal community drop-off sites, according to the drop-off locations page. It also accepts monetary and pajama gifts year-round for its annual holiday drive.
Buy new, keep tags on and keep the receipt until drop-off. Used sleepwear will be turned away. Early-December cutoffs are common because groups must sort and deliver before Christmas.
How to donate before the cutoff
Pick a drive that serves the area where you want to give. Buy the sizes and items it requests. Then act early: Check the drop-off list before you shop.
- Buy new pajamas and leave tags attached.
- Add a new children's book only if the drive requests books.
- Confirm the local drop-off address and final date before you go.
- Deliver by the posted cutoff so gifts reach children in time.