Cleaning out the toy cupboard and bedroom is not most children's idea of school holiday fun but selling what they do not want obviously had appeal for the children who took part in the Kids' Flea Market in Katikati this morning.

The popular market is just one of the activities organised by the Katikati Community Resource Centre as part of its October school holiday programme.

Blake Galey, 8, and his sister Leah had lots of soft toys for sale at the Katikati Kids' Flea Market.

Children were selling everything from robots, video games and soft toys to books, clothing and sports gear.

Market co-ordinator and trainee teacher Bridget Martin says the children were keen to make some pocket money but many often ended up trading or buying from each other.

Among Cody Amlehn's serious boys' toys on sale were a remote control robot and a model truck, while Blake and Leah Galey of Waihi Beach were selling a large number of soft toys – some of them old favourites Leah was reluctant to part with.

Angus Chapman set his stall up in a prime position next to Barry the Kiwi Bloke statue, in the main street park where the market has been held for several years now.

School holiday co-ordinator Jan Desaye says between 100 and 150 children take part each day in activities from sports to crafts to trips away, all organised by the resource centre.

'Most of the children are from Katikati but we have some from Te Puna, Omokoroa and Waihi Beach as well as children who come to Katikati to stay with grandparents.”

The programme has been running each school holidays for around 13 years now and last year won the OCSAR Foundation's Regional Award for running Outstanding OSCAR (Out of School Care and Recreation) Programmes.

The programme for these holidays began on Monday October 1 and runs on week days until October 12.

'We couldn't run the programme without the support of tutors and our parent and student volunteers. Many of our teenage volunteers have attended the programme when they were younger and come back as helpers year after year, which is wonderful,” says Jan.