Spring Cleaning with Small Children: 5 Tips to Make It Fun

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Spring cleaning with small children can be a lot of work. Use these 5 tips and tricks to actually get it accomplished in a way that’s fun for everyone.

Have you heard the phrase “cleaning with kids in the house is like brushing your teeth while eating Oreos”? Spring cleaning with small children can be frustrating. Use these 5 tips and tricks to actually get the job done in a way that’s fun for you and your little helpers.

Spring Cleaning with Small Children: 5 Tips to Make It Fun - Kenarry.com

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Welcome to “Ask Kenarry,” a feature on our blog, where our friends, fans and followers ask us to gather ideas for their home or family. The question most recently posed was “What ideas do you have for spring cleaning with small children?” We threw out the question to our followers on social media and gathered five tips and tricks to help you minimize the frustration of spring cleaning with small children. Little helpers can be a big help if you implement these ideas.

ASK KENARRY QUESTION: What ideas do you have for spring cleaning with small children?

It’s spring cleaning time! Our question this month comes from a friend of mine who has two small children, ages 4 and 5. She knows toddlers and young children naturally love to help, but are often in the way or under foot. She asked us to gather some ideas to help her accomplish spring cleaning with small children.

Spring Cleaning Tip #1: Make it a family event and give them jobs to do.

Spring Cleaning with Small Children: 5 Tips to Make It Fun - Kenarry.com

  • “Sorting anything…let them dust or wash windows (at least the bottom half!)…beat rugs outside (burns off winter energy)…make it a family event and give them some choices so they feel part of the project. I can say all this with perfect 20/20 hindsight; it’s what I’d do if I had it to do over again!” – Amy, Michigan
  • Small children have short attention spans, so this year we’ve been setting aside one morning a week to tackle a spring cleaning project. We call it “Workin’ Wednesdays” and pick one or two goals to accomplish together like organizing the pantry or cleaning out the refrigerator.

Spring Cleaning Tip #2: Be patient, even if it takes longer to clean.

  • “My little guy seems to want to work right alongside me. It takes (a lot) longer but I tell myself he’s learning a valuable lesson and will be able to do it himself later on! I saw a great chart by the Montessori school on age appropriate chores though.” – Michelle, Virginia
  • Our son wants to be with us doing whatever we’re doing. He naturally wants to be a big helper. Sometimes, though, it’s hard to let him help when I know it’s going to take twice as long. I have to remind myself it’s a great opportunity to teach him how to clean and care for our home. I figure it ought to pay off in the long run when he’s older and really can be a huge help to us. It may be wishful thinking, but maybe then we can get the job done in half the time?

Spring Cleaning Tip #3: Give the kids their own cleaning tools and supplies.

Spring Cleaning with Small Children: 5 Tips to Make It Fun - Kenarry.com

  • I make dusting into a game. I give our son his own Swiffer Duster. He loves to follow along behind me and dust whatever surface I just dusted – or really anything he can find, including the dog.
  • “(My son) loves helping wash windows or anything that lets him use a spray bottle!” – Kris, Michigan
  • “Give them a spray bottle with 50/50 water/vinegar to wash walls, windows etc. if they are little, follow with cloth to wipe down the surfaces, if older, they can spray and wipe.” – Liz, Michigan
  • “Old socks on hands for dusting.” – Theresa, Michigan
  • Jenny from North Carolina suggested getting child-sized cleaning supplies for spring cleaning with small children.

Spring Cleaning with Small Children Tip #4: Crank up the music.

  • “Add music! Dance your way through it!” – Amy, Michigan
  • We make it into a cleaning party with loud music. At any time, one of us calls out “dance break” where everyone stops what they’re doing for a moment of silliness and dancing.

Spring Cleaning with Small Children Tip #5: Lower your expectations. 

  • This was perhaps my favorite response to the question. “Kenarry, cleaning can wait til those kiddos grow up and go to school all day.” – Carol, Michigan
  • I have to remind myself over and over again, they’re only little for a short period of time. Having a tidy and clean house is not important in the grand scheme of things. My mom always says “people come over to see YOU, not your house.”

Other Cleaning Tips & Tricks

Looking for other cleaning tips? Follow our Pinterest board for cleaning and organizing ideas.

What are your favorite ways to accomplish spring cleaning with small children? Please comment below to share with our readers.

What’s Next? 

While you’re here, be sure to check out other cleaning and organized tips on Ideas for the Home by Kenarry® –

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20 Comments

  1. Great tips! Found you via Eat. Create. Party! I especially love the tips about making it a family activity and lowering your expectations. Small kids (I have two in my house) have such small attention spans. Btw, if you’re interested, I have a link party over at Gingerly Made that runs from Wednesday night through Saturday night. I’d love to have you over. Have a great rest of the week!

  2. My sons used to love helping with Spring Cleaning, now as young men they have their own chores but would prefer not to do them – lol! Thanks for sharing and linking up with us at the #WWDParty.

    1. Oh boy! I can only imagine, Antionette! Sounds like I’d better enjoy the help now, then while my little guys are enthusiastic about it.

  3. Great tips and great post. I would love it if you joined and contribute your awesome posts at my link party at City of Creative Dreams on Fridays 😀 Hope to see you there at City of Creative Dreams Link Party

  4. Such great tips! Too often I try to entertain my kids with other things while I clean instead of letting them help when really that’s what they’d prefer to do. Plus it’s a great teaching opportunity. Thanks for linking up to the Link’n Blog linky party! I’m choosing you as one of the features for this weeks linky party!

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  7. Wonderful tips! I think it is vital to include kids in all of the family activities as part of their upbringing! With three little ones at home I can honestly say it is an excellent influence!

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