Swap Meet
Children love to try out other people's possessions. This temporary swapping game is guaranteed fun.
By: Trish Kuffner, author of The Children's Busy Book
Swap Meet
Occasionally the kids in our neighborhood have an informal swap meet. They dig through their closets and drawers for tradable treasures, then spend hours (and sometimes days!) pondering the treasures and bartering with each other. It's a great way for kids to recycle their belongings and get new things without spending money.
Materials- Items to trade (books, toys, sports cards, audiotapes, CDs, stickers, knickknacks, and so on)
Directions
- Each child chooses the items he's ready to part with.
- He should also label his items with his name and have his parents okay his choices.
- You can hold the swap meet in two different ways:
- The children meet in a central area and barter directly with each other for items they'd like to trade.
- Each child has a turn to display his items and entertain trade offers from other children.
- Trades can be temporary or permanent. If trades are temporary, be sure to agree on the term of each trade. If trades are permanent, give the children a two- or three-day trade-back period in case they change their minds.