Family bonding is at an all-time high as we practice social distancing. We know it can’t be easy entertaining the kiddos throughout the day, especially if you’re now finding yourself working from home. Maid to Shine would love to gift you with a little bit of entertainment for the kids that can double as some light housework. Plus, nows as good a time as any to teach a few life skills, i.e. cleaning. Keep the kids busy and your home clean(ish) with these fun activities.
Trade Off
Have your little ones go through their room and organize their toys into 3 piles: Keep, Trash and Trade. As they’re sorting encourage them to put at least 5-10 items in their “trade” pile. Once the organizing is complete gather everyone in the living room and have them layout the goodies from their “trade” pile. Now it’s time to swap! One stuffed animal gets traded for a board game, etc. Let me wheel n’ deal and see the excitement on their face when they come out with a few new things to play with and a freshly organized room!
DJ Supa-Clean
It’s time for a little music! Let each child pick a song they love and que it up. During each song assign different items in the home that need to be cleaned. Timmy takes on cleaning the guest bathroom, Sally scrubs the stove and Billy is in charge of living room vacuuming. They clean their assigned area until the song is over and then new chores are assigned for the next song and so on. Dance a little, clean a little and sing-along to your favorite tunes!
Scavenger Hunt
Hide a few pieces of candy (or something else that will motivate them)Â in each kids room. If you need a reminder of where you hid each piece, take a quick pic. After you’ve hidden the treats it’s time for them to start hunting. Tell them the only way to find the treat is with cleaning magic. The better they clean the more candy will be revealed! Maybe a piece is tucked away in their messy bed, but when they flip the covers over to make it, a treat is hidden underneath.
Laundry Race
On your mark! Get set! Laundry! Have your kiddos sort out their dark and light laundry in to different bags. Set a timer and see which one makes it to the laundry machine, with their clothes sorted properly, first.
I Spy
Noticed a lot of dishes building up in the living room? Or maybe a pile of shoes has started to accumulate by the back door. We’ve got a game that’s sure to speed up the picking up process. Have your kids stand in one corner of the room. Now you say “I spy a blue cup” then it’s a race. Which ever kids spots the item you say and delivers it to you (or the sink, or shoe rack, etc.) wins. Go a few rounds and see the clutter disappear.
We hope these games provide a bit of entertainment for your little ones (and maybe even you). We know it’s no easy task to motivate children to clean, but with a little bit of creativity chores can easily be disguised as fun. And if you really can’t get the family motivated to clean Maid to Shine’s always here to help out.
Teaching your kids good activities regarding cleaning is very important. What you teach to your kids matters a lot. Tell them about the benefits of cleaning space, organizing the closet and putting everything in place. Thanks for sharing these cleaning activities here. This is very helpful.
These are such creative and engaging activities to keep the kids entertained while also getting some housework done. I love the idea of turning cleaning into a game and teaching life skills in the process. It’s a win-win situation for both parents and children. Great suggestions!
Shahzad recently posted…How To Add Lights To Kid’s Skateboard
I love how you’ve found creative ways to keep the kids entertained while also incorporating light housework. The “Trade Off” activity is a brilliant idea to teach organization and reward the kids with new toys. “DJ Supa-Clean” adds a fun twist to cleaning with music and assigning tasks. The “Scavenger Hunt” is a clever motivator to clean, with hidden treats as the ultimate reward. “Laundry Race” and “I Spy” are fantastic games to make chores exciting. Your suggestions will surely help families bond while maintaining a clean home.