Children and Chores Part 3
Chores Don’t Have to be a Chore
Kids needs to have fun while doing projects. Heck, don’t we all need that?! Teaching children to find the fun (or at least the tolerable) in our daily tasks, is a really important skill that they will not only use now, but the rest of their lives. Here are some ways to increase the enjoyment in the mundane.
5 easy ways to make chores fun
Turn on the music. Listen to your favorite music and watch how time flies while you work and sing along.
Clean together. Working together in a group can be a lot more motivating for some people.
Make it a game. Who can find the most red toys? Try having the kids shoot dirty laundry into the hampers as if they were shooting baskets in basketball.
Set a timer. Trying to beat the clock can create a lot of energy. Set the timer for a certain amount of time and race to beat the buzzer.
Take a break. Don’t get too burned out on working. Break up your chores and reward yourself throughout the process.
Let’s Play!
Puppet Shiners: You and your child each wear a sock puppet to clean the glass door or the window. You’re on the outside and your child is on the inside. Make it a game to follow one another’s hand movement as you clean the window. The best part? Use the lonely socks from the dreaded sock pile to make the puppets! When my children were little I called the puppets dust eaters. They are great for little hands to get busy. And I will be honest, I also really enjoy using the sock puppet to dust (shh… don’t tell).
Baseboard Race: Start two children next to one another in the same room. The child that gets to the end of the room/house first wins a prize.
Dash for Trash: Designate a laundry basket for each child. Start a timer for 30 seconds and see which child can put the most in his/her basket before the timer goes off.
Hide and Seek: Hide five similar items (spoons, large popsicle sticks, Pompoms, etc.) in various spots (under cushions, on windowsills, under pillows) and see if your child can find all of them by the time he/she is finished cleaning. Or you can place pennies or tokens where you want your children to clean or dust. Then have your children turn the tokens in for a reward or a prize.
Do you need more information? Contact us and we can help you start.
