With spring just around the corner, we're all looking forward to extended daylight hours and the season's warmer weather.
We're planting flowers, airing the patio cushions, and checking the umbrella for mildew. In many parts of the country, though, it's not quite warm enough to move outside.
In the meantime, use cooler days to brighten up the indoors with a plan for spring cleaning with kids that gets the kids excited about this annual rite of home purification.
Yes, it is possible, even probable, that your kids will get excited, motivated, and moving, too. Here's how.
The secret to spring cleaning with kids? A game plan that starts with - well, fun games.
So, to make spring cleaning with kids more enjoyable, I've included two of my favorite cleaning games (one for younger kids, the second for older ones) that can increase the odds of a successful cleaning session.
If helping out with cleaning is a new concept in your home, remember to take the fun approach. It's not only possible but also effective, as it's worked wonders for my three kids, the oldest of whom is now 13 and does his own laundry.
First however, you'll want to gather your cleaning supplies so you're ready for the kids and the fun and the spring cleaning to begin. Get a fun, colorful chore chart for the kids, like this one with sticker stars they can add themselves after completing a chore.Below, I've broken down spring cleaning chores so that they're age-appropriate for your children. Here's how the kids can help you bring spring indoors.
We've got games to get the cleaning party started:
When it's time for a spring cleaning session, have the family don sweats and labor the day away, dragging rags and pails.
In the evening, the family puts on their "night-out" best and heads out to dinner and a movie, something everyone enjoys together.
Looking forward to a magical family outing makes even the most extended list of chores palatable, especially when they're done together.
Turn on your favorite upbeat music while you clean. Watch your kids howl as you sing along and do the Bump with the vacuum and the Macarena with the duster.
You get the picture—a smiling group making short work of housework. Fill the house with positive energy, not grumbling. We rotate the DJ selection in our home to keep the peace.
We judge the results (say, a floor), not the mopper (the child), and everyone pitches in to make it a winner.