Clean-up has, so far, been a challenge for us. I find that the kids will begin cleaning up and then start playing – ending in a worse mess than before we had started. I also experience that clean-up takes forever. Frustrating! I was given advice to make it fun. It’s so obvious, and I had tried to an extent, but I hadn’t put as much effort in it as I should have. Today I bring you 10 ways to make clean-up fun for kids so that you can be motivated to make this time less frustrating for everyone.
I have very recently accepted that these kids are not going to know how to pick up automatically, but it’s going to take a lot of involved teaching. It also takes your attention, consistency and enthusiasm, which is harder on some days than it is on others. Further, it takes creativity in how it is presented, which is how this post can help you!
10 Ways to Make Clean-Up Fun for Kids
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- Set a Timer – One of the fun tricks is to set a timer we to try to beat. Sometimes, there is a reward if they are able to pick up before the timer goes off. You can also do a timer in the opposite direction. You hit start and see how much time it takes. Making a prediction beforehand is fun. You can save that time and next clean up time try and beat it. This kid-friendly Piggy Wiggy timer adds an extra layer of excitement.
- The Plastic Bag – Another trick I’ve found is the plastic bag. I don’t know why it works, but the kids love having a bag to put things in while cleaning. So, I may give them a small grocery bag and tell them to go around the house and pick up everything that needs to go upstairs. Maybe it’s like a treasure hunt for them or the convenience, but it works.
- Pick Up in Categories – I have also taught my kids to pick up categories – pick up all the balls, or blocks, or doll stuff, etc. The bags, mentioned above, helps with category cleaning. It keeps them focused.
- Pick Up a Chosen Number of Items – I’ll also tell them to pick up a certain number of items. I may choose random times throughout the day to have them pick up items based on their age. Looking at an entire mess can feel overwhelming, but to break it into smaller numbers seems manageable. It’s also a great way to help kids learn their numbers. You could also roll dice to keep the intrigue.
- Have a Motivator – Sometimes I will have them pick up before they have a bit of TV time or before doing a special project. It is a big motivator. “If you pick-up your room by 3:00, we will do a special craft.” Kids hustle when they see a prize at the finish line.
- Add Music – Find a Pandora kids station or turn on some fun kid music. We love our Seeds Family Worship CDs. Music keeps the atmosphere light and fun. You can even break for dance parties to keep the energy going.
- Have a Chore Chart – We use our Melissa and Doug magnet chore chart for motivation. Do we pay for chores? Here are my thoughts on the topic.
- Play the 10 Second Clean-Up Game – Really want to light a fire and make clean-up happen quickly? This game…OK, OK, it’s really a threat…makes them move their tails, and I have found that they actually have a lot of fun doing it.
- Give Visual Lists for Toddlers – Often times, kids can feel overwhelmed and not know where to start. Giving kids a visual list to mark off either mentally or with a pencil will help keep them focused and know the expectations. This free printable might help in the process.
- Try the Four in a Row Family Cleaning Game – Kristina, at Toddler Approved, came up with this fun game to help motivate kids to clean-up. I pinned it the other day, but in going to her site just now, I also found this great post that might help with more ideas.
I hope this post has inspired you to find simple ways to make cleaning more accessible and fun for kids. It takes a variety of tactics so continue to mix it up. If you are wondering if your kids are ready for certain tasks, you might find my list of chores for different ages helpful. You also might really love my 10 great chore chart ideas.
I love this idea. Clean up is a struggle around here as I also take care of other kids during the day of varying ages. We do one clean up at the end of the day or else we would NEVER stop picking up. I love the grocery bag idea. They will try and see who can put more in the bag. I think I’ll get them their own personal canvas bags and we could decorate them. Thanks! I’m going to tweet this idea because I LOVE IT!!!
ps. following you!
Hardest moment of my day… clean up time! Ugh! Same issues you were having, taking forever because they would start cleaning and end up playing or do the wonderful task of putting ONE toy away at a time. LoL Never thought of giving them bags, great idea! I too, have them clean up throughout the day and the one right before bedtime is the hardest. Looks like tomorrow we will be trying the grocery sacks. I am officially following you and have read several of your parenting tips tonight, since finding your blog around 4pm… we’re also going to start “After you play, put it away” technique and your tip about taking toys away that are in the floor, as my kids tend to get ALL of their toys out at once. Looking forward to reading more! Thanks!
I hope it works for you. It is definitely a process that we’re still working on too. I’ve heard the quote, “Cleaning the house while kids are still growing is like shoveling snow while it is still snowing.” Feels like that sometimes, huh? Glad to have you following along. I know that others giving me some of these tips has changed our lives, which is why I’ve wanted to pass them along.
Really helpful ideas! I use chore chart already for the cleaning jobs that are appropriate for the kids. I really love the idea for the 10 seconds clean up game and Four in a Row Family Cleaning Game! Really nice ideas! 🙂 Thank you!
Thank you so much. I’m glad you found it helpful. I’ve found that mixing it up with the ideas used really helps.