Picking Up the Play Room

If there’s one word that doesn't describe me, it’s neat.  I did find a way to make clean up less daunting: Clean Up Flashcards.  By concentrating on just a couple toys each, cleaning up the play room is much more manageable. 

About ten minutes before bedtime, the kids blindly pull three Clean Up cards to know what items they need to put away that night.  My husband and I also choose some, so it’s a family task to pick up.  Some days some of the toys aren't even pulled out, so you end up with a “freebie” card.  We also have a catch-all bin for items that don’t really belong in any category; I usually also put those items away.

Here are the steps to make your own Clean Up Flashcards—they’re super easy to make.

Step 1: Provide a container for each kind of toy: one for blocks, one for books, etc.  (Being into reducing waste, I use empty diaper boxes as bins for toys.  That way, it’s easy for each type of toy to have it’s own container).

Step 2: Take a picture of each of the bins of toys.  Print.

Step 3: Create flashcards (I used large index cards for mine), with a picture and label of each bin.