Neighborhood Kids Yard Sale

If you have kids, they probably have toys. A lot of toys. Heaps and piles of toys they've forgotten they had, or lost interest in, or just don't use anymore because they grew out of them. A neighborhood yard sale for kids can help you and your kids clean out the closets!

If you have friends with children (and lots of toys) nearby, you can join forces for the yard sale. Hold the yard sale at the house that has the most foot traffic -- maybe someone lives close to downtown, or near a busy park? The kids can man the sale, and the parents can take turns supervising.

• Don't be tempted to set out your own stuff for sale; keep it kids stuff only!

• Place a notice in the local paper, or have the kids help you make signs to post around town.

• Help the children determine appropriate prices for their treasures.

• Try to pick a Saturday morning that isn't part of a vacation weekend; hopefully you'll have more shoppers stop by.

• Split the proceeds, or use them on something for all the families involved, like an ice cream party after you've closed up shop!

• Don't leave the children unattended! An adult should be with them at all times.

If your children complain that they're bored with their toys, you may want to set up a neighborhood kids' yard sale with a different set of rules. Instead of selling toys for money, make it more like a swap meet. Each child can bring five toys to the yard sale. Each child can leave with five new toys from the yard sale. It won't make any extra space in your closets, but it will solve the boredom problem... at least for a little while!

• Invite your child's classmates to the yard sale. Make sure the invitations include the rules and how many toys a child may bring to trade with. Asking for an RSVP will give you an idea of how many people to expect.

• Decide on the rules of the swap in advance and stick to them.

• A child must donate toys to be able to take toys! Any toys that are left over at the end of the day can be donated to a local charity.
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• You may need to keep kids honest with a ticket system. Hand out five tickets (or put five rubber bands around the wrist) to each child. After they shop and pick their five toys, they should have no tickets left.

• A kids' yard sale would be a good time to have other children run a lemonade stand or sell water and snacks.

• Don't leave the children unattended! An adult should be with them at all times.

• Be aware that you may have squabbles on your hand, if a seller decides he's not ready to part with a certain toy, or if two buyers want the same thing.