We had a week of very nice sunny weather. There is still frost in the morning, so are we allowed to say it is almost SPRING???? The feeling of opening up de house and letting the fresh air come in, is almost inevitable. I am starting to make lists of what needs to be done to get the house and garden Summer Ready! Personally, I think, it’s a good thing to involve the kids. But what can they do to help with spring cleaning?

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Explain why cleaning is necessary.

It might be the Dutch roots I have, but my American husband is pretty neat too. When he’s on the phone, he walks through the room and cleans everything up, that’s in his way. Our kids on the other hand, don’t have any of our genes (Where do they come from anyway?).

Our son throws everything in his closet and shuts the door. DONE! Every week I’ll let him take everything out that closet and fold his clothes, find the missing socks and put toys away in the designated bins.

Our youngest leaves books, art materials, paper cuttings and stuffed animals everywhere. I’m not allowed to put the animals away, because they are helping her clean up. UGH!!

Our oldest is a good organizer, but keeps everything and never dusts off shelves. At the moment we are remodeling their room, so I had to put everything in bins and I hope they’ll go through the bins thoroughly when the room is done.

I have to repeat regularly why dusting is needed, or cleaning the toilet, vacuum and wiping the floor. Just a simple ” Please, leave the room in the same condition as when you entered the room” is quickly forgotten.

And then they complain about not finding their pen, clean pair of socks or their favorite stuffed animal.

“Look also under the bed, under blankets, behind the stack of books. In the meantime you can pick things up and put them in the right place. I will help searching, but start to clean up first.”

Raising kids who can make decisions, like “I like that, I don’t like that anymore!”, is a good skill to have. It is not always easy, but kids like to give outgrown toys to other friends, for example.

And to be honest, I will go through their rooms when they’re at school and pick things up and donate them if I know they haven’t been playing with it for at least 6 months. Guilty? yeah, a little!

Age appropriate activities

Outside activities for toddlers

Wear weather appropriate clothes and boots.

Toddlers will learn more by watching you and you explaining what you are doing and why. Also giving them sensory activities are very helpful, like playing with leaves, sitting on grass, or moss. I had our kids “painting the fence” with water and different brushes.

1. Putting leaves in bags.
2. Cleaning patio chairs with a sponge and warm water
3. Help with planting seeds.
4. Help with cleaning windows (using a spray bottle). They spray, I wipe.

Indoor Activities for toddlers up till Kindergarten

1. Clean up toys (show them in which bin goes what with pictures on the front of the bin)
2. Watering plants
3. Help dusting surfaces
4. Help vacuum cleaning ( take the long part out of the vacuum and put the brush part back on the handle)

Outdoor Activities for older children

1. See also activities for toddlers and Kindergarten
2. Beat rugs and cushions outside
3. Sweep patio, porches, garden path ways.
4. Mow the lawn (over 12 years of age or when you think they’re capable of doing it))

Indoor Activities for older children

1. Switch out winter clothes for spring/summer clothes. Clothes that are too small, but still in good condition go into a donation box.
2. Make a donation and a trash box. Clean out the drawers and closets. What can go to donation, what is broken, what is unwanted.
3. Clean under the bed.
4. Vacuum.
5. Folding clothes and put them in the closet (Click on the image below, so M can show you how she does it!) This is the folding helper we use.

Tips and Tricks to help with Spring Cleaning.

Make it fun

I have noticed that playing music, a set time every week when everyone is cleaning and a fresh baked snack after everyone is done, helps a lot. Also the internet will be off till everyone is done.

Picture Perfect

Someone said the other day to make a picture of the room how it should look like cleaned up. The kids can use it as an example. Especially when they say:” But I just cleaned my room.” Find the differences between the picture and the real room.

Structured cleaning

What I used to do when I was little, I got a bucket with water and a rag and a towel. I started on the left side of my door and worked all the way around my room, until I finished on the right side of the door.

Also, teach children to play with something and clean it up before they go to bed.

Rotate toys for small children

Do you have a problem tripping over toys everywhere? Put out a basket with some toys in the play area and switch toys every week. Look for educational toys that spark interest and creativity. Your child won’t be overwhelmed with too many toys and not quickly bored by playing with the same thing over and over again. Check if your child is really interested in something, then leave that toy for a little longer.

I say this, because I’ve noticed that kids don’t need so many toys. Coming from the Netherlands, people call us clean-freaks and very neat and organized. They say: Less is more! And as a parent you are an example. Sometimes during play dates here in the US I am shocked , how much stuff people have. I know, it is a personal thing and if people feel happy about it, it is their choice. I just cannot function in a crowded house and it all collects dust…..not to mention hurting myself by tripping over stuff.

Finding “NEW” toys.

A funny thing which happens when kids are cleaning, they find “new” stuff! “Oh, look what I’ve found!” A lot of times, iPads are forgotten for a few more hours….I’ll take it!

Giving everything a place (a basket, a box or bin), is easier for kids to clean up and put things in their place. When the kids were little, I labeled the bins with pictures, and now with words.

What to do with school stuff?

Kids come home with a ton of school stuff, papers and art work. I don’t want to nag them about those every day, so put out a basket where they can dump all there school stuff in (except when it is a permission slip), will keep the room clean for about a week. When it’s cleaning time, I go through the paperwork with them, so they can show me what they did that week. I make a picture of their art projects, so we can enjoy them for years. For our youngest I made a pin board for her room, so she can put new drawings and paintings on there.

Do you have fun, creative tips and tricks to share? I hope this will help you this year with your spring cleaning.

Danielle

Hello everyone,

Welcome to my Crafty Dutch Girl blog! Grab a cup of “koffie” and browse through fun blog posts about our Dutch family expat life in the USA, Dutch history, Dutch recipes, Dutch things to do in the USA and all kinds of crafts and activities. Don’t forget to connect with me for new ideas! “Groetjes en tot ziens”.