Have a tidy up day

If your calls of ‘tidy up time everyone’ are being met with a lot of huffing and puffing, it’s at least good to know children are having so much fun they don’t want to pack away. But why not turn your tidy up times into little activities that children can look forward to? You could even have a dedicated tidying up day, using some of the activities outlined in this article. It’s a great way to cover PSED and Physical Development with everyone working as a team, with lots of additional areas of learning being covered at the same time.

Make a pick-a-job box

Write the names of your tidy up jobs on cards and place in a box. Tell the children to close their eyes and pick a card which you can then read to them, explaining what the task involves. The children will then go off to complete the task on the card they selected. Keep jobs simple and specific. For example, ‘Put dressing up clothes back in the big blue box’ rather than simply ‘Tidy up clothes’, especially as younger children may not be sure of what this involves and may require specific instructions – give children clear goals.

Try adding some fun tasks too, such as being a room inspector once all the tidying has been done; you can even make some badges for the inspectors to wear or provide a special hat for the job. Another favourite is the role of snack time helper, where children get to help pass round fruit and snacks. By being a bit sneaky, you can make sure everyone gets a turn at ‘inspector’ and any other favourite jobs.