How to Get Your Kids Involved in Spring Cleaning

With March just around the corner, now is the perfect time to get your kids involved with spring cleaning! My motto for spring preparation is out with the old and in with the new.

It’s easy for our homes to get messy during the winter season, especially as we stay indoors. Luckily, with spring cleaning you have the chance to really organize and declutter! Cleaning on such a large scale can be daunting, but when your kids help out, this huge task can be made more manageable.

Best of all, getting your kids involved in spring cleaning in 2023 can teach them lifelong skills that will help them be responsible and motivated to keep their rooms and home clean!

How Can You Get Your Kids Involved in Spring Cleaning This Year?

As a parent, I know just how difficult it can be getting your kids to clean up after themselves. My kids struggle with this daily. Most kids don’t want to do chores or help around the house. However, if you take the right approach, spring cleaning can be something that your family does together yearly.

You might even get your kids to do chores after spring if you create the right incentives for them and make cleaning fun!

1. Assign Kid-Friendly Chores

My first recommendation is to assign chores that are age appropriate. Think about it this way, if you assign chores that are too difficult or time-consuming, then your kids aren’t going to want to help you clean. Research even suggests that chores that are too hard for kids could lead to stress and depression.

So, keep your kids' age in mind when you assign them a chore. Read the last section of my post to get an idea of what chores are age-appropriate for your kids. There are tons of ways you can have your kids help without making them feel frustrated or resentful of cleaning.

2. Create a Cleaning Schedule

Once you decide on some age-appropriate chores, set up a cleaning schedule. You don’t have to do spring cleaning in one day. In fact, I find that you can make this task way more simple for the whole family by spreading out different chores and tasks over a few weeks.

Plan out when you will spring clean with your kids and decide which specific chores will be done on each day. If you want to make your schedule more visible, get a whiteboard and write out the schedule so everyone in your family knows what to expect for spring cleaning in 2023.

3. Plan a Reward System For Chores

Telling your kids they are going to clean might not go over well at first. That’s why I try to make chores rewarding for my kids. When you add incentives to cleaning, this will help give your family a reason to clean.

There are many ways you can reward your kids, but creating a system for rewards will be useful this spring. This could include giving them allowance money for finishing all their spring cleaning chores. You could also reward them with a specific toy or item they have wanted if they stick to your cleaning schedule.

I suggest using a whiteboard to check mark tasks and keep track of everything. Then once all the spring cleaning is done and accounted for you can give your kids their reward.

4. Play Music While You Clean

Another way you can motivate your kids to clean is by adding some excitement to cleaning. Music can make cleaning way more fun and upbeat. You can even dance with your kids to the beat while you clean.

I use this trick to help get chores done around the house all the time. It definitely makes the time fly by. You can even create a cleaning playlist with your kids to get them more involved in the spring cleaning process.

5. Make Cleaning Fun With Games

Along with music, I highly suggest making cleaning itself into something fun. When you make certain chores into games this makes it way easier for kids to get into cleaning. Again, most kids see cleaning as boring and repetitive. If you can make these usually boring tasks into a fun game they are more likely to help you.

For instance, have a race to see who can match socks the fastest, or play follow the leader as you go around the house and spray down windows and dust. I’ve found some great ideas for kids here at this link if you need help coming up with some other chore games!

6. Be Patient and Realistic With Your Kids

Setting up a reward system and a cleaning schedule should help you get your spring cleaning on track. Don’t expect perfection at first. Kids will be kids and sometimes they might not feel like cleaning or know how to help you. My best advice is to stay patient and be realistic with kids, especially if they are younger.

Explain the chores in detail so they know exactly what they need to do. Demonstrate chores as well, and if they don’t get it at first try not to yell. Instead, guide them through cleaning and set a good example by taking part in the cleaning with them.

7. Let Your Kids Make Some of the Cleaning Decisions

Hand over the reins to your kids every now and then. Kids like to have little control over what they are doing. Creating structure for them is great, but let them make some of the cleaning decisions.

Doing this might make them feel more mature and responsible. You can start by asking them what they think should be cleaned this spring. Also, ask them what chores they are interested in completing.

8. Have Your Kids Donate Old Clothes and Items

Finally, another way you can get kids involved in spring cleaning and spring preparation is by getting rid of clutter. You can spend a day deciding on what clothes and old toys you will donate. Giving them this chance to decide on what to get rid of can make them feel more grown up.

If you want you can even set up a garage sale and get your kids more excited to clean up and get rid of their old things!

Chore Ideas For Your Kids

Chores are a great way to teach your kids responsibility and keep your house clean. You might need some help finding age-appropriate chores for your family. In this final section of my post, I’ll go over the best chores for kids based on their age. This way you can more easily assign chores and get cleaning with your kids!

Chores For Toddlers:

- Shorting through your families laundry

- Wiping down surfaces with non-toxic chemicals

- Putting away their toys and school supplies

- Putting dirty plates and bowls in the sink or dishwasher

Chores For School-Aged Kids:

- Folding their own laundry

- Stripping down their bed and re-making it

- Dusting off surfaces

- Closet organization

- Sweeping and mopping

Chores For Teens:

- Taking out the trash

- Washing the dishes

- Organizing their room

- Bathroom cleanup

- Mowing the lawn and other yard work

- Vacuuming

Final Thoughts on Spring Cleaning 2023

Spring cleaning in 2023 doesn’t have to be difficult! When you involve your kids in your spring preparation, your whole family can get closer while you freshen up your home and mind for the warmer weather.

Getting your family to clean can be a big task on its own. With all the tips and advice I went over today, you should be able to make spring cleaning with your kids more realistic and exciting.

Feel free to share some of your own spring cleaning stories and advice for other families in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you too.