There is no such word as "chore" in a preschooler's vocabulary! The most boring and annoying jobs in the home sparkle with glamour to your preschool child—especially if these jobs are activities for preschoolers that involve water. If you don't mind a little mess, try some of these family ideas. Let your preschooler "scrub" the sink with a scrubby and dish soap. If you do mind a mess, teach your child to clean up his own spills. Whether splashing it down or wiping it up, water play is one of the most fun family activities.
What You Need
- Soft rags or small towels
- A kitchen scrubber pad
- A little dish soap (Avoid cleansers-they are too harsh for a child's delicate skin.)
Let's Go!
Using a stool or a stable kitchen chair, let your child stand at the sink. Be sure to stay nearby to supervise this activity. Roll up his sleeves, pour a spot of dish soap on the scrubber and let him rub the sides and bottom of the sink. After the scrubbing, let him rinse the sink and his scrubby and then dry and polish the sink with the soft rags or small towels.
Help him do a good job by asking him to look over his work carefully and "fix" any missed spots or dry up any spills on the counter top or floor. Remind him to throw the rags or towels in the dirty laundry when finished. Then, give it a final inspection from the "Kitchen Health Inspector" and give a pat on the back for a job well done.
Janet Pletcher has a Master's Degree in Child Development and is the instructor of the Early Childhood Education/Teacher Cadet program at Ingham Intermediate School District.