borrowing baby things for 1 year old for 2 weeks

[Islasarah]

My niece is staying for 2 weeks over Christmas from Australia with my great-niece who will be 1 year old. Im looking to borrow a few items such as travel cot, baby sleeping bag, play pen, stairgate, winter clothes. Does anyone know if this is possible or who to contact?

I would ask in a local FB group if I didn't know any families with young kids.

I’d try your street WhatsApp group if you have one, or a local Facebook group. There are often groups offering free or cheap stuff that people are passing on, and there might well be a sell or swap group or similar where you could borrow bits. But if it were me, I’d start by asking neighbours.

Ask on your street what's app, if you have one for the travel cot. Failing that do you know any grandparents? My dad was able to borrow a travel cot from one of his gold buddies when we came to stay.

There are hundreds of stair gates on Facebook marketplace, buy and resell if necessary. Also great for high chairs.
Vinted for baby sleep bags. Also great for winter clothes but maybe talk to the baby's mum first. I love my SIL but I wouldn't want her choice of clothes for my child.
Also Google if their is a toy library near you.

As others have said - local whatsapp groups (street/village) or your local buy nothing Facebook group are probably the best the way forward if you don't think you can ask people you already know.

The Facebook groups all have different names (sometimes utterly bizarre ones) and rules in different places - you may need to ask around to find what's best near you.

No one is going to lend their baby’s winter clothes or sleeping bags out in winter. Best looking at getting that second hand on Vinted or cheaply from supermarket clothing ranges. Unless your niece would rather sort herself, maybe check first as some people can be particular about DC’s clothing. I’d question if you need the stairgate at all tbh. If you don’t have a totally open plan layout then you can close doors, and even if you do then using the travel cot as a playpen should the sole supervising adult need to pop to the loo or whatever works just as well. Then for the travel cot I’d ask neighbours with kids or on your street whatsapp. I have one in storage for when friends with young kids stay (mine are too old for it now) that I would gladly lend out if a neighbour asked.

Baboodle is great. You can rent tonnes of different things

Yes, there’s an app for that! We’ve used Babonbo in the past.

Another idea: search for "child friendly" AirBnBs in your area, send a query to the host and ask if they would rent out the gear. (We have a little AirBnB, and if someone reached out to me - and it didn’t clash with our other guests, I would be happy to rent out the travel cot, high chair, baby bath for something nominal.)

Op surely the sleeping bags and clothes the baby's mum has herself. I cant imagine taking my child on holiday and not having clothes for my child. Personally id just go and buy a travel cot that doubles up as a play pen and leave it at that! Argos do one for £35 . Once you're done with it , you sell it.

Well it’s spring/summer in Australia so makes sense that baby has outgrown last year’s stuff and there might not be much in the shops there because it’s all summer stuff, and also may not want to spend a lot as it probably won’t fit by next winter there… but still if I were OP I’d just go to the supermarket and grab a winter coat, hat and mittens, maybe a couple of jumpers and a 2.5 tog sleeping bag. It won’t cost a lot. Then as you say a travel cot is the only other thing that’s needed but thinking about it the great niece may already have one and it’s usually free to take baby equipment on the plane.

You could try your local Freecycle. I have seen requests to borrow on there.