Spring Cleaning with Young Children

Spring is the time of year for cleaning. Your young children can help with cleaning tasks, especially when they are members of a team that works together. Such activities help children focus on a task, talk about what needs to be done, and follow through until completion. These experiences can promote a sense of competence and show children that everyone benefits from teamwork.

In the March 2005 issue of Young Children, Nancy Jones writes that she uses big jobs in her early childhood program. She defines a big job as "a useful, helpful task that requires several people to work together." Such tasks typically involve physical activity, problem solving and communication for planning and directing.

During her 30 years as an early childhood professional, Jones says she has observed that children benefit from completing big jobs. After finishing group tasks, she says children work more diligently at challenging activities and are friendlier with peers. Most importantly, children experience personal satisfaction by taking charge of themselves and the world around them.

Here are some ideas for indoor and outdoor big jobs for the home and early childhood setting. With the right tools (small buckets, sponges, rags, child-size shovels and rakes) and adult supervision, children can work together to complete big jobs.