Why is it when you buy a toddler a book they cherish it for the best part of a day and before you know it it’s been banished to the back of a cupboard? Sure, they all have their absolute favourites they will never part with, but a large majority of the books you buy for your kids will be nothing more than a big waste of money.
We are feeling the pinch these days and not many people have the sort of spare cash lying about to indulge every child’s list of ‘wants’. Parental guilt is a terrible affliction – you want to know you are giving your child everything he or she wants within reason – but in reality this costs a fortune! But the good news is you’re not alone! Every parent on the planet faces the same battle. It’s time to pool your resources and organise a book swapping party. Here’s how it works.
Pick a Host
Have a chat with your friends and ask them if they would like to be involved. Organise a party once a month and take it in turns to host so that no one person ends up doing all the work. Then when you have found a volunteer (it might well be you!) then set a date that everyone can make, and a time that avoids usual naptimes, and get cracking!
Make It Fun
Tell everyone to bring the books they no longer want to the party and let them know they will come back with the same amount of new (to them) ones. Give everyone a target number of books to bring that is realistic – we suggest ten but see what they say.
When everyone arrives set out some party food, fizzy drinks and silly hats to get everyone in the mood. Organise for a big space to be left free for people to lay their books out on. Have a think about some fun party games to play as well to really make an occasion of it. Games like Pass the Parcel and Musical Chairs will go down a storm, as will charades or a board game. Make each party different – you could even think about having a theme. A few balloons here and there will really set the scene. The minute your kids are home from one party they will be nagging you to go to the next one!
What About Toys?
If you’re feeling like making it even more fun why not ask people to bring unwanted toys too? Toys, just the same as books, are often adored for a few days and then discarded and forgotten about. Wouldn’t it be nice if these poor toys got some love from another kid rather than being shoved to the back of a cupboard or drawer?
A book (and toy!) swapping party could see you coming home with an armful of entertainment for your children. And if they don’t like them you have lost nothing at all – just bring them along to the next swapping party instead!
Henry Dais is a leading distributor of second hand of books. A father of two, he believes children shouldn’t be burdened with too many books and is of the opinion a book swapping party can come in handy to lift their spirits. A passionate blogger, he likes to blog about a variety of issues.
