Make Toy Clean Up Time Fun

Make toy clean up time something your kids will look forward to. Here's a quick list of tips and tricks that I have used over the years to get my kids into the clean up mood.

• My kid's all time favorite is the clean up song. "Clean up, clean up, everybody everywhere, clean up, clean up, everyone do their share".
• I make specific requests for my kids to clean up their toys. For instance, I'll tell a child to clean up the blocks and put them in a bin rather than just telling them to clean up their mess.
• When one of my kids is off doing their own thing during clean up, I'll make a comment about how strong they are for lifting a toy and have them show me if they can lift that toy into the storage basket.
• If clean up is before lunch, then I bribe my kids with dessert. If they don't clean up, then no cookie after lunch and I hold them to it.

• I give them a set amount of time by setting a timer. They get all excited and try to beat the clock.
• Play a game to see how fast each kid can clean up. I race my son when cleaning up blocks and he loves it. It makes him clean up his blocks really fast.

These are just simple tricks I use with my kids during clean up to make it more pleasant for everyone. Think about your kid's personalities, their likes and dislikes, and come up with some games of your own to make clean up fun for them.

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