Children and parents at the event at St John's RC Primary in Chorlton, took unwanted Christmas presents and swapped them for items they did want.

Toys, books, DVDS, CDs, sports goods and dressing up costumes were among the gifts finding a new home.

A gardening theme was in evidence as Chorlton Plant Swap took seeds, plants and gardening books to add to the swappable goods.

Creative recycling business, Rubbish Revamped, helped children make gift boxes and sun-catcher mobiles out of Christmas cards, wrapping paper and CDs.

Children wrote down ideas for how to live more sustainably on recycled bits of paper shaped like leaves to make a wishing tree.

Face painting and cakes provided entertainment and sustenance for al ages.

And both Action for Sustainable Living and the council's waste management contractors, Enterprise, had stalls offering information.

The idea for the inaugural event was driven by Claire Laws, a mum of two children at St John's who also runs art classes at the Chepstow Road school.

Claire said: "It was amazingly successful to say it was the first time we'd held a large swap party at St John's.

"Everyone was given buttons as currency for things they'd brought, and it was a mad rush when the stalls opened.

"It was good to be able to provide the opportunity for people to swap unwanted Christmas presents and it got the children thinking about how recycle and live sustainably."

Although the swap party was a money-free event, a donations box raised £154 for the Haiti earthquake appeal.