June 23, 2011

A Fun Way to Clean Up


Do you have a hard time getting your children to pick up toys and clean up? I DO! Mix it up and make it fun like we did with a pair of spaghetti tongs. Challenge your child to pick up as many toys as they can with the tongs in a certain amount of time. A clean house and motor skill development at the same time!


Sharing this idea at:

11 comments:

  1. Love finding ideas to make learning, cleaning, or otherwise "not so fun" things FUN!

    ReplyDelete
  2. My kids are actually quite tidy and helpful, but I do love this idea lots! Great way to refine motor skills, thanks for the tip :)

    PS I've been following your blog for a while but never got the chance to comment, sorry. Love your work :)

    Sara

    ReplyDelete
  3. Great idea! We also use a timer and see how fast the kids can pick up. They are much more likely not to complain when they think it is a race!

    ReplyDelete
  4. My kids love this, too! We also have "contests" -- to see who can pick up the most!

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a fun idea...we'll be trying this one out today. We must vacuum UNDER the toys today! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Great idea! I'm definitely going to try this! Previously I've used the timer to make it a race...or turned on a song to try to finish the task before the song's end. But your idea sounds like even more fun. Thanks! :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Cute idea! I have been racking my brain to come up with new ways to engage my 3 1/2 year old with cleaning up the house. He likes me to be playing with him all the time, so it's the only way I'm going to get the house clean! I've been doing scavenger hunt lists (1) 5 of your toys, 2) a piece of clothing, etc. for him to put away; a list of tasks we need to do over the day with rewards; a 15 minute timer; music while we do it; etc. Thanks for the additional idea!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Love this!! Thanks so much for sharing with the Smart Summer Challenge.
    So do you think if I get my hubby a pair of spaghetti tongs he'd clean up the dishes by the sink?!

    : )
    Fondly,
    pink and green mama
    MaryLea

    ReplyDelete
  9. Love the idea! :)

    Karen
    www.foreverfamiliesfororphans.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. I also play a game with groups of kids called "Magic Trash" to make cleaning up a little more exciting. I look around the room and pick one or two items that need to be picked up and deem them the "Magic Trash," but don't tell the kids! The idea is that they pick up as much as they can and if they happen to pick up the magic trash, they win (a hug or a high-five so no one gets too jealous!)!

    ReplyDelete