By CHRIS SULLIVAN
KIRO Radio

My son's closet is full of old Halloween costumes. We have a few ninjas, a Clone Trooper and a Power Ranger. There are a variety of masks in there too.

I'm either too lazy to take them to Goodwill or too sentimental to get rid of them, and other than the camouflage ninja costume he wears all the time, and will wear for a second straight Halloween this year, he only put those other outfits on once or twice.

Greenhalloween.org suggests organizing a Halloween costume swap, to get rid of those old costumes.

The National Halloween Costume Swap was an idea that started in Seattle, and last weekend 70 cities across North America held them. Holli Dunn put one together in Bellevue, and 20 kids walked away with new looks. "It went better than expected, and the kids were really happy," Dunn said.

Jennifer Crawford organized an event in Federal Way. "My son's turning into Batman, and my daughter who is seven got this really wonderful Pegasus unicorn."

About 30 kids at her swap ended up with different costumes, and she says that it doesn't take a lot to pull a swap together. "I'm a student. I work. I have children. This was something I was able to piece together with that amount of work."

Dunn said it doesn't take much more than calling a few friends, clearing some space in a garage and inviting everyone over. "It's really a wonderful idea, and it's a great way to connect with other families and friends," she said. "Sort of like a little pre-Halloween party."

You can find out the simple steps in hosting your own swap at greenhalloween.org.

Follow Chris Sullivan on twitter @newsguysully

You might also be interested in:

• Complete Halloween Guide
• Greenhalloween.org