Working on preschool cleanup strategies? Preschoolers can struggle to keep their environments clean. After a long day of play, cleaning up a mess just isn’t fun. You’ve probably tried some strategies already, but if you’re looking for more, here are a few that you may not have tried yet.
Build Those Skills
Some skills come naturally to preschoolers. They don’t have to learn how to play, sing, or ask hundreds of questions throughout the day. (That’s not an exaggeration, by the way. The average four-year-old literally asks up to 300 questions every day.)
Other skills have to be taught, and cleanup is one of those skills. Instead of telling your child to clean, teach them how to do it.
Pick a Color
Children can get overwhelmed when they look at a big mess. Often, when they don’t start cleaning right away, it’s not because they’re not listening to you. It’s because they don’t know where to start. You can help them find a place to start by breaking it down into simple categories.
One of our favorite preschool cleanup strategies is to ask the child to choose a color. Then, the child can put away every item of that color. Once your child is finished with one color, ask them to pick a new one. Keep going until everything is put away.
Label the Playroom
Older children can make to-do lists, but since preschoolers don’t have that skill yet, your preschool cleanup strategies should be more visual. For example, you might create visual labels to put around your child’s playroom. You and your child can create these labels together. You can draw a big picture of a book to hang on the bookshelf, a picture of a teddy bear to tape to the toy bin, etc. The visuals can help your child remember where everything goes.
You can even take this strategy a step further and create a cleanup poster with matching labels. This way, your child can clean using one category at a time. Just like the color strategy, these clear visuals can keep your child from getting overwhelmed.
Keep a Consistent Pattern
No matter which preschool cleanup strategies you use, try to keep a consistent pattern every time. It may take some trial and error for you and your child to figure out which strategy works best for them. Once you’ve found one that works, though, try to stick to it. Consistency will help your child build habits, and when cleanup becomes a habit, it won’t feel so much like a chore.
Preschool Cleanup Strategies at Legacy
Another option is to get your child’s preschool teachers involved. When you enroll your child in preschool, your child’s teachers can reinforce the skills that you’re teaching them at home. Look for preschools that emphasize life skills as well as academic skills.
At Legacy Academy, for instance, we go beyond colors and numbers to help your child reach their fullest potential. Your child is already ready to learn. It’s just a matter of finding the right way to teach them.
Call now to enroll your child or if you have any questions about Legacy, our COVID-19 precautions, or related subjects. The Legacy team would love to talk to you.
