Keeping your kids entertained while you are trying to clean the house can be an absolute nightmare, and it’s even worse if you are trying to get your children to clean and tidy their bedrooms.
If you aren’t ready to call in the domestic cleaners yet, a way to make the process a whole lot easier (and quicker too, which is always a bonus) is to turn your cleaning routine into a selection of games.
Here are our top 10 house cleaning games for kids, which should help you in your quest for a perfectly clean home (without the hassle of getting your children engaged).
1. Scavenger hunt
If you have ever done a treasure hunt in the park or even an Easter egg hunt at home, then you already have the process of this fun cleaning game down to a tee. If you want to get your little ones to clean and tidy their bedrooms, simply hide small, little treats underneath the mess.
If you don’t really want your kids to be hunting for sweets or chocolates, small pieces of stationery like erasers and pencils could do the trick too.
The first one to tidy their bedroom wins! And it’s a win-win situation for you too, as all you need to do is hide the rewards.
2. Role playing
Making cleaning fun for kids can be very difficult – it’s difficult even for adults from time to time. This one requires a bit of investment, but think about buying a children’s cleaning kit – the JOYIN Pretend Play cleaning set (Amazon, £15.99) has everything your children will need to make cleaning fun.
Perfect for boys and girls, this allows kids to use their imaginations – giving them the opportunity to own their own cleaning and understanding what it takes to keep their home clean and tidy.
3. Cleaners to the rescue
Children’s bedrooms are often some of the messiest areas of any home and getting them to keep their rooms tidy is a difficult task. In this messy bedroom cleaning game, use a favourite cuddly toy as a prince or princess in distress, and the only way to save them is a race against the clock to clean their rooms.
This is a great cleaning game to play with multiple children as they can simultaneously clean their rooms while you tackle other areas in the house.
4. Laundry race
Doing laundry is a chore for anyone but having help from your kids should help make it a little easier for you to stomach.
In this game, grab a whistle and set some rules early on that your children should separate their clothes into darks, whites and coloureds. At the bottom of the stairs, get them ready, blow your whistle and make sure they bring any clothing they find to the washing machine.
The first one to finish the task is the winner – and it’s up to you whether you dish out any prizes.
5. Dress up
This is such a simple idea to get your children in the spirit to get the dusters out. Using any dress up clothes, let your little one get into character and help you clean around the house.
The aim of the game is simple, spending some quality time with your kids and getting the house clean and tidy. Win win.
6. Pick a task
Giving your kids a task to do can sometimes result in a tantrum. If that sounds familiar, try allowing them to pick their own cleaning tasks to do.
Before you begin, write down a list of tasks that need to be done on a large piece of paper or card. With colourful pens or stickers, allow your children to select which tasks they would like to have a go at.
7. Musical statues
Everyone has played this game at some point in their lives – be it at school or at a party. The rules of the game are same, but you’re cleaning your home in the process too.
As you go room by room, make sure you have some music with you (Alexa is a great tool for this game). Every few minutes, stop the music mid-task, making sure they freeze in situ. This is a great game to get your kids laughing and joking – forgetting about some of the more mundane cleaning tasks.
At the end of the session, keep track of who performed best and give them a little treat – whether it be a book, some sweets or some stationery.
8. Floor is lava
A classic game that requires a stopwatch or smartphone and a little imagination. This messy bedroom cleaning game is perfect for speed tidying if you have other plans for the rest of the day.
At the door to your child’s bedroom, let them know that the floor turns to lava in a specified amount of time, and they must tidy as much of their room before moving to their bed or a chair as the floor turns to lava. Start the timer and watch the magic happen!
Keep repeating the challenge until the room is completely tidy. A simple game that is also great exercise.
9. Dice tasks
This one is an incredibly simple cleaning game for your kids. Each number on a pair of dice relates to a different cleaning task. Before starting the challenge, write down the numbers 1 to 12 on a large piece of paper or card.
Whichever number the dice land on is the task that your children have to complete. If you wanted to do this one more often, you could buy a whiteboard or chalkboard and change the tasks around to keep it fresh.
10. Hide and seek
We all know this game. Hide one of your children’s favourite toys and ask them to search for it and tidy as they go.
If you have more than one child, aim to hide a couple of toys for each of them to keep the game going for as long as possible. That way you can get on with some of the chores you need to do while the kids are helping out and having fun too.
And that’s it. 10 amazing house cleaning games to keep your kids occupied during holidays or on rainy weekends!
If you are planning on moving home in the near future, and the job is a little big for you to do yourself, our end of tenancy cleaning services could be just what you have been looking for.
