Run a Yard Sale
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What you will learn
- 1Choose your own things to sell with a grown-up’s OK
- 2Clean, price and lay out items for a yard sale
- 3Add up prices and count change for a buyer
- 4Greet buyers politely while staying with your grown-up
- 5Decide what to do with the things that do not sell
Mini Lesson
A yard sale is a day when a family sells things they no longer use, right outside their home. Toys you have outgrown, books you have read and games you no longer play can go to someone who will enjoy them. You clear out space and earn a little money too. A grown-up is in charge of the whole day, and you are part of the team.
🏠 The Life Skills Way (step by step)
- CHECK THE RULES: some places have rules about yard sales and signs. Check the local rules with your grown-up and pick a date.
- CHOOSE WHAT TO SELL: sell only your own things, and only with your grown-up’s OK. Never sell something that belongs to someone else.
- CLEAN AND PRICE: wipe each item, check that games have all their pieces, and stick on a price tag. Use round prices, like $1, $2 or $5.
- PLAN THE TABLES: group similar things together - books on one table, toys on another - and put the best items at the front.
- MAKE CHANGE: add up what a buyer picks, then count up from the total to the money they hand over, like you did in the Grade 5 receipt lesson.
- LEFTOVERS: at the end, decide with your grown-up what to keep and what to donate.
🤝 Be a Good Seller
- SAY HELLO: greet each buyer with a smile and say thank you when they buy.
- ANSWER HONESTLY: if a toy is missing a piece, say so.
- STAY TOGETHER: stay with your grown-up the whole time, and let them answer anything you are not sure about.
- SMALL DEALS: if a buyer asks for a lower price, ask your grown-up. They decide.
A grown-up is in charge of the yard sale from start to finish. The grown-up holds the cash box, handles big amounts of money and does all the talking with strangers when needed. Stay with your grown-up the whole time. Buyers stay outside - nobody goes into your home, and you never go anywhere with a buyer.
Words to know
yard sale
A sale of used things a family no longer needs, held outside their home.
e.g. We sold my old puzzles at our yard sale.
price tag
A sticker or label that shows how much an item costs.
e.g. I put a $2 price tag on each game.
cash box
A small box that holds the money at a sale.
e.g. My grown-up kept the cash box on the table beside her.
change
The money you give back when a buyer pays more than the total.
e.g. The buyer paid $5 for a $3 toy, so I counted out $2 in change.
buyer
A person who pays money for something.
e.g. The buyer asked if the game had all its pieces.
donate
To give things away to help others.
e.g. We donated the books that did not sell.
💡 Handy Tip: before the sale, your grown-up puts some small bills and coins in the cash box as change. Write down how much you started with, so at the end you can count what you really earned.
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