What is a good way to teach my kids to pick up their toys?

Question

Both of my children love to make a mess but when it comes time to clean up I have a hard time with them.

Does anyone have suggestions as to a way to make cleaning up fun?

my kids are 3 and 6

my kids are 3 and 6

Answer 1

it is really easy to make a game of it, especially if you have 2 kids - who can get all their books on the shelf first, or who can get the most "baskets" throwing toys into the toybox. My daughter also loves the clean-up song from Barney, it adds to the fun if you can sing while you clean! Good luck!

Answer 2

Age is the determining factor here.

If your kids are toddlers, you can play a game or show them "we need to pick this up before we do the next thing" and they will gladly jump in.

If your kids are 6+ this worked great for a friend of mine: tell them if the toys are not picked up they are going in the trash. Then when you stuff them in the bag and make them watch the garbage man take them away they will NEVER leave toys out again. Sure, it sounds cruel but it teaches them you are serious when you say "pick up your mess".

Answer 3

When playtime is done, have a routine. Routines are the most important part of a childs life. Play, then maybe have a particular song you sing, or a cd you put in to sing to so they know that it's time for clean up, and do it with them. If they are older, past age 7, they should be able to do it by themsleves. My daughter will pick up one mess, come to me and I will tell her what else to pick up like the laundry or the books, something specific. And I wont let her get any other toys out until her first mess is cleaned up. Good luck.

Answer 4

I have a rule - One toy at a time each. It`s much harder to clean up a huge mess and mix of toys than the one just played with.
Also try anticipate the time when they`re getting tired of the toy as opposed to being really bored and disinterested with it...at that point it`s harder to tidy up so do it before.
Try do the tidying up together at first - but if they don`t co-operate don`t do it for them.
You can put on ,music and try get it all tidied by the end of a specific song.
You can buy brooms and dustpans for this purpose and sweep all the toys up.
You can promise SMALL treats or priveleges for a job well done.

Be firm. If toys don`t get tidied then they can`t be played with the next time. As much as toys are there to be played with, part of the playing is the tidying.

GOOD LUCK

Answer 5

Well, first of all make sure you have a system as to where all the toys go, that will help cut down on intimidations. Children tend to get intimidated by their on messes lol.

I have my son pick up his toys daily, and he receives correction when he refuses to. This means time out if he does not do it. Then we he gets out of time out he has to finish what he was doing. If he continues to refuse to pick up toys I keep putting him back. About once a week I reward him for his efforts, but I don't do it a lot because then it becomes a thing when I say ok, now go pick up your toys he will say oh will I get a so and so?

Consistancy is a key here, make start teaching them now to put back things they are not playing with. In the beginning you will be warn out from telling them to put that up if you are finished with it. Then it will become secound nature because they are going to get tired of getting in trouble for not listening.

All of this takes a bit of time but it does work, and I love the fact that my son finely picks up everything he is playing with without being told much. Allow about a two week period or a little longer.

Answer 6

Make it a race. Turn on some music and tell the kids whomever picks up the most toys at the end of the song gets a sticker on a chart. First one to get five stickers gets to go like the dollar store and pick out a treat.

When the other one sees the reward the first child gets, he'll be inspired to hurry up and pick up more stuff than his sibling!

Answer 7

I call it the 2 minute tiddy. Ready, set, go....kids hurry as fast as they can to pick up all the toys, while they are doing it I like to do some music effects with my voice...dah dah dah dit datta dit dit datta.... and so on, if the kids are back at the starting point by the time the timer goes of, and all the toys are picked up, then they win !!! What do they win? Well, could be anyhthing, a tickle or a kiss from mom, a treat........could be anything you think of. My kids laugh and have a ball with the 2 minute tidy. Good luck.

Answer 8

how old are they? If they are 3 or older, then it is a good time to start. Make it a race, the first to get done with their stuff can pick the book mommy will read, or the snack to eat, or the first to take a bath, or the first to pick a show on tv, or pick a prize.(fill a bag from the dollar store, and if they both do- it let them both pick, if just one does it, then just let the one do it.) If they are older, then threaten to throw it away and get a garbage bag and hide it for a few days.

Answer 9

How about making dessert a condition of cleaning up? Or reward them with some tasty treat if they clean up well? That might actually have some drawbacks, though; they might not grow to understand the concept of Duty, or of Responsibility. It might be better to just sit down and tell them that they have certain responsibilities, duties, that they should do proudly as members of the family, and that its part of growing up. Most kids do want to grow up. Anyway, good luck.

Answer 10

I don't know how old your kids are but mine are 2 & 4 and we sing the cleap up song! Sometimes sometimes not but when they are done they usually get a reward like a sticker or something. They clean up but not long after there is another mess so GOOD LUCK!!