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Jo123ABC 12:34 PM 04-12-2018
Do you guys have songs you sing during toy clean-up? What ages do you enforce this responsibility? Do you discipline kids who won't participate? Do you "treat" those who do? Let me know your clean-up time secrets!? You all have the kids clean up their toys right?!

Some of my kids are okay about it others choose that time to need to use the potty, fix their clothes, anythi,g to procrastinate. I caves a couple of months ago and now give a couple of m&ms to those who work hard. I'm not sure it's the best plan of action though!
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BrynleeJean 12:52 PM 04-12-2018
when i was in a center i noticed that a song, any song you want, i used like pour unfortunate souls from the little mermaid or whatever my fav disney song was and they knew in their centers that if they didnt clean up by the end of that song 100 percent that they had to like sit out 5 mins from the next center or be the last kids to pick the next center or whatever. in my groups of 3y and older
in home daycare because the ages were so varied, the older would act younger or try to get away with that childish attitude a lot i noticed instead of thriving to be the best they could like in the center, so i MAY do the song just as a Q so i don't have to yell clean up over and over but i was always very fond of if a child decided they didnt wanna clean up because they just didnt want to or whatever and i noticed, then id start telling the ones that were doing a good job to go on to the next activity or to just sit and wait here, they did their part, one by one until that child was left with whatever mess was left. id say i noticed they didnt seem to be picking things up like their friends, their friends would cheer them on.
i expect participation usually from like any age above like 1, not like your gonna get a time out if you don't but they should be following the others and are capable. id leave the mess for kids as young as 3 or maybe a mature 2.
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Josiegirl 02:14 PM 04-12-2018
I always have 1 or 2 who just 'don't want to'. So I tell them Hey, we all do things sometimes that we don't want to. I'll encourage them as much as I can and sometimes I'll tell them to pick up 5 toys or 10, something like that. Sometimes we'll play beat the timer. And yes the clean-up song. If I have 1 really stubborn kiddo I'll tell the others they're done when they've done their share. I let the other one sit there with the rest of the toys to finish picking up and he can get up and play only after he does it.

What I have a hard time with is when there is 1 certain kid who seems to go from 1 group of toys to another quick as lightening so by the time I've changed a diaper, they've already got half the playroom out.
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Blackcat31 02:36 PM 04-12-2018
Originally Posted by Jo123ABC:
Do you guys have songs you sing during toy clean-up? What ages do you enforce this responsibility? Do you discipline kids who won't participate? Do you "treat" those who do? Let me know your clean-up time secrets!? You all have the kids clean up their toys right?!

Some of my kids are okay about it others choose that time to need to use the potty, fix their clothes, anythi,g to procrastinate. I caves a couple of months ago and now give a couple of m&ms to those who work hard. I'm not sure it's the best plan of action though!
Everyone cleans up...even the youngest 14 months.

I will divide and conquer if necessary... those that do pick up move onto next activity and those that don't clean up stay put (until they clean up what was left for them).

I do occasionally give a random gummy bear or M&M as well but ONLY to those that are actively cleaning and NEVER on a regular basis....I don't want anyone cleaning up just for the treat. Gotta stay at least one step ahead of them...

After years of this, I am proud to say my group is usually awesome at cleaning up. There is of course always that one kid that will protest but never the same kid and never twice.
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storybookending 05:46 PM 04-12-2018
Everyone here cleans up as well. I do not reward they just do it. I rarely help. My youngest is (almost) 17 months and even he helps. We clean up before all transitions.. it is just something that we do. Snack time? Clean up. Going downstairs? Clean up. Lunch time? Clean up. Going outside? Clean up.

As we go along throughout our day I will sometimes have to say “oh Billy are you done with the blocks? Can you please go back and pick them up and then you can go back to the play kitchen”. My 2s and 3s don’t need many reminders. I start them really young. Child can walk? “Here Sally can you put the blocks in the bucket?” *place block in and show the bucket they belong in* Mondeling how to clean up when they are young helps tremendously once they are older.

My kiddos are at the point now when lunch is almost done I will call clean up once down the stairs and they will get everything cleaned up and get themselves lined up at the bottom of the stairs waiting for me to open the gate. They love making it a game to see if they can beat me.
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flying_babyb 05:54 PM 04-12-2018
you clean, you get a sticker.
Its what I use on those NO ONE IS LISTENING TO ME NO MATTER HOW MANY Times I say it days
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tenderhearts 08:54 AM 04-13-2018
We sing the clean up song and a couple of others and everyone cleans up together, if I have one who is refusing then they get to clean them all up themselves. It usually takes once for them to do that then they help next time.
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Tags:clean-up, pick-up time, picking up, toys
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