Spring Cleaning with Kids |
Here are some chores that kids can help with
One of the most challenging aspects of parenthood is balancing it all. How do we take care of little ones and keep a clean home (among other things)? We’ve pooled together some of our favourite tips and tricks for taking care of your home and your kids at the same time. As you’ll see, cleaning with kids can be a fun activity for all. Be sure to turn on your kids’ favourite tunes, and get cleaning — together!
Better than the clean-up song
Having a hard time getting kids to clean up after themselves? Make a game of it. Tell them to find something that is blue, something that is striped, something that is round, something that starts with the letter T, and so on, and have them pick up and put away each item they find. This cleaning activity is fun, challenging and educational to boot!
Mopping Zamboni
Hockey lovers will get a kick out of this. First they have to brush the "snow" from the "ice" with a broom, and then they have to Zamboni or mop (wet Swiffers work best) the floor clean.
Scrub-a-dub-dub
The washroom is a surprisingly great place to clean with kids. Grab a bowl, a sponge and some child-friendly bathroom products (even simply water with vinegar), and put your child to work in the bathtub, sink or bathroom floor. Really little kids may make a mess with this, so stick them on the bathroom mirror. They’ll love to wipe it clean while looking at their little faces!
Mix and match
When folding laundry, leave all the socks in the laundry basket and have your child match the pairs. You can even make it a game: Who can match the most socks? (Extra tip: Before you do the laundry, you can have them sort the light and dark dirty clothes.)
Mix and match, the sequel
Got dishes to put away? While you take care of the more delicate dishes, remove the sharp knives and have the kids sort all of the cutlery and put it away.
Arrr, matey!
Get your kids to put on their “cleaning hats” (pirate hats work great), and ― yo-ho, yo-ho ― sweep and mop the decks!
Fabulous forts
Time to clean under the couch cushions? Have the kids build a fort. As fast as you can say “fort,” the cushions will be off the couch, and the kids will be loving it!
Ready, set, go!
Kids love to make a race out of everything. Indulge their creative edge by telling them to go and clean their rooms ― whoever cleans their room the fastest wins! While the kids battle it out, you can put your feet up and read a book! (Tip: Children can also do this on their own by competing against the clock. Set a stopwatch, and challenge them to beat the time.)
Doggone it!
There are plenty of cleaning toys on the market that are a lot like the real thing. If your kids don’t have their own toy version, put them to work in the kitchen or under the table after meals with a handheld broom and dustpan. They’ll love it (but your dog might not)!
Reward yourselves
At the end of all the super-fun cleaning, treat yourself and the family to a reward everyone enjoys. This will not only be fun, but it will help reinforce the kids’ interest in cleaning. And, besides, you deserve it!
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