{"id":2337,"date":"2016-08-18T13:43:56","date_gmt":"2016-08-18T17:43:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/?page_id=2337"},"modified":"2025-09-16T12:39:05","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T16:39:05","slug":"6-learning-activities-to-do-during-chore-time","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/6-learning-activities-to-do-during-chore-time\/","title":{"rendered":"Games For Chores And Cleanup"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Almost any chore can be used to teach language and communication skills, matching and sorting, and even pretend play. Let\u2019s begin with laundry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>1. DRIVING TO THE WASHING MACHINE: FAST, SLOW, STOP &amp; GO<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>You can do this at home or in a laundromat, as long as the laundromat is not too busy or noisy. You can pretend your laundry basket is a boat or car that your child can \u201cdrive.\u201d Give her a round toy, like a Frisbee or a plastic ring or plate, that she can use as a steering wheel, and help her \u201cdrive\u201d the laundry basket.<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"44-laundry car 1920x1080\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/199048685?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Screen-Shot-2016-09-02-at-12.23.08-PM.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"247\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Screen-Shot-2016-09-02-at-12.23.08-PM-247x300.png\" alt=\"Screen Shot 2016-09-02 at 12.23.08 PM\" class=\"wp-image-3245\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Screen-Shot-2016-09-02-at-12.23.08-PM-247x300.png 247w, https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Screen-Shot-2016-09-02-at-12.23.08-PM.png 420w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 247px) 100vw, 247px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>You can work on \u201cfast\u201d and \u201cslow\u201d and \u201cstop\u201d and \u201cgo\u201d by putting your child on top of the clothes in the laundry basket and pushing the laundry basket to and from the washing machine at different speeds. Then wait for your child to communicate with you. You can say, \u201cfast, fast, fast\u201d while pushing the basket fast, and then, \u201cslooooowwww\u201d while pushing it very slowly. <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Then ask her if she<\/span>&nbsp;if she wants to go \u201cfast\u201d or \u201cslow\u201d and if she can\u2019t say these words, you can ask, \u201cDo you want fast?\u201d and help her nod \u2018yes\u2019 by modeling (demonstrating) it so that she can imitate you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Then you can do the same thing with \u201cstop\u201d and \u201cgo.&#8221; Stop and go as you move about on your way to the washing machine. When you stop, wait for your child to communicate with you before pushing the basket again. If your child is not talking yet she may simply rock her body to try to communicate \u201cgo.&#8221; This should be rewarded, especially if she is looking at you. You can make it easier for her to look at you by stooping down to her level and pulling the basket instead of pushing it. That way, you will be face to face with your child. And if your child loves trains, give her a ride in a Laundry Basket Train with her as the conductor. All Aboard!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>2. THE LAUNDRY ROUTINE TO WORK ON EYE CONTACT AND WORKING WITH ANOTHER PERSON<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When you are ready to put the clothes into the washing machine, you can have your child hand you the pieces of clothing, one at a time, and then you can put them into the machine. If your child can reach the opening of the machine, you could hand&nbsp;her&nbsp;the clothes and have her toss them in, which might be more fun. Make sure you have eye contact before passing each item of clothing to and from one another. If your child enjoys throwing the clothes into the machine, then putting each item into her hand is a natural reward for eye contact. Learning to work with another person is a very important skill to learn.<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"45A-clothes in 1920x1080\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/199048714?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Depending upon your child\u2019s language level you can use this activity to work on things like big and little, colors, clothing words such as shirt, pants, dress, and so on. You can also work on pronouns, like \u201cmy\u201d and \u201cyour.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>3. \u201cLAUNDRY LANGUAGE\u201d ROUTINES TO WORK ON THE WORDS FOR CLOTHING, COLORS, &#8220;WET&#8221; AND &#8220;DRY,&#8221; AND THE IDEA OF&nbsp;<\/b>POSSESSION<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Having your child help you with the laundry can provide a great way to work on language too. Label each piece of clothing\u2026\u201dshirt,\u201d \u201cpants,\u201d \u201csocks\u201d and so on, as you hand it to your child to put into the washing machine or dryer. Or, if your child is ready for two words, you could label the articles of clothing and add a color word, like \u201cblue shirt\u201d or \u201cwhite sock.\u201d&nbsp;You can even work on the names of family members and the idea of possession by saying the name of the family member&nbsp;whose&nbsp;clothing you are holding as you hand over each piece. For example, you could say, \u201cMommy\u2019s&nbsp;shirt\u201d or \u201cBaby\u2019s&nbsp;sock.\u201d For an older child with more language, you can ask, \u201cWhose<strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>socks are these?\u201d or \u201cWhat&nbsp;color&nbsp;is this shirt?