If you need some creative ways to make spring cleaning fun for kids, check out this unique list of 9 ideas that will make you feel like Mary Poppins.
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If you have a kid who loves chores, doesn’t complain about doing them and cleans up after their own messes (and others), then you are probably in the .00000001% of parents. *wink* However, for most kids, they are super good at making messes and not so good at cleaning them up. And if they didn’t make the mess? Meltdowns ensue!
Am I being a bit dramatic? Maybe. But I think it’s safe to say that as a parent, we all face challenges when it comes to getting our kids to help clean. That’s why, as much as I just want my kids to do their chores without fussing, this is the reality: if I can incorporate an element of fun, then “Snap! The job’s a game!” (Thank you, Mary Poppins.)
While the need to clean never goes away, I always feel an extra desire to do a nice, deep clean of my house in the springtime. It’s a big job and one I can’t do on my own. You know what’s also a big job? Teaching my kids to become responsible, capable human beings. That means they need to help with the chores.
9 Creative Ways to Make Spring Cleaning Fun for Kids
Below you’ll find 9 creative ways to make spring cleaning fun for kids. Each one caters to a kid’s desire to have fun. And by the end of their task, hopefully your home will be a little bit cleaner. *wink* Click on any of the ideas in the table of contents to jump right to that spot in the post!
Dart Board Chores
Prep time: 5 minutes
One of my kids’ favorite ways to make chores fun is our dart board. The one we have has velcro balls that you throw at a felt board. (I’ve seen magnetic dart boards as well.) We have a small legend we stick up next to the board so they know which number correlates with which chore.
For example: 10 or 20 – make bed, 30 or 40 – pick up 10 items and put them away, 50 or 60 – Mom’s choice, etc. You can make the legend as detailed or broad as you want, depending on the ages of your kids and quantity of chores that need to be done.
Part of what makes this fun is they don’t know what it’s going to land on. If they land on a number for a chore they already did, they get to choose their next chore or throw again. If they land on a bullseye, they get a small piece of candy.
This idea comes from my post called 20 Ways to Make Chores Fun for Kids.
Chore Sticks
Prep time: None (after 5-10 minutes for initial set up)
My friend Meg from The Many Little Joys uses this chore sticks method as the chore system for her three boys. Why? Because it’s so easy! All you need for this one is a jar, a marker and popsicle sticks. Write one chore on each stick and then let your child pick one out of the jar. When it’s complete, they set it to the side (or in another jar marked “done”) and keep picking sticks until they are gone and their chores are done. You can check out all the details on why this is such a successful system, plus find 15+ chore ideas to get you started.
“Non-Chores”
Prep time: 5-10 minutes
Another favorite of my kids is when my husband or I write down their list of chores, but we mix funny, or what we call “non-chores”, in.
Some ideas to include are:
- Do 5 jumping jacks
- Run around the (outside of the) house
- Pick a piece of candy to eat during your next chore
- Give mom/dad a kiss
- Hug a sibling
- Pull a silly face
- Tell a joke
This idea comes from my post called 20 Ways to Make Chores Fun for Kids.
Super Spy Cleaning Game
Prep time: None
Imagine if you could save the world AND get a cleaner house at the same time. Think it’s impossible? Not with this fun super spy cleaning game! Help your kids choose a super secret spy name and give them their mission: they must clean up a certain room in X amount of minutes or the world will explode. Can they do it? Start the timer and watch how quickly the space becomes clean again. The reason why this works so well is that kids become so focused on the game part that they forget they are cleaning. Pretty sneaky, eh? Read more about this super spy cleaning game over at The Many Little Joys.
Use Your Camera
Before/After Photos
Prep time: None
There’s something about a good old before and after that is just so satisfying, isn’t it? My kids think so too! All that’s needed for this one is to take a picture of what a room or space looks like before the chore is done, then take another when it’s clean and do a side by side. You could even go the extra mile on this one and post it on your social media with some praise for your kids on a job well done.
Timelapse
Prep time: None
Most cameras on phones today come with a recording option called a “timelapse”. Basically, it’s a sped up video of a longer task. Setting my tripod up and doing a timelapse for more time consuming or extra dirty chores is right up there with the before/after. My kids love watching the sped up video on my phone and laughing at how funny it looks. It’s a fun way to take a short break between chores and helps kids feel a sense of accomplishment.
Trash Bag Monster
Prep time: None
This is a great cleaning tip for spaces where there is a lot of trash. (For example: party clean up, after unwrapping presents, yard work, etc.) All you need to do is grab a trash bag and tell your kids “This is the trash monster and he LOVES to eat trash!” Eat time a piece of trash is thrown into the bag, you can pretend to gobble it up and yell “FEED ME!” Open and close the trash bag and let the kids make a game out of trying to get the trash in without getting their hand chomped. You can get 5 more tried and true cleaning strategies by clicking over to —> this post!
Disco Ball Dance Party
Prep time: None
One of the best purchases I’ve made is a mini disco ball light. It’s portable, plugs into the wall and has a remote with different color and pattern settings. We like to pull our mini disco light out when we do chores later in the day (like dishes and cleaning up the kitchen) because it has a bigger impact. But we’ve also used it during the day and it’s still fun.
Add in some music and you have yourself a dance party (that also happens to leave the space cleaner than when you started)! I’ve also let my kids take the disco ball into their rooms while they clean and they like that too.
This idea comes from my post called 20 Ways to Make Chores Fun for Kids.
Trinket Treasure Box
Prep time: None
Raise your hand if your kids loves collecting small items that you probably consider trash. I’m talking about the cheap plastic toys in Happy Meals, the bouncy ball from the vending machine, a rock they found in the yard, party favors, etc. They are random and don’t have a lot of value to anyone except the kid they belong to. That’s why a “trinket treasure box” is such a brilliant idea! (When Meg from The Many Little Joys told me about it, I couldn’t believe I hadn’t thought of it before.)
The treasure box can be as simple as a small, clear plastic bin with a lid, a cardboard shoe box or a photo storage box. Or you can even go as far as buying a fake treasure chest. The point isn’t what the box looks like. It’s to have a place for your kids to put the things they consider special. And the key to making sure they don’t accumulate too much is that they can only keep what fits in the box. When the box starts getting full, it’s time to go through it and see if they want to keep or toss what’s inside.
Chore BINGO
Prep time: 2 minutes (after 5-10 minutes of initial set up)
Any time I pull out a BINGO game, my kids can’t wait to play! You can use small snacks or pieces of candy as markers. Then when they get a BINGO (or blackout), they get to eat the snack/candy. I have an entire post where you can read more about how to use and adapt the game. Plus, get the chore BINGO printable cards for free!
I hope you found these ideas helpful as a way to make spring cleaning fun for kids! Do you have other suggestions? Leave them in the comments!
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