Clean Up Clean Up

[alas542000]

Help!!!!! I AM RUNNING OUT OF IDEAS ON HOW TO GET THE OLDER KIDS TO CLEAN UP AFTER THEMSELVES. I HAVE BEEN IN THE DAYCARE BUSINESS FOR 33 PLUS YEARS AND I AM READY TO PULL MY HAIR OUT....ANY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE GREATLY APPRECIATED. :confused:

THANKS SO MUCH IN ADVANCE,
HELEN

[Michael]

Welcome to the Daycare.com Forum! I've upgraded your status. You can post freely now.

[Sprouts]

Less is more!

If yuu have a lot of toys then do a little clean up, have less available so u can be on top of them. Before it gets out of hand. It's like training a puppy consistent reinforcement

[Lilbutterflie]

We have two clean up routines daily. One before nap, the other before pickup. I don't make them clean up after each thing they take out (unless they purposely have dumped the entire bin); we save the mess for clean up time! Then we sing the clean up song and each child is in charge of cleaning up one thing at a time until everything is done. Giving each child their own task helps because then the whole mess is not so overwhelming. I praise the kids who are doing a good job, which is usually all of them! I have a bunch of great cleaner-uppers!

[Heidi]

We have two clean up routines daily. One before nap, the other before pickup. I don't make them clean up after each thing they take out (unless they purposely have dumped the entire bin); we save the mess for clean up time! Then we sing the clean up song and each child is in charge of cleaning up one thing at a time until everything is done. Giving each child their own task helps because then the whole mess is not so overwhelming. I praise the kids who are doing a good job, which is usually all of them! I have a bunch of great cleaner-uppers!

Same here, although I have definately scaled back on how much is available at once. I use clear bins just out of reach for a lot of items; a few in easy reach, and they can "trade" me for one of the high ones.

Some days are better than others, though, and I'm a little picky that things get put back in the right place, which they occasionally ignore.

[gobarno]

Got it!

After 10 years of daycare, finally on Friday I figured it out. We played Simon Says. This time when it was my turn to be Simon, I had them put the cars in the car bin, put the barbies in the barbie bin. It only took me two turns of being Simon to have the room put back together the way "I" would have done it. Guess what game we are playing on Monday!!!!!

[BumbleBee]

My "go to" when they're having a hard time picking up is giving precise directions.

"Dck1 please pick up the green blocks, dck2 please pick up the orange blocks, dck3 please put away 2 puzzles, dck4 please put away the cars, I will put away the dress up clothes."

If they refuse to clean up and someone else has to do it for them, they do not get to play with that item for the morning/afternoon.

[Annalee]

I have found it varies by age. When dealing with preschoolers, materials could be removed if they are not picked up or placed in the correct place which usually works. When dealing with toddlers, too many materials can be overwhelming leading to a "dumping fest".....this is when less becomes more. Another reason I love Family Child Care because the older children role model for the younger....role modeling, for the most part, is a positive experience. Even if I calmly take the hands of the preschooler to teach picking up, the younger children are watching and learning about expectations. Just some thoughts!

[heyhun77]

I agree with the less is more theory. I'd rather have bins of extra toys up on a shelf and handy if needed than have to pick up everything which turns into me being frustraited and the kids running around in circles.

I have a couple strategies that I use. One we call "Beat the Clock". I set a timer, I have this whole game show-y speele that I do and then we work really hard as a team to beat the clock. When we make it they get a sticker on their sticker collector (aka paper plate or strip of paper or whatever I have on hand). When they get to 10 they get a prize from the box. We count the stickers every time so they get some math in there along with the cleaning up.

The other one is to have pictures of the different toys that we have out to play with. I have each child draw one from a basket and they pick up all of that kind of toy.