A Broughton mum has launched a free seven-day family challenge designed to tackle a problem familiar to almost every parent: what to do with all the clothes, toys, books, shoes and equipment children constantly grow out of?
Karolina Gudes, a mum of two and founder of UK family platform Kidora, created Outgrown, Not Wasted after experiencing first-hand how quickly useful children’s belongings can accumulate at home.
Instead of encouraging families simply to throw things away or sell everything, the challenge asks parents to make one of five decisions about each item: keep it, pass it on to another family, donate it, recycle it responsibly or sell it.
Karolina said:
Children grow so quickly that you can suddenly realise you have drawers full of clothes that no longer fit, toys they have stopped playing with and bags of things you keep meaning to sort.
We found that trying to deal with everything at once made the job feel enormous, so the idea behind Outgrown, Not Wasted was to break it down into something much more manageable.
The challenge takes place over seven days, with families concentrating on a different type of children’s belonging each day rather than attempting one large household clear-out.
The timing is particularly relevant as Christmas approaches, when many family homes are preparing for another influx of toys, clothes, books and gifts.
Karolina added:
Before buying more, it can be really useful to look properly at what children already have. You might rediscover toys that have been forgotten, realise you already have something you were about to buy again, make some much-needed space and potentially put a little money back into the household from items that are suitable to sell.
But selling is only one option. Sometimes passing something directly to another family or donating it is the much better outcome.
The campaign grew out of Karolina and her partner’s own experience as parents and the wider work behind Kidora, which was built by a three-person team alongside full-time jobs.
Kidora includes a parent-to-parent marketplace for preloved baby and children’s items, a Parent Hub and a directory of more than 6,500 family attractions and places to visit across the UK.
For Outgrown, Not Wasted, however, the team wanted to create something families could use completely free, regardless of whether they use Kidora’s marketplace.
There is no charge to take part and no registration is required.
Kidora has also created free downloadable resources for schools, nurseries, PTAs and community organisations, including a seven-day family checklist, printable posters, campaign graphics and ready-made wording that can be shared with parents.
Karolina said:
I would love to see schools, nurseries and community groups around Chester and North Wales sharing the challenge with families.
There is no cost or obligation. If it helps one parent finally clear the cupboard they have been avoiding for months, or helps a perfectly good coat, toy or book find another child who can use it, then it has achieved something useful.
The initiative has already begun attracting attention outside the area
Outgrown, Not Wasted has been covered by The Bolton News and Tattenhall Online, while Kidora was recently featured nationally in The Sun on Sunday. Kidora was also selected as one of Theo Paphitis’ Small Business Sunday winners.
Karolina hopes the campaign can continue spreading through communities across the UK, while retaining the simple principle that inspired it.
She added:
Children outgrowing something does not mean that item has stopped being useful. The whole idea is to pause before automatically throwing something away and ask what the best next step actually is. Keep it, pass it on, donate it, recycle it responsibly or sell it.
Small decisions like that can make a real difference when you multiply them across thousands of family homes.
Families, schools, nurseries, PTAs and community organisations can take part in Outgrown, Not Wasted, with all of the campaign resources available free through Kidora.
