If you want to have the kids help with the cleaning, you’ll need to make it fun. Here are some ideas for cleaning or picking up games that will have your house back in order in no time.
Pretend Play
Engage the imaginations of young children all while getting them to pick up. Assign each child a character to play and a different territory. For example, your daughter could be Princess Soap, the ruler of Her Room, and your son could be King Pickup, who has domain over all of Boyland.
Each ruler is responsible for the citizens (their toys and clothes) of his or her domain and must protect them. They must also protect their respective kingdoms from foreign invaders (anything that doesn’t belong in their rooms).
Whomever has their land in order first, is declared emperor (or empress) and is allowed to make ruling decisions for the day (such as which TV show to watch or what to have for lunch).
Number Fun
Get some learning in with the cleaning. Challenge preschoolers to learn their numbers and older children to memorize phone numbers or pin numbers. Pick a series of numbers and break it down. For example, if your address is 245 Brick Road, start with the number two. Challenge your child to pick up two things, and then four things and then five things. If he or she forgets the next number, the game starts over again at two.
I Spy a Clean Room
My kids love I Spy and hidden object games. You can turn a messy area into one giant game board. Say, “I Spy something green with legs,” for example. Your child has to guess what the object is and then put it away. Let them challenge you a time or two as well. It won’t seem like work!
Have you ever played a cleaning game?