Frugal "Beat the Boredom" Idea For Kids

Kids bored with their own toys?  Want to try something new, but you don't want to shell out a lot of money?  Well, try a toy swap.  We have done this amongst the Frugal Sisters and friends and here a few suggestions:

• Swap with families that you know will take good care of your toys.
• Swap toys/games that you won't be horribly upset if they aren't returned unscathed, even if you totally trust the family that you are swapping with, things happen.  You don't want to lose the special puzzle that you played with as a kid.   
• Label what you swap out with address labels or masking tape.  This can be a good job for the kids
• Make it fun, have "swap" play date.  Serve a snack and lay out items that you would be willing to swap.  Have another (or a few) family over and have them bring their swappable items along.  The kids can do the shopping while the moms do some visiting and act as supervisors.  Your level of involvement will depend on the ages of the kids.

Give it a try and let us know what works for you!  I am sure there are endless creative ways to do this.