School starts in about a month, which is just enough time to plan a get together with friends for a kid's clothing swap. It’s a great way to clean some extra things out from your own closets, give a new life to some unused clothes and shoes, all at no cost to you.
This idea is great for any age group: infant, toddler, preschool, elementary age, and even teens! Customize your invitation specific to your group of friends or the families you'll invite with kids the same size as yours.
The process is simple.
Everyone brings a few gently-used, but no-longer-wanted clothes, kids try them on (or not) and take a new-to-them items home to replace the ones they gave - or traded - away.
And, let’s face it. Every kid has those clothes that they just don’t wear or have outgrown. These same items might be a welcome addition to another child’s wardrobe. They will enjoy their 'new' items as much as those brand new ones (with hefty price tags) from the store.
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you plan:
1. Decide if you want to invite friends with kids of varied ages or near the same age. Since many of the clothes you will most likely give away are ones that your kids have outgrown, you’ll want to make sure that there are kids present who can use them. On the other hand, swapping amongst kids the same size is also beneficial. Keeping it to less than 10 children will make the playdate/swap a little more manageable.
2. Set up some guidelines and share them with the invitees. Encourage friends to bring clean clothes in good to excellent condition. It’s also best to have everyone bring a few more items than they will take home. This way everyone has choices about what they will take home. The remaining clothes and shoes can then be donated to a local charity.
3. Involve the kids in the pre-swap process. Work with them to choose the items that they will take to the swap and let them know that whereas they will be giving away some things, they will receive one in return. This is a great opportunity to teach them concepts of generosity and sharing, not to mention what is saved in time (“shopping” is done in your home or a friend’s), money (you’re not spending anything for new clothes) and environmental impact (less waste is good for the planet and by not throwing unused clothes in the trash, we’re not taking up unnecessary landfill space).
4. On the day of swap, clear off a large space in your home or outside (perfect this time of year!) to display all the items. As guests arrive, invite them to place their clothes in the designated area designed by items such as: Tops, Pants, Dresses, Coats, Shoes, Accessories, etc.
Depending on your end goal and your group of friends, you could also incorporate toys, costumes, sporting goods (pass on those outgrown soccer cleats), etc.
5. Give kids some time to look at the “new” clothes before they choose some to take home. This may not take long to get their input and may be conversations left to the adults, to have an activity, game, movie, or craft available for the kids to do. Older kids can engage with the younger kids and help direct the activity.
6. After some play time, hand out bags and invite everyone to choose items to take home. To determine selection order you can draw names, work through the group from youngest to oldest, start with whoever has the closest birthday to the date, etc. You may want to have each party select one item at a time and go round-and-round so the first person selected doesn't get all the most favorable choices.
7. Once everyone has selected their “new” clothes, invite your guests to help you pack up the remaining items for donations.
Clothing swaps are a great way to get friends together while getting rid of the “excess” in your home and creating opportunities for your kids to get new things. Consider planning one with your group of friends a few times a year – it will help you control the clutter AND your budget!
