Ever try to get a little one to clean up the toys at the end of the day? Why not make it fun with a toy room music clean up. Make up a game to get the kids moving and engaged. You can put your own personal spin on it to make it relatable to your kid’s ages and preferences. Get creative and get your kids to clean up in a fun way! I suggest this activity well before the kids are exhausted from a day of play. Maybe before lunch, while changing activities or after a nap. This can be played in the yard in the summer as well.

Music cleanup is a great way to engage everyone in clean up activities. Everyone starts moving when the music starts and puts toys, games, art supplies in their proper places. When the music stops, everyone FREEZE! If anyone moves after the music stops, they have to pick 2 items to put away, then freeze again. Keep starting and stopping the music until the room is completed.

Be sure to make this fun with mom, dad, nana or the sitter cleaning up and the child stopping the music! Throw in moves after the music stops so that they get to see you picking up the extra items as well. Kids love to be in charge and have fun. Make it a game and clean up will be easy breezy!

For summer clean up. Have the kids all stand in one area. When you say go, they race to one item, put it away and come back to the starting line. You can time them or put teams together so that they work together to get it all done. Make clean up time early enough that they are not too tired to participate. Then allow one thing at a time to come out the rest of the evening.