I had no idea that having a child would require so much stuff. Between toys, train tables, bean bag chairs, strollers, art easels, ride-on toys, baskets full of books, fire trucks, dump trucks and a rocket ship it is hard to remember my former clutter-free home. As your children grow and their interests change, you will soon be looking for a way to de-clutter. One great option is to donate gently used items to local charities for children in need. Other options include trading or selling your items. Not only is it the ‘green’ thing to do – it can also put a little green back into your own pocket.

craigslist

eBay

Freecycle

Freepeats – “Pass on your baby clothing, gear, toys, maternity wear and more to local parents, and find items you want that others are giving away. Freepeats is an easy, convenient way to recycle baby, kid and maternity items with a lot of life left in them.”

hand-me-downs – classifieds for moms

StorkBrokers – sell, shop & share – find new value in your kids’ old things

SwapBabyGoods.com – is a pioneer website, providing a friendly place for parents to buy, sell or swap baby items. Their philosophy is very simple – Why buy when you can swap?

SwapTree – You can trade your DVDs, books, music and video games for other items – what a great way to save some money, be green and efficiently manage the likes and dislikes of our (sometimes) very fickle children

thredUP – an easy way to save on great kids clothing brands, and hand down outgrown clothes for cash. Kind of like a simple, online consignment boutique.

Trading Cradles – Making it free and easy to sell or give away baby and kids items your own kids have grown out of

Zwaggle – Online marketplace for parents to share their kids’ used gear with other families. It also provides opportunities to donate gear to charities.  You can spare the landfills, help others, find some ‘new’ items for your own family, and most importantly, set an example of the benefits of sharing with your own children. How cool is that!

If you want to donate your gently used baby gear to a family in need, I have found some wonderful organizations that can help. You may also want to talk to a homeless shelter or organization that focuses on homeless women and children.