Making Spring Cleaning Fun

After months of spending time indoors, making messes and generating all kinds of dust, it’s liberating to throw open the windows and give your house a top-to-bottom spring cleaning. It’s only right that kids should help out with this project, but if yours are reluctant, here are a few easy ways to make spring cleaning fun!

Make it a Game

Some kids would rather do just about anything but clean, so one way to get them excited is to make it a game. Give them the options of pairing up into “teams” or playing “solo,” and assign a defined area to work on, like their bedroom or playroom. Make sure their area is manageable, though, because if it’s too big a project they’re likely to get discouraged and give up. Once you’ve designated teams and areas, lay out the supplies, set a timer, and…go! Keep everyone motivated by playing music and taking turns choosing what to listen to next.

Let Them Lead

Another way to make feel children feel good about spring cleaning is to give them a say in how their room is organized. They’re more likely to clean up after themselves if they know where things go, so have lots of storage supplies on hand, like boxes, markers, and labels. As you sort through things, let kids take the lead on where to put them. This will help boost their independence and encourage them to take responsibility for their belongings.

Plan a Special Reward

It’s important to reward your children’s hard work with a special treat. Decide before you start cleaning what the reward will be – maybe a trip to the movies, or a day at the local park or zoo. Whatever it is, make sure it’s exciting enough to motivate everyone to work. You can make a goal poster to fill in as the cleaning progresses, or simply bring it up every once in a while. Cleaning isn’t always fun, but celebrating it should be!

Show Kindness

Toys and clothes seem to pile up over the winter months. If you’ve noticed that there are certain toys your children no longer play with, or you’re running out of room to store all the clothing they’ve outgrown, now’s the perfect opportunity to teach your kids about helping those who are less fortunate. You can do this by donating unwanted items and involving your kids at every step of the process. Explaining why it’s important to help those in need will foster empathy in your children, and researching organizations that take clothing and toy donations will help kids feel connected and empowered.