As an Enneagram 9 but with a heavy wing 1, I thrive on organization and order. Spring Cleaning is refreshing to me. It’s a highlight of the year. Remove the clutter to allow more space to be a low key homebody? Yes and amen.
Let me start by acknowledging two things I have found to be true with Spring Cleaning. First and foremost, I am not afraid of a good old fashioned bribe for my kids. The occasional friendly reward system typically serves us well and I am secure enough to walk in that truth. But more than that, I think it is important for kids to have a sense of ownership from an early age. My three littles are 6 and under, and there are very few things that they really get to put their stamp on at this age. Having them help with the (age appropriate) tasks that they are able to do around the house gives them that sense of being trusted with responsibility and ownership that they actually crave while having a little fun along the way.
Here are some of my tried and true ways to make Spring Cleaning with Kids enjoyable:
- HAVE A SPRING CLEANING SCAVENGER HUNT. Go around with your kids and have them find areas that could use a little attention. This helps them see areas that may often be overlooked when they are doing their daily toy or clothes clean up. Bonus points that this kick starts the ownership piece of the puzzle.
- MAKE EVERYTHING A GAME. Give each kid a handful of Q tips and have them run them along the baseboards. Whoever uses all of their Q tips first, wins. Winner gets a sticker. (and stickers = reward. Think 20 stickers = pizza and a movie or 10 stickers= getting to pick the ice cream flavor) // Spray old socks with non toxic cleaner and place them on your kids hands. Give them each a room and see who can come back with the most dust on their socks. Winner gets a sticker. // Put everyone in their swim suits or old clothes and set up a family car wash in the drive way. If it ends in spraying each other with the hose, even better! The memories are the win here but whoever can stay dry gets a sticker.
- PUT THEM IN CHARGE. Need to clean out your pantry? Perfect! Remove all the contents of your pantry and place them on the dining room table. They then get to determine what stays or goes by reading the expiration date (this is great for your kids past the toddler stage). They then get to spray down the shelves and stack the cans and dried goods back on to the shelves // Cleaning up the yard? Buy them an inexpensive gardening tool set so that they are able to have their own set of tools to do the job and help where needed. Have them create designated piles of sticks or debris ( this could also be made into a game). // Decluttering the garage? No problem. Have your kids sort items into bins labeled ” Keep”, “Throw Away” and “Sell/Donate”. With your help, determine what items go into each bin. If you notice your Sell/Donate pile getting exponentially bigger, have your kids help you organize a garage sale or donation drop off!
No matter the age of your kids or the season you are in, there are great and effective ways to make Spring cleaning fun for your kids! Be sure to let us know which of these tips worked for your family!
