Have you ever found yourself wanting your toddler to clean up toys but it never goes as planned? You see them cleaning up toys at daycare but then they get home and nothing works? There are a few things the daycare center does that encourages the child picking up toys. Here are twelve ways to make the cleaning activity easier.

Preparation Phase

The preparation phase is the longest and hardest of the phases but it sets us up for the future. When cleaning up gets hard this is typically where the issue is.

1. Limit the number of toys. Our children acquire so many toys and it actually is a key problem to clean up toys. They are overwhelmed and over stimulated. I know some people use a toy rotation process to limit access and its a great idea. For me though I have found that it is a lot of work with no payoff.

2. Every toy has a home. If a child doesn’t know where a toy belongs then they will not be able to easily put them away. These should be clearly defined and as an added benefit helps our children to categorize and organize. What a gift!

3. Keep toy homes easy to access. There are some toys that need adult supervision and they can be kept out of reach. But the majority of the toys we are frustrated that we trip over aren’t those. Think Montessori toy storage. Low open shelves where the child can see everything, reach everything, and have control to put them back.

4. Use pictures. Have a picture on the shelves to remind where each item goes. Take after photos to show what clean looks like.

Create the Routine Phase

Now that you know what toys are in the house (because lets be honest unless everything had a place we really don’t know). It can be easy to create a plan to put in place for quick clean ups.

5. Set up times of day to pick up toys. Routines are great for toddlers it really helps them to feel safe and confident. We have an after lunch and after dinner schedule. Honestly I would prefer to do before lunch and before dinner but I have found everyone is in a better mood after a little food.

6. Create a pick up routine. I like a top down or bottom up approach. Start by cleaning under all items (beds, desks, chairs, tables). Then move to items on the floor. Finally on top of surfaces like tables and shelves. It works the same in reverse order. When first getting a toddler to join the cleanup though we work on specific items to pick up (blocks, dolls, play food…).

7. Create a checklist. Create a checklist with the pictures used earlier. A quick reminder of what clean looks like and how to get there makes a toddler feel great.

8. Set a limit for the amount of time you will allow cleaning to go on. This is by far my biggest hurdle and hardest to stick to. We are not going to expect a toddler to clean up and stay on task for an hour. If the toys have got out of hand then we need to break it down into smaller sections and stick to a 15 minute period that our child can stay on task. Each child is different… pay attention to your child’s abilities.

Maintenance Phase

Will our house’s always be clean with toys put away? Um probably not. When we trust that toys can be put away by toddlers and know that twice a day it will be done then we feel a bit less stressed.

9. Don’t let the toys get out of hand. Easier said than done am I right! It will happen from time to time but the more often we can make pick up simple the better.

10. Encourage putting toys away when done. If you are playing together with a toy. Practice putting the toy away as soon as you are done. Also, if they are requesting to play suggest that the prior toy is put away prior to new activity.

11. Start small and let the child have the win for completion. When starting the new pick up routine complete the tasks together. As they work on the skill they will be able to clean up for themselves. When cleaning up together always let the child finish the task themselves for the confidence boost.

12. Play music. If you are a toddler song kind of a parent then find a good toddler clean up song. My song choices look more like my running playlist and that’s fine too.

The key to any clean up routine is to stick to simple processes with a defined goal. When our toddlers know what clean looks like and when to do it… this became a simple process with a goal.