Games and strategies to turn chores into playtime!
Number of Players: 2+ (see below for rules for two players) How to: All players stand in a circle. One player starts by secretly choosing an item in the room that needs to be put away and pretends to hold… Read moreHands
Improv Cleaning Game: Skits – How to: Have all players gather five or ten items that need to be put away and place them in a bag or a box. The players then stand in a circle…
Cleaning games for kids: Charades. In charades, players take turns silently acting out an object in the room…
Improv Cleaning Games: Props – Each player gathers 10 things that need to be put away, puts their collection of mess in a cardboard box (or any large container – bag, bin, etc) and passes their box to another player. The players then stand in a large circle and…
Number of Players: 1+ How to: Players pretend to be Cinderella (or Cinderevan for the boys) trying to finish all of their chores quickly enough that they can make themselves a beautiful gown (or a handsome suit) and be able to attend the ball. The room… Read moreCinderella
Number of Players: 1+ How to: Players pretend to be Princess Snow White (boys can use the name: Prince Ice Grey). The room(s) that need to be cleaned are the room(s) of the dwarves’ cottage. Tips: As they are picking up… Read moreSnow White and the Messy Dwarves
Number of players: 3+ This is a variation of freeze tag. Pretend that “it” is an ogre overseeing a mining operation. The other players are goblins working in the mine (aka cleaning). The goblins don’t like working in the mine… Read moreThe Ogre’s Clean Mine
This is a quick way to get some cleaning done. It can be used multiple times per day to keep up a comfortable level of tidy. You can have your kid(s) do a quick 20 thing pick-up just before dinner, before going outside to… Read more20 Thing Pick Up
This strategy works well to break a daunting messy room down into manageable tasks. How to: Decide on divisions for the room. Split the room up into corners and/or areas depending on the size of the room and the amount of work… Read moreClean a Corner
Number of players: 3+ Materials needed: blank paper and pens or pencils How to: Divide into two teams and pick a room. Take turns having one person on each team draw an item in the room that needs to be put away… Read morePicture It Pick Up