What do you do when a toy goes missing? #LostToy

We all know that special relationship our little ones have with their favourite toy and how awful it is when it goes missing even for a short time. We asked you to share your stories of cherished toys and your strategies for what to do if they get lost.

The chat and accompanying prize draw was sponsored by Richmond Sausages. Richmond Sausages are helping reunite little ones with their #LostToy by offering the chance to win a specially designed toy tracking chip. So you can keep the whole family together this Christmas and never lose that special toy again! You can find Richmond Sausages on Twitter.

What do you do when a toy goes missing?

Spend days going back to libraries, parks and shops it could be at. Clean and cleaned the house again million times @alvafreyakidstv

Comfort them, retrace our steps, ask businesses to look out for it @Luckysammyg

We lost “Ducky” and sent the whole neighbourhood on a search! Turned out she (he?) was in my pocket https://t.co/slepoov8nd @AModernMother

Yes we lost Teddy Bear peanut in Primark! But they kept him safe for us and we got him back. Phew! @Luckysammg

Daddy Dog was on a golf buggy when he flew off! Hubby Super Dad did a mad rush down the road to rescue him! @Twinmumanddad

7yr old we have explained that if Trumpy gets lost we will try to relocate him with signs in shops! @goriami

Retracing steps in the dark, not like you can call out for them either @thesoupdragon44

We currently have 3 “rusties” just in case… loved so much and getting worn https://t.co/iUkyyTlyZe @pinkwinkgirly

My daughter lost her teddy Sox and was devastated only for me to find it in one of our bushes in the garden! https://t.co/jc1gyquOtH

My little boy has a dinosaur teddy that he has to go to bed with… we won’t let him take it out the house @LDCChesterfield

Scour the Internet for an exact replica and probably spend a fortune on said replica! @TwinMumandDad

Do you replace a lost toy or tell your child a story about why it has gone?

My little boy lost his penguin and we had to go to the zoo to get him another one. It wasn’t the same. @susankmann

Replace it quickly! But with something the child can pick themselves @kayewillan

We always buy 2 of the same special teddy so one is always on hand in case of washing/losing them. @maxandmummyblog

I just remembered when my son found the duplicate toy we had as he was holding the newly found. He was confused. @SuperDaddyofTwo

We lost four lambs in New Zealand. As long as replaced with some kind of lamb son was ok https://t.co/67GX1fndOB @familyonabike

We replaced. Santa gave Little Panda a magic bath to make fluffy and we had to get stuffing taken out of his neck so it was a nightmare @cherylpearson09

They can definitely tell the difference and it doesn’t matter how old they are @adelleg3

We never did find it but I did buy the teddy she still cherishes today. Her donkey https://t.co/06UKHdrQaS @wackywardie

What it’s like for parents when their child loses a beloved toy?

The first 24hrs are the most critical, if we’re ever going to find him.” – the words I uttered to my husband when we lost Bunny. @tinyfootsteps

My son’s bunny is an original so it can’t be replaced. It’s always heart stopping when we lose sight of it @LianneR7

I think it makes me sad seeing my children sad @katie4_16

it really is the worst ~when Little Panda was lost I told my girl he was away to help Santa at North Pole. @cherylpearson09

I think my daughter would be so upset if we lost Bertie, but so would I be! He’s a part of her childhood! @Charlotte_jones

My eldest son’s favourite toy is a stuffed elephant he’s had since he was born and when we lost it once and he was distraught @goriami

We experienced losing a toy in June it was awful @twinklesandmore

I haven’t got over our lost toy and it was 10 years ago! @Jessies_Kitchen

Last New Year’s Eve was a frantic time of buying replacement Iggle Piggle on Ebay as shops were all shut! @marinaricci

We lost Monsters Inc Mikey under a bike in the Isle of Man. Car ran over it Green limbs everywhere. @familyonabike

Glad my daughter was young enough accept the replica Bunny but there’s no way we’d get away with it now! https://t.co/jHKrbtFS1t @tinyfootsteps

We once replaced a toy we thought was lost only for the original to turn up- we said his brother bear had come to stay @sandy_hope

This is cosy rabbit number 2. She asked why it’s so clean at 1st. I said I washed it https://t.co/QVOiTucVXt @alvafreyakidstv

The replacements never seen the same do they? @mumslittlepeeps

Lost forever?

This is Cordeyroy he went missing when my son was about 3 months old…he’s now 5! https://t.co/JgbSBgiFFg @gemma_152

Amersham! Woolly belongs to a friend’s niece! #FindWoolly https://t.co/7Coa7wGDIN https://t.co/WxE8Z5tIiN
@oneparentshort

Happy Endings

This is my tale – it does have a happy ending! https://t.co/z1UIzxkvWs @sisterkin

I lost my strawberry shortcake figures, found them later digging the garden. They never smelt the same @icequeenie

I had the chance to return a toy and had to make it a bit fun! https://t.co/df7D8BSajd @Luckysammyg

This is Trumpy hanging out at our BBQ in September! https://t.co/Nnt5GNGJ0k @goriami

Using a chip so toys don’t get lost

OMG a lifesaving idea. lol I can’t tell you how many times that would have saved sleepless nights @GetCakedGlasgow

I need a Lost Toy Chip answer to all our prayers @StevieHickman3Oh how fab what a great creation @katei4_16

I wonder how this tracking would work! I now strongly believe loving something unconditionally leads to great inventions @mummyandcuties

Such a great idea …a bit like the chip in my cat ! It worked too when he was injured @kayewillan

Heartwarming

Every photo snuggly is in his hand (this was the 1st one) https://t.co/QS89DpEGFI @LeahandTwo

We lost Rabbit in Turkey! He came back a few weeks later a bit bigger – might not have been original Rabbit @Childcareisfun

We don’t have a toy but a lost baby https://t.co/r5AJuvqHrD @CatAsbestos

https://t.co/cGVdJdULjE via @YouTube @hooker1uk

Airport Worker Takes Young Boy’s Lost Toy on Photo Adventure https://t.co/sfmI0IAUai https://t.co/hm46mwkuNb @MalayalamSearch

The last word

The reassurance and feeling of being safe a toy offers is amazing @Twinmumanddad

It is so cute how Emily did everything with Teddy, it really shows how important a toy can be @lindsaysss3

Thanks to all who took part. You can learn who the Twitter party winners were at this post!