Help Bring One Tin Soldier to Burning Man 2025!

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We Are the Misfit Toys

We are a crew of builders, artists, welders, woodworkers, dreamers, and tinkerers based in the Bay Area and Reno — and we make big, interactive art out of memory, play, and magic.

You may remember a set of giant children’s blocks we built in 2022. Or the massive metal jacks we installed in 2024.

This year?

We’re bringing a whole sandbox full of toys! And we need your help to finish it.

What We’re Building:

One Tin Soldier is an installation about childhood wonder, joy, innocence and reflection.

This year’s playground includes:

A giant block tower you can climb
A 10-foot yo-yo (possibly the biggest ever made)
A towering 24-foot tin soldier on horseback
A reprise of our LOVE blocks from 2022
A reprise of the jax from 2024

The Budget

We’ve had an amazing year of fundraising — but we’re not quite there yet.

Project cost: $85,000
Art Grants and Honoraria: $40,000
Remaining goal: $45,000

Here's what’s left to fund:

Block Tower: $16,413
Yo-Yo: $17,343
Horse & Soldier: $23,505
Lighting & Power: $12,660

Total: $45,000

Already complete & funded:

LOVE Blocks refreshed for 2025 — Done!
Jax fresh from being galvanized — Done!

Please help get us close the funding gap - we’re looking to raise $20,000 before the end of July.

Who Are the Misfit Toys?

We’re an all volunteer crew of about 30 artists, builders, and creatives from the Bay Area and Reno. We’ve worked on large-scale art at Burning Man and beyond — driven by our passion for art, community, and Burning Man.

We bring grinders, glue guns, spreadsheets, scaffolding, and a willingness to figure it out as we muddle along.

How You Can Help

Donate to our GoFundMe Campaign. We’ve got a lot to raise in a short period of time! Every donation makes a huge difference!
Make a tax-deductible donation through our fiscal sponsor
Volunteer — Help us weld, paint, feed builders, or haul gear. Send us an email at team at misfittoys dot art
Share the fundraiser — Especially with anyone who believes in big, weird art and DIY wonder.

Want to Learn More?

Visit our website for project photos, build updates, and more. Thank you for believing in art, in joy, and in a better kind of playground.

See you in the dust,

—The Misfit Toys Crew

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