Picking up toys is one of the first jobs a little one can learn. It’s also one of the first things they’ll say “no” to. Here’s what I’ve learned as a Grammy about making clean-up the fun part of the day.
Why a song works
Toddlers love rhythm and repeating things. A song gives them something to do with their bodies and their voices while their hands do the work. It also turns “you have to” into “let’s do this together,” and that makes all the difference.
You don’t need a good singing voice. Little ones don’t care. They just want you in on it with them.
Keep it short and simple
Pick a tune your little one already knows, or make one up. Keep the words to a few short lines that repeat. Something like “Toys go in, toys go in, now it’s time to clean.” Simple is better. The point isn’t the song. The point is the feeling of doing it together.
Make it a game
Here are a few things that help:
- Sing the same song every time, so it becomes the signal that clean-up is starting.
- Give each little helper one kind of toy to find, like “all the blocks” or “everything red.”
- Put one toy away on each beat, and see if you can finish before the song ends.
- Cheer when the floor is clear, even if it’s not perfect.
Little ones are proud when they finish something. Let them feel it.
Go easy on yourself
Some days it’ll work and some days it won’t. A tired toddler is a tired toddler. On those days, sing it anyway and do most of the picking up yourself. They’re still learning the routine just by being there.
Over time, the song does the work. You start humming and little hands start reaching for toys before you even ask.
Start with a story
This is exactly why I wrote Clean Up with Grammy. In the book, Grammy and her little helpers turn clean-up time into a song, and the mess is gone before the last line. Reading it together first gives little ones a picture of how clean-up can go, and then you can sing it for real.
You’ll find the words to Grammy’s clean-up song inside the book, so you can sing along right from the pages. Note for Mom: I guessed this. Is it right?
The book is short enough to read before clean-up, and it ends with two coloring pages for a quiet moment after.
Try it tonight
Grab the first pages free, read them together, and try your own clean-up song the next time the toys come out. You might be surprised who starts singing first.
