How have you made "chores" fun for preschoolers?

[mamicka]

I'm not creative at all & I've struggled with how to make ordinary, everyday chores fun for the kids. I don't expect them to do a lot, but really just participate. So far, they love playing "delivery" to help put clothes away (they each get a small basket full of clothes & deliver them to the right drawer) & DH made a game of setting the table (I don't understand how this works but they all shout "bingo").

Any suggestions for making a game of vacuuming, sweeping, etc?

Thanks!

[mustangcobra44]

Not sure it will work for vacuuming but since brooms are cheap it might be good for sweeping. When you get ready to sweep the floor, set aside a section that is theirs (each person has their own area) and the contest is to see who's floor get's the cleanest or who's part of the floor had the most dirt or something along those lines.

[egoldber]

Sarah LOVES the dustbuster. Easier for her than the vacuum. Anytime there's something to clean, she says "I'll get the dustbuster!!!" LOL She also does a really good job with the swiffer, which I think is easier for kids than a broom.

She also really likes folding laundry. We have moved pretty much exclusively to cloth napkins and small towels/wipes (for wiping the tables and cleaning up messes and spills) vs paper towels/napkins and Sarah loves folding those as well. She does an OK job folding her clothes too, but it takes her a lonnnnngggg time.

Even Amy will help clean up toys if I sing the clean up song.

[sarahsthreads]

We frequently have a "toy race" where I set a timer (usually 10 min.) and we race to see how much of the living room we can cooperatively clean up in that time. I started out trying to make it a competition, but she'd stop counting at about 3 toys and start playing, so now it's just "how much of the floor can we see by the time the timer goes off?"

DD BEGS to fold laundry, and can fold hand towels and washcloths for the most part, and will sometimes try to match socks for me.

I also agree that Swiffers work tremendously well. We took one of the sections out of the handle on ours and DD would spend the whole day swiffering if I let her.

Vacuuming is hard - DD wants to help but I find that makes the whole process take a lot longer. Maybe we should get a dustbuster and I can have her use that while I use the big vacuum?

Oh! Dusting! Get a decent feather duster and let the kids go to town. DD gets all the stuff at her level or below, like the dust-magnet TV, and even though it's not perfect it's way better than nothing. And the feather duster is light enough (and the house is kid-proofed enough) that there's nothing she can really damage with too much enthusiasm. She looooooves dusting!

Sarah :)

[kransden]

We have a stick vac. She vacs. with me with hers while I use the big one.

[bubbaray]

I use chores as a reward with DD#1. If she's good or does "X", she *gets* to help me and do a chore. She loves helping me fold and put away laundry. Setting the table. Feeding the dog.

[MarisaSF]

Swiffers are kid magnets. My kids fight over it and then they fight visiting children for it too. I took out one section of the stick to make it a length more appropriate for DD.

We've made a game of matching up socks from the laundry and she loves folding washcloths.

[gatorruth]

When DS turned 4, his new job was to empty the silverware section of the dishwasher. When he turned 4 1/2, he had to empty the whole dishwasher and his 20 month old little sister had to do the silverware (with a TON of mommy help!). He whines about it all the time, but I come back with- well, you dont have to empty it, and I won't make you any food. that stops the whining. The best idea I had was to move all of our dishes to a drawer under the oven, so DS could reach everything. He puts the glasses on the counter, along with any other stuff, like corningware, etc... It takes a while, but he does it. I think it is really important to teach them early that each person in the family has jobs to do and the house doesn't run smoothly if any one person doesn't do their job.

DS's babysitter is also his pre K teacher and was REALLY shocked and impressed that DS did the whole dishwasher. You just have to make it easy- ie: move the dishes to where a little one can reach them!!

Good luck!

[egoldber]

his new job was to empty the silverware section of the dishwasher

Sarah loves to do this too! And she also likes setting the table.