Call it 'Backpack Dump'- once a week, give kids 10 minutes to empty and sort through their bag.) For each minute they finish under 10 minutes, they get a treat.

Race Against the Clock Set a timer, and bet the kids they can't clean up an area in under 10 minutes. Get siblings competing against each other so they'll think of it as a fun contest, not cleaning. (Kid Tip! Rather than telling kids to 'put toys away,' encourage them to put toys 'in their homes.' This will help prevent a decade of teenagers stuffing items into the wrong drawers and cabinets.) Try, 'You are the Princess of Clean, and you rule your kingdom with paper towels and Windex!' Or, 'The dirty floor is enemy territory, and you need to expand your clean base so you can set up an organized tent fort!' This works. Make-Believe Never underestimate the powers of fantasy. For example, 'What's the first number of our zip code?' '1!' 'Let's find one ball each and put it away…What's the next number?' '3!' 'Let's get three pieces of clothing and put them in the hamper.' And so on. Number Time Choose a number you want your child to remember (say, your phone number or address), and together put away items that correspond to those numbers. I Spy 'I spy something blue that's not in its home!' Enough said. They'll think it's fun, and the new system will be easy for them to manage on their own.Īlphabet Have kids spot things that need to be put away, in alphabetical order: Animals! Board games! Chairs! Dolls! Then sit with them and see if they know which bin each toy goes into. Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to playīin It Set up colored bins in children's rooms, one for each category: dolls, books, Legos, etc.

Full house cleaning games