When you have a toddler, cleaning your home is not always the easiest thing to do. Having an only child, I am in charge of my daughter’s entertainment, so when I am busy, she wants my attention. Today our house needed a good cleaning, but Mai wanted to play.
On Cleaning Day, there is a lot of potential for fun. Here are some fun activities for your kiddos while you clean.
1. Cushion Mountain- Is it time to clean your sofa cushion covers? While they are in the washer, pile up your cushions in a safe, clear area & let them have some fun.
2. Let Them Help Out- We may not like our chores, but give a kid a broom and they are tickled pink. There are many chores your child can help you with, sweeping, dishes or wiping down tables.
3. Loose Parts Play- Cleaning out a junk drawer or throwing out other odds & ends around the house? Give them to your child to play with, provided that they are clean & safe. Playing with loose parts is a fabulous way for a child to work their imaginations.
4. Sheet Forts- Are you stripping your bed to make way for clean sheets? Use your dirty sheets to make a monster sheet fort.
5. Laundry Basket Or Hamper Fun- Laundry day is always fun for our daughter. Kids love to jump into an empty laundry basket. Our daughter has a pink collapsible hamper. When it is empty she likes to pretend that she is Sheriff Callie & ride it like a horse. “Giddy up, Sparky!”
6. Obstacle Course- If you clean the house anything like me, you tear it apart & trash it before you put it back together. With all the moved tables & chairs, cushions & laundry baskets lying around, it is a great opportunity to build an obstacle course. Climb over the ottoman, jump over a broom, crawl under the play table and climb your cushion mountain to victory.
7. Imaginary Beach- Before you throw those sheets and blankets in the washing machine, lay them down on the floor for some imagination play. We placed a blanket down for our water & a sheet for our sand. We broke out a few shovels & beach toys and our daughter’s mind did the rest. Lunchtime? Let them have a beach picnic.
You don’t need to wait for cleaning day to enjoy these activities. These are fun on any day. I have to admit that I stopped cleaning to join in on some of the fun too. Before we put our couches back together, we let our princess do one more thing. The princess did not feel the pea on her royal bed, but then again I had just swept the floor. Happy cleaning.
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Cleaning can be such a chore sometimes, so making it fun is a good idea.
I don’t get into cleaning mode often, so when I do I need to do it minus all the distractions. Lol! Having fun stuff is a must.
Very cute ideas and my girls always loved the laundry basket when they were younger, too 🙂
Thanks Janine. Laundry baskets are fun. Lol
Its allot easier to make it fun with them when they are small, when they get big, its a huge chore. now we have to pay them to do it..lol
That is true. It becomes less fun as we age.
Wonderful ideas!
Thank you.
I love getting the little ones involved in cleaning. They love “helping” even though it takes much longer. Still, they’re learning valuable skills while doing it!
Mine will help on occasion, but some things she is not able to help with. So pillow mountains come in handy. Lol
It’s always great to make it fun!! Love the ideas! 🙂
Thanks Janine. Laundry baskets are fun. Lol
Thank you. 😉
That makes me laugh that she rides the laundry hamper like a horse. That is just too cute. The cushion fun is the best too!
I am about to get into cleaning mode in a moment! I loved her riding the hamper that is hilarious. My son likes to dance when I vacuum he thinks it is a game. We don’t have many couch cushions, but that looks like fun! I love the beach idea.
Aw, great ideas! Our kids would love these!!
Looks like great fun! I haven’t been that inventive, somehow my kids still like vacuum cleaning and dusting(?!). But for getting through the clean laundry pile playing “sock memory” gas been priceless!
But even if it is not when cleaning, I think we may need to build a mountain of the sofa cushions!
Yes, cleaning with a toddler is nearly impossible lol! I have made a game out of clean up with my little ones too!
That’s funny that yours like the empty laundry basket. Mine all like to plop on the folded laundry. 😉
Great idea to make cleaning fun for your kids. I’m sure they have a lot of fun doing it too!
Fun cleaning is how hubby does it. I feel like I am more of a drill seargent!
I wish my cleaning days are this fun lol. Being pregnant and definitely in that nesting phase, I am totally OCD about cleaning and HOW i want things done.. so now I have to do it all by myself or I end up doing it all over again! Can’t wait until my kid is old enough to help with some “fun” chores! LOL
Such great ideas, our 14 month old is starting to make cleaning a challenge!
My kids love the cushion mountain. It can keep them busy for hours.
Such cool ideas! My boys would have enjoyed these. They are teens now!
Great tips! Thank you 🙂
These are all cool ideas. I’ve always found it so cute and interesting how toddlers have an interest in cleaning that does not continue on as they get older. My god-daughter really liked to wipe down tables when she was younger, just like her mama.
Great ideas! I’ll try do these activities at home while cleaning.
After age 5, my kids no longer enjoyed doing chores. I could understand it as I was the same way too. Now that they are older, they help out more. 🙂