Clean-up Scavenger Hunt: A Fun Way to Get Kids to Help Around the House! by Ally Ritt

Kids don’t like to pick up or help clean house, but if Mom’s clever, the job can get done with more giggles than whines. How? Use a bunch of index cards to list common clean-up jobs, such as:

• "organize dolls"
• "pick up building blocks" 
• "put books away"
• "pick pillows up off the floor"
• "fold laundry"

Then, just before cleanup begins, hide the cards around the house. Put on some fun music. Gather the kids in one location and give the old “ready, set, go.” The kids can search the house for one card at a time. Find a card; do the task. When the task is complete, look for a new card. Repeat until no cards and no mess remains.