With guidelines and simple structures! Here are three tips to get the ball rolling:
1) Hanging Clothes
Double the hanging space and also add a double-hang rail which hangs down from the original support rail. This enables young children to be able to reach the lower rail enabling them to hang things up for themselves. Work seasonally. In the summertime put the winter stuff up on the high rail and in winter vice-versa.
2) Dump Bins with Visual Cues
Visual cues is a better word for ‘label’. Whether the labels are in word, picture, drawing or photo form (whatever is suitable for the age) use them in conjunction with baskets, plastic tubs or fabric bins and this should help things find their way home much quicker. Use for clothing, toys, sports gear and knick-knacks. Don’t get too fussy with how well they fold this will improve with age.
3) Make Cleaning Up FUN!
Have them wear a ‘clean up time’ hat, put on their favourite music CD and give them their own clipboard with a list of things to do, each item get’s a star. Sometimes children can look at a mess and not know how or where to start (some adults are like that as well) if they have a list that says, pick up pencils, pick up papers, put away colouring books, put away craft materials (do a list for each activity) with Lego it could be all the yellow pieces, then all the blue pieces, all the wheels etc. For dress-ups it would be hats, then shoes etc. If you do a laminated version of each list that can be ticked off with a whiteboard marker, even better, this can then be kept in the area or box for the activity and reused and referred to time and time again.
Remember if your children can’t read yet, use pictures or photos, and include them in the creation of these memory cards. These are just 3 ideas, stay tuned for more.
