Mary Poppins sure makes picking up toys look easy, doesn’t she? She’s got all these games, these songs and that magic bag which holds far more interesting things than my designer knock-off. If my kids had Mary Poppins around, they would have no trouble at all picking up their toys, would they?
But the truth is they do have a Mary Poppins. If moms are enthusiastic, compete against them in a healthy way and stay cheerful, I believe moms can get toddlers to do anything!
This is the second segment in a series of three in which I suggest that games can motivate toddlers. You can read the first segment here. (Please add in link.)
Before you do anything, you need to get your child’s attention. I have all of my children come to me and I say something ridiculous, like “Everyone come here and put your finger on my nose.” Okay, now that you’re close to me, this is what I want you to do.
Before you do anything, you need to get your child’s attention. I have all of my children come to me and I say something ridiculous, like “Everyone come here and put your finger on my nose.” Okay, now that you’re close to me, this is what I want you to do.
1. Pick up by color. The game is to pick up only the spilled Duplos that are yellow. Once those are done, and Mommy has cheered them on, move to blues, greens and red.
2. Pick a number. This is how I got my toddler to count to ten and pick up his toys at the same time. To add to the challenge, we started at ten. When ten things were picked up, then I said nine, then eight and so on. This makes the child understand number concepts, rewards them with a smaller number and builds concentration.
3. Race Mommy! Can you pick up the cars before Mommy folds the laundry? Can you put away your clothes before Mommy dries the dishes? Often, I have to say, “I’m almost done! I’m going to win!” And then, like lightening, my toddler will rush to get those last few markers off the floor. The kids all jump around and say, “I won! I won!” but the truth is that Mommy is the winner every time!
4. Invisible Olympics. One year, during the Olympics, I awarded invisible gold, silver and bronze medals all day. “You, Ariel Elizabeth Grubb, picked up these toys faster than anyone! You are the gold medal winner!” I hummed the Olympic theme, made them stand up straight and hung, an invisible gold medal around their necks. Invisible medals are always on hand, inexpensive and greatly prized at my house. Then we had another race and won more medals.
5. Dogs Barking And Other Animal Noises. The child picks up three things and Mommy makes an animal sound. Come on, Mom, you can be a hilarious pig if you just try!
6. Hungry Piggy. Let’s pretend the toy box is a hungry piggy and all the toys are his food! This will work with any hungry animal, and it works best when combined with #5.
7. Pirates or other Treasure Seekers. The toy box is our treasure box. We’re hunting through the jungle for treasure. When we find something, quick! Get it in the box!
8. Berry Picking. All of the toys are berries and we need a lot to make pies. Boys might not care for this one (my daughters made this one up).
9. Mommy Sees. Mommy sees something that is red. Pick it up, put it away and then ask, “Is that it?” If it is, you win a point. Start with the obvious things first, then, as the game progresses, choose the yellow Lego way in the corner. You’ll have the room half-done by the time your toddler finds it.
10. Timer Games. Set your timer for one minute. Count how many things you picked up. Reset the timer. Can you beat your score?
11. Music Pick Up. Turn on your favorite CD. Go to one room and for the length of that song, pick up as much as you can. When the new song begins, run to the next room and pick up as fast as you can. Repeat until adequately clean.
12. Make up a family cleaning song. “I’m gonna clean, clean, clean” This gets everyone excited about picking up.
13. Love game. "Go pick up ten things, run in here as fast as you can and give me a hug and a kiss and go back and get more."
When you are finished, get excited about a job well done. “Doesn’t the house look great?” Follow up. Check their work. Don’t berate them if they don’t complete it, they probably won’t, just teach them accountability. In one game we played, I was a toy-eating wolf. I gave my daughters a few minutes to put their toys away and then I crawled in, growling looking for toys to eat. They loved it!
Who really needs magic powers? You can train your kids to pick up their toys with fun games. And then you can reward yourself with a great, classic Disney movie.
Editor's Note: This is part two in a three-part series. The final posts will be made next Friday; the first post was made last Friday.
brilliant! i'm sxcited to try a few new "games". kids are home from school= more messes for sure!
ReplyDelete