Kids grow. Clothes don't.
Â
Come and swap pre-loved clothing for something new to your family. Wearing used clothes is lighter on the piggy bank and uses less of the planet's resources when compared to purchasing something new. Â
Â
You can start dropping your kiddo's pre-loved clothing up to one week prior to the event or bring it with you on the day of. You'll be given one swap ticket per item. We think 10 pieces per person is ideal. Please leave the undies, wetsuits, socks, hats and other more personal garments at home. And whatever doesn't find a new home at the event will be given to our local community partner, Greening Columbia Initiative.
Â
When you're not swapping clothes, there's plenty of ways to have fun with the family. Grab a coffee and donut and check out complimentary chain stitching on your newly swapped items, arts and crafts table, a loom weaving activity with Paint Love, a reading of the children's book, Better Than New in English and Spanish, trail mix bar DYI station (nut free) and much more.Â
Â
We can't wait to see you all there. It's a community event, so you can promise the youngsters that it will be a little like shopping, but a lot more fun.   Â
All the details for swapping pre-loved kiddo clothing
No cash value/money exchanged. All items remaining at the end of the swap to be donated to local community partner, Greening Columbia Initiative to provide to children who can benefit from previously loved gear. We encourage guests to bring their items in the week leading up to the event to fill out the racks ahead of time.Â
Â
Acceptable Items: (Any brand)
· T-shirt, long-sleeved shirts, shorts, pants, dresses, sweaters, vests, jackets, shoes, boots, belts and scarves
·(Additional): Backpacks, pencil boxes and back to school items will be accepted
· Kids' items should fit the age range of 0-13 years old
Items We Will Not Accept
· Hats, beanies, gloves, socks, swimsuits, wetsuits, eye-glasses, base layers or underwear
· Items with holes or in need of large repairs
· Items with significant pilling or discoloration
The Greening Columbia Initiative is a project that seeks to expand the classroom outside. In some places, schoolyards are open for public use outside of school hours and are designed to meet the needs of neighbors as well as students. Â This is particularly important in areas that don't have many parks.
Any remaining clothing from the swap will be donated to Greening Columbia Initiative, who will share the clothing with children in Atlanta schools so they are able to enjoy outdoor spaces year-round.
 Join local nonprofit Paint Love to weave a backpack zipper pull with recycled fabric!
Paint Love, empowering kids through art since 2014, teamed up with Decatur Makers and re:loom to create a fun back to school project.
Come try your hand at weaving something to make your backpack stand out this school year! Â
Read in both English and Spanish, Better than New: A Recycle Tale/Mejor que Nuevo: Un cuenta de reciclaje is an inspiring story that presents children with a problem and shows how they find the solution, while teaching about the dangers of ocean pollution and encouraging a healthy relationship with the natural world.
