What to Do With Clothes Your Kids Have Outgrown
What to do with clothes your kids have outgrown. Kids grow like weeds. And it is inevitable that in just a few months, they’ll outgrow dozens, if not hundreds, of perfectly good clothing items. What do you do with said clothing when it no longer fits? The good news is that you’ve got options. Here are some of the best ways to put those outgrown pieces to use.
Sell Them Online
If the clothes are in good condition, you can turn them into cash pretty quickly. Platforms like Poshmark, eBay, and Facebook Marketplace let you list items directly to buyers in your area or across the country. Kids’ clothing sells especially well when it’s a recognizable brand or a full lot bundled by size. You don’t need to price anything high; even a few dollars per item adds up fast when you’re clearing out an entire drawer’s worth of clothes.
Host a Yard Sale
Got a lot to move at once? A yard sale lets you sell in bulk without the hassle of individual listings or shipping. Price everything low, because yard sale shoppers are looking for deals, and you’ll move more volume that way. Grouping items by size on a table makes it easier for parents to browse quickly. Anything that doesn’t sell by the end of the day can go straight into your car for the next step on this list.
Donate Them to a Local Charity
Don’t want to toss those barely worn pieces out? Consider donating them instead! Many charities will take used children’s clothes as long as they aren’t torn or otherwise damaged. Organizations such as shelters, churches, and nonprofits that serve families in need are often seeking children’s clothing in all sizes. Before you drop anything off, check the charity’s accepted items list so you’re not wasting a trip. This is one of my go to options when I need to figure out what to do with clothes your kids have outgrown.
Swap With Other Parents
This one saves you money on both ends. Clothing swaps work by trading outgrown pieces with other parents whose kids are a different size. You bring what no longer fits, and you leave with things that do. Some neighborhoods and parent groups organize these events seasonally, but you can also set one up yourself with a handful of friends. It’s a direct exchange with no money involved, and everyone walks away with something useful.
Pass Them Down Within the Family
If you have younger kids, or if a sibling or cousin has a child coming up in size, keeping the clothes in the family is one of the simplest routes. Box everything up by size and label it clearly so whoever needs it next can find what they’re looking for without digging through a pile. This is especially useful for gender-neutral pieces, which tend to get the most mileage across multiple kids. When my kids were younger, I always tried to give my kids clothes to family or even friends. Hand-me-downs were my favorite way to get clothes for my kids when money was tight. So after I was finished with the clothes, I would pass them on. It was my second favorite way to do with clothes your kids have outgrown.
Repurpose Them Into Something New
Some clothes aren’t worth selling or donating because they’re too worn, but they’re not garbage either. Old t-shirts can be cut into cleaning rags or used as shop towels. If you sew, worn fabric can be repurposed into quilt squares, stuffed animal filling, or patches for other clothes. A pair of jeans with a blown-out knee can become shorts. You’re not salvaging every piece; you’re just making use of what would otherwise go straight to the landfill.
Store Them for Future Kids
If you’re planning on having more children, or if someone in your family is expecting, it makes sense to hold onto clothes that are still in good condition. The key is storing them correctly so they don’t come out musty or discolored. Wash everything before you box it up, use airtight bins rather than cardboard, and keep them somewhere dry. Label each bin with the size range so you’re not opening every box when you need something specific.
Use Them as Play Clothes or Backup Clothes
Not every outgrown item is too small to be useful. If the fit is only slightly off, a shirt that runs a little short can become a designated painting shirt or backyard play top. These are the clothes you put kids in when you know a mess is coming. Keeping a small stash of wearable-but-outgrown pieces around means you’re not destroying the good stuff on a muddy afternoon, especially if your kids enjoy playing with their mud kitchen.
Look Into Textile Recycling Programs
When clothes are too far gone to donate, sell, or repurpose, textile recycling keeps them out of the trash. Many municipalities have drop-off bins specifically for worn or damaged clothing and fabric. Retailers like H&M and The North Face also run take-back programs where you can drop off old clothing regardless of brand or condition. The materials get broken down and used in insulation, industrial rags, or new fabric rather than sitting in a landfill.
Sell Them to a Consignment Shop
Consignment shops take the listing work off your plate entirely. You bring in the clothes, the shop prices and sells them, and you get a percentage of the sale. The tradeoff is that you earn less per item than you would selling directly, and the shop may not accept everything you bring. Most consignment stores are selective about brands and condition, so call ahead to ask what they’re currently buying before you load up the car.
Donate Them to a School or Daycare
Schools and daycares frequently keep a small supply of spare clothes on hand for accidents and spills. If you’ve got basics like leggings, shirts, or underwear in decent condition, reaching out to your local school or daycare directly is worth a try. They’re usually glad to have them, and the clothes go to kids who need them right away rather than sitting in a donation bin waiting to be sorted.
What You Do With Outgrown Clothes Depends on Their Condition
What to do with clothes your kids have outgrown comes down to what shape those clothes are in. Good condition means you’ve got real choices, whether that’s selling, donating, swapping, or storing. Worn out means recycling or repurposing. The one thing that doesn’t make sense is letting usable clothing sit in a bag in the corner of your closet until it’s no longer any good to anyone. Pick a path and move the pile along.
