5 Clean Up Tips for Messy Play

Kids love messy play, whether it's painting, playing with goop, or making mud pies - making messes are part of the hands-on experience of life. But, helping children to learn to "clean-up" can be a necessary and enjoyable part of learning too! Read on for 5 clean up tips for messy play making the cleaning time almost as fun as the learning process.

-Play music during clean up time. Tell the children they need to be completed with their cleaning by the time the song is done (this works well with a song that the children are familiar with). Children even enjoy cleaning up to classical music that has a lively beat. Encourage them to move with the rhythm or sing along quietly.

-Make use of shaving cream to clean tables. Just a squirt of inexpensive shaving cream goes a long way and the children love to smear it around, making designs and letters. Before the cream dries, use damp sponges to wipe up the residue and then have the children wash their hands thoroughly. A special bonus to this clean up is that your room is left smelling clean and fresh. Please advise the children of the importance of not getting the cream in their eyes - it stings!

-Divide your students into groups (or teams) and give each group a color. Place a colored dot or stamp the child's hand in the team's color. Then tell the children that they must listen carefully for their team's instructions. This activity can reinforce several concepts - colors, listening skills and teamwork.

-After a grimy activity, such as fingerpainting or outdoor play, have the children clean under their nails with the help of a fingernail brush. This specialized cleaning tool which can be purchased inexpensively at most drug stores or dollar stores, may be unfamiliar to most children but the novelty of using something new will increase their enthusiasm for what is often a routine chore. Follow up with a discussion of other clean up items we use daily, like wash cloths for our face and body, toothbrush for our teeth, nail clippers, and so on. This could be the beginning of a health and hygiene lesson.

-Let the children assist in outdoor clean up tasks. Why not turn a routine walk to the park into an environmental clean up activity? Provide the children with bags to pick up liter or to clean up fall leaves. You may even want the children to wear disposable gloves. Even Mother Nature can be messy! At the end of the walk, let the children toss their bags into the trash bin (or a recycle bin according to what has been collected). Make sure they wash their hands as soon as possible. The children can cheer as they have left their carbon footprint for a healthier and cleaner environment.

Cleaning up is part of everyday life and these 5 clean up tips for messy play are necessary chores that can be done in a fun manner. If you think of others, please add them to the comment section below.

Source: Personal Experience in the Classroom and Home