After a long day, the last thing you want to do is step on a rogue Lego or put your hand in a sticky pile of spilled juice. But with kids? Anything is possible. However, the burden of cleaning doesn’t all have to fall on your shoulders. Teaching your kids to clean can help them develop good habits that will prevent any messy playrooms or crumb-covered countertops. And what’s more? You can even teach them to have fun while doing it.
We’ve compiled a list of fun cleaning games that can help your kids learn to love cleaning.
Be Your Own Superhero
Does your kid love adventure, action and all things imaginary? Appeal to their creative side by turning them into a cleaning superhero, protecting the house from the evil Dust Bunny. Arm them with brooms, spray bottles and mops, and use this printable superhero eye mask and badge to turn them into a hero.
Laundry Room Races
Once the laundry is finished, line your kids up at a starting line and have them race to get their clothes folded, taken to their rooms and put away. There’s nothing like a little friendly competition to get chores done. For added fun: have them shoot their socks into the laundry bin like a basketball before proceeding.
Chores and Ladders
Don’t want to assign the chores yourself? Let this printable game board do it for you. All you need is a 6-sided die and pawns like bottle caps or coins. Line up at the starting line and roll the dice, then move through the game completing tasks as you go. You can use the fill-in-the-blank spots on the game board to fill in house-specific chores, or leave them blank to give your kids a chance at a free space.
Cleaning Karaoke
Ever noticed how a broomstick or mop handle looks like a microphone? Use this to your advantage as you have your kids perform their own cleaning concert. Take turns singing into your “microphone,” putting on the silliest concert you can. Bonus points if your child gets to dress up like a diva.
Dust Monster
Let this fun dust monster printable turn sweeping into something a little more fun. Print out the monster, have your kids color it, then attach it to your dustpan with tape. As your kid sweeps, the dust pan transforms into a monster that is hungry for dust!
I-Spy
If your kids are at an age where they’re still learning shapes and colors, you can turn cleaning into a fun learning activity. When confronted with a messy playroom, have your kid answer prompts such as “I spy a green shirt” or “I spy a pink doll.” When each object is called, have them pick it up and put it away.
At the end of the day, teaching kids to love cleaning involves showing them that it isn’t something to dread. When you clean with them and make it a game, they’ll see that it can be a fun activity for the whole family — and maybe next time they make a mess on the table, they’ll clean it up without you having to ask.