When you have kids, it may seem like you spend your time following them around to pick up their mess. Some days, you may feel like a cleaning service more than a parent! Fortunately, there are ways to get your kids excited about cleaning while saving yourself some menial labor.
Turning cleaning into a game means you can enjoy playing with your children while also teaching them about being responsible for their things. Try these four cleaning games for kids:
1. Who can clean the most?
Kids love competition. Challenge them to see who can pick up the most things in a set amount of time. The person who wins gets to choose the next game you play as a family. Your kids will love the prize of playing their favorite game with you, and you’ll get the added bonus of a clean house!
2. Find the token
Who doesn’t love a treasure hunt? When the toy room looks like it’s been ransacked, hide a small token in the room and make it a game to put things away to find it. The token can be turned in for a special after-dinner treat, or a small gift from the store on your next shopping trip.
3. How fast can we clean?
Take a page from the old television show “Big Comfy Couch”. At the end of the show, there was a twenty-second clean-up marathon. Challenge your kids to see how quickly everyone can pick the room up. Record your score on a whiteboard, and try to beat your old score each time you clean.
4. Musical pick up
Get kids excited about cleaning with this version of musical chairs. Play their favorite tunes while they are cleaning. When you stop the music, whoever has put the most away gets to sit out the next round. Feel free to dance while cleaning for some added fun!
Kids may be reluctant to pick up after themselves, but it can be a whole lot more fun when everyone joins in. These cleaning games for kids will help them take responsibility for their toys and develop good habits, and you’ll finally have some cleaning helpers! Make cleaning more enticing with one of Step2’s themed toy boxes or storage drawers for your kids – browse options that your kids will love.
