Hot Topics     Home and Family    

10 house cleaning games for kids



Get kids to clean while having fun, we hope!

Get kids to clean while having fun


You want your child to be responsible when it comes to keeping a room or home clean but face it—housework can be boring. Ladonna Dennis, a mom blogger, offers these games and tools to engage kids almost effortlessly in learning the art of keeping house.

Cleaning kit for a toddler: Little ones like to imitate their parents, and what a privilege it is for them to have their own tools! Stock a cardboard box or plastic bin with a mini sponge, a kid-sized broom and dustpan, sample bottles of non-toxic cleaning products (possibly filled with water).

Spray bottle: There's something about spraying that's fun for just about anyone, and it can't slosh excess water in undesirable places. Give your child the bottle and a sponge and ask them to clean a section of the floor or other easy-to-reach spot or help you out with your cleaning task.

Treasure hunt: Hide toys and goodies around the house and tell your child they can be found by putting away items that are out of place.

Photos before and after: Let you child take a photo of a messy room and then another photo when it's all cleaned up. The comparison will be instructive, and they'll have fun focusing the shots.

Dice game: Make a list of cleaning tasks numbered one through six. Have your child roll a die to decide in what order to tackle the tasks.

Make a commercial: Shoot a video of your kids cleaning house with a voiceover singing the praises of a cleaning product.


Scratch-off cards: Make your own scratch-off cards with the names of chores under the paint. Kids scratch off the paint to see what chore they'll do next.

Laundry colors: Shout out a color and ask your child to bring you all their dirty laundry in that color. If you have more than one child, make it a race.

Floor target: Make a circle on the floor with tape and ask your child to sweep all the dirt and crumbs into the circle.

Cleaning in character: Have your child pick a character from a book, fairy tale, or movie. They are to clean while impersonating that character.

Freeze dance: Put on music, and have your child simultaneously dance and clean up. When you stop the music, they freeze in position. When the music starts again, they go back to dancing and cleaning—as many times as it takes to get the room clean.



Other articles by HVP News Reporters