New Mindee loves pretending to clean - help with ideas

[AgentTink]

Hi all I have a new mindee starting on the 1st September, who is 18 months old, and during his visit to my home his parents told me that he loves cleaning up and straight away he went for my toy hoover and dust pan and brush.

I am just in the middle of writting my monthly plan for next month, and based on my observations of him from that first visit i already have a few different activities that i would like to do with him, however i am stuck on how to incorporate his love of cleaning into a activity. Does anybody know any songs about cleaning or any activities which would incorporate cleaning?

Thanks Stacey

[singingcactus]

All my kids help weekly in washing the toys we've had out, before we put out fresh ones. They also wipe down the shelves etc. This is their way to become involved in caring for their immediate environment and learning to shape it to suit themselves and others. Don't really know what sort of things you want, but we wash dolls clothes, dressing up clothes and soft toys and hang them out at child level. I assist them in washing their own pots, wiping down their own table and sweeping up after themselves. They have the play kitchen area where they can wash toy pots etc.

[Chimps Childminding]

At our nursery they sing the following as they are tidying the toys away!

Clean up, clean up, everybody, everywhere,
Clean up, clean up, everybody do their share!

Know its not really a "cleaning" song, but could be sung as he is "cleaning" and is short and repetitive enough that he could pick up a few words!!

[Katiekoo]

I have a little 15 month old mindee who loves cleaning up! I let him sweep the play house and my kitchen. He wipes his own hands before or after activities. I get him a washing up bowl with water and bubbles and cloths and pots to 'wash up'. I let him wipe the table after lunch. When we play shop/cafe he is always the one clearing dishes! It's so sweet! A good game is to get tissue pieces and get some of the children to make a right mess on the floor then ask everyone to sweep them up/ pick them up and put them in a pot - we do this over and over! It also works well in autumn with leaves! Elefun has this element to the play, the butterflies go everywhere, if you wanted to get a game.
Song ; - to the tune of 'head, shoulders, knees and toes'
Now.... it's time to tidy up, tidy up,
Now.... it's time to tidy up, tidy up,
We're finished now, we've had enough, now.... it's time to tidy up, tidy up!

[littlegremlins]

I have a little 15 month old mindee who loves cleaning up! I let him sweep the play house and my kitchen. He wipes his own hands before or after activities. I get him a washing up bowl with water and bubbles and cloths and pots to 'wash up'. I let him wipe the table after lunch. When we play shop/cafe he is always the one clearing dishes! It's so sweet! A good game is to get tissue pieces and get some of the children to make a right mess on the floor then ask everyone to sweep them up/ pick them up and put them in a pot - we do this over and over! It also works well in autumn with leaves! Elefun has this element to the play, the butterflies go everywhere, if you wanted to get a game.
Song ; - to the tune of 'head, shoulders, knees and toes'
Now.... it's time to tidy up, tidy up,
Now.... it's time to tidy up, tidy up,
We're finished now, we've had enough, now.... it's time to tidy up, tidy up!

I love this, that song works perfectly. I have Mission Impossible theme tune on my laptop but it only lasts about 30secs so I have to play it a few times..the only thing that seems to really inspire my own daughter

[AgentTink]

thanks all for those great suggestions I cant wait for him to start in September now

[PinkFairy24]

Hehe when reading this I just started singing the tidying up song my 18 month old daughter learnt in 'Sing and Sign' classes and came across it in Katiekoo's post! LOL! She loves cleaning and cleans her table and mine after eating and tries to wash her face and hands. It's very cute

Xxx