Yesterday I had the kids do a cleaning train with me. They lined up behind me and followed me around the house. As I pointed to things the first behind me stepped out of line, picked it up, ran to put it away and then joined the back of the line again. We sped around the house for almost fifteen minutes and I pointed at things so fast that often there were no kids behind me.
Yep, I make up cleaning games. I guess I think it makes cleaning more fun... for me and the kids. Our favorites are 'don't touch my laundry piles' (where I fold as fast as I can and the kids sneak up and grab piles without getting caught -- then I say 'who took my piles?' as they run giggling to put them away)... 'family movie night pause' (where every time I pause the movie everyone has to get off the couch and pick up and put away ten things as fast as they can before we start the movie again)... '10 piece countdown' (where they have to put 10 things away, then run up and touch the fireplace, then 9 things away, then touch the fireplace, then 8... First person to 1 is the winner. Of course I play too!)...
Sometimes we have races, sometimes we put the timer on, sometimes we 'surprise Dad', sometimes (usually on Saturday mornings) I have lists of 3 or 4 jobs for each kid, sometimes I turn the vacuum on and threaten to get them while they are cleaning or vacuum up everything in sight, sometimes we pick jobs out of a jar...
My siblings are cringing just reading this... You see, they will agree I've always had this interesting talent, and I'm sure they are trying to suppress the awful memories. When we were young and mom was gone I would solicit their help cleaning the kitchen by turning the timer on and seeing if we could get it PERFECTLY clean before the kitchen exploded. If there were still minutes or seconds left on the timer we'd stand at the edge of the kitchen and think of what things we could risk our lives doing. The chair is crooked, the cupboard is open... one of us would run it and slide or somersault out just like a James Bond movie. I know, it doesn't really make sense, a clean room to explode but it worked and it was fun. 'There's a bomb in the kitchen' is another of our favorites. The kids love it when they make it out but I do not and fall dramatically to the floor.
Last night when we lined up for the cleaning train, Ryan said, 'oh, man'. Ryan, don't you like my cleaning games? Well, he thought. Cleaning games are better than just cleaning... but no cleaning is the best. Yes, I agree. No cleaning is the best... but since a clean house isn't going to happen by itself... I think I'll stick to my cleaning games.
Johnson Family
5 comments:
THank you thank you thank you Lisa for posting those fun games. I have heard of many from you, but several were new and I am so glad you educated us all on them. Hopefully soon I can impliment them, but right now, Don't touch my piles goes a little something like this in my house...
Gabriella and Gwen grab a pile and run around the house dropping articles of clothing equally throughout the house, thus creating more work for me! Not so much fun! THankfully my house is teeny tiny and I survive cleaning it all up again okay! You are one brilliant mom...you forgot to mention waking a sleeping child to stay up late with you and clean. That's a good one!
Lisa - you are the cutest! What fun ideas. I resort too often to nagging or kids losing privileges. I like your ideas MUCH better! I resolve to use your ideas and make cleaning more fun for everyone! We all love a clean house but it sure isn't always fun getting it that way!
thanks for the great ideas for when we have kids old enough to clean. Right now, we just sing the clean up song with Molly.....us cleaning while she is taking more things out. I don't think she quite gets it yet.
I have fond memories of "there's a bomb in the kitchen." I've taught it to my roommates, but they just don't get into as much as I do. Not sure why.
Lisa you are brilliant! There is going to be a lot of fun and games in our house from now on. The 'pause yje family movie one' is going to get the best response I think. My favorite is the kitchen timer count down to explosion!!!!!!
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