\u201d And you can do similar routines when putting the wet clothes into the dryer and when folding the clothes once they are dry. You can even work on the words \u201cwet\u201d and \u201cdry\u201d by labeling the items as \u201cwet\u201d as you place each piece into the dryer and later, labeling those same pieces of clothing as \u201cdry\u201d when you remove them from the dryer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>4. LAUNDRY MATCHING ROUTINES TO WORK ON MATCHING, SORTING, AND THE WORDS &#8220;BIG&#8221; AND &#8220;LITTLE&#8221;<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright is-resized\"><a href=\"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/socks.pixabay.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" src=\"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/socks.pixabay-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"Used with permission from Pixabay\" class=\"wp-image-3337\" style=\"width:136px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/socks.pixabay-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/socks.pixabay.jpg 480w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Pixabay<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>When you take the laundry out, help your child sort her clothes from the grown-ups, or try to make \u201cmatches\u201d with socks or underwear. This will help her to develop the idea of sorting and matching, as well as big and little. For example, take one of your socks and hold it up next to one of hers. Say, \u201cThis is one&nbsp;is big. It\u2019s Mommy\u2019s sock, and this one is&nbsp;little. It\u2019s baby\u2019s sock.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As you take the dirty clothes out of the laundry basket, hold up two different articles of clothing, a shirt and a sock, for example. Say, \u201cThrow the sock in!\u201d or \u201cWhich one is the sock?\u201d When she reaches for, or points to the correct item, cheer for her, then hand it to her and let her throw it in. If she reaches for the incorrect item, just hold both items out of her reach and try again, but the second time, prompt her by holding the sock a bit closer to her and the shirt a bit further away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>5. THE CLEAN UP SONG AND CLEAN UP SORTING TO WORK ON SORTING THINGS THAT BELONG TOGETHER<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Getting children to help with cleaning up can be a real challenge for any parent. Start with just one toy that has to go in a basket or on a shelf. You can sing the \u201cClean-up song\u201d that is often sung in preschools (\u201cClean up, clean up, everybody everywhere, clean up, clean up, everybody do their share\u201d) \u2013 or any of the many clean up songs on the internet \u2013 any one that you like.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This may be your child\u2019s first chance to start learning how to sort things or how to put similar things together. Clean up time is a great place to work on that skill, especially if you take a little time to organize your child\u2019s toys and books ahead of time. That way, you can begin by showing your child that everything has a special place or belongs somewhere. For example, if you have an area on a shelf or a small bin to hold your child\u2019s books, another container for&nbsp;her puzzles, another for her blocks, and one&nbsp;more for her cars and trains, you can show her that books go in one place and blocks go somewhere else.<\/p>\n\n\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"46-cleanup 1920x1080\" src=\"https:\/\/player.vimeo.com\/video\/199048797?dnt=1&amp;app_id=122963\" width=\"1200\" height=\"675\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It helps if you can label the bins or boxes by taking a picture of each one, filled with the toys that belong inside, and then attach the pictures to the bins. You can sing \u201cThe Clean Up Song\u201d and then pick up a book and say, \u201cIt\u2019s clean up time! This is a book.\u201d Then point to your child\u2019s bin of books and say, \u201cBooks go here,\u201d and prompt her to put the book in the bin with the other books. Then of course, praise her enthusiastically and show her how happy you are that she is such a big girl cleaning up her toys! Begin with only a few items at a time, gradually increasing the number of items you ask your child to put away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your child can say some words, you can hold up a toy, for example a puzzle, and ask, \u201cWhat\u2019s this?\u201d If she doesn\u2019t answer, you can prompt her by saying \u201cIt\u2019s a pu\u2026.\u201d&nbsp;or answer for her (\u201cIt\u2019s a puzzle.\u201d) and then ask, \u201cWhere do puzzles go?\u201d If she doesn\u2019t start toward the right place guide her gently and point to the place the puzzle belongs, saying, \u201cPuzzles go here! Good cleaning up!\u201d Repeat this process again and again until your child starts to understand what goes where. If it gets boring, it might help to try making a game of it by saying, \u201cDoes a book go here?\u201d And put it someplace silly, like on your head, and let your child correct you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><b>6. SORTING SILVERWARE<\/b><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If your child is catching on to the idea of sorting, you can have her help when you put away clean silverware. Seat her at the table or in her high-chair and put the silverware tray in front of her. Put a few of the clean forks and spoons next to the silverware tray. Help her to put the forks with the other forks and the spoons with the other spoons. <strong>Of course, don\u2019t give her knives to sort, and watch to make sure she doesn\u2019t poke herself with a fork.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading has-text-align-center\"><a href=\"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/7-bath-time-ideas\/\">Next: Games For Bath Time<\/a><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<div class=\"entry-summary\">\nAlmost any chore can be used to teach language and communication skills, matching and sorting, and even pretend play. Let\u2019s&hellip;\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"link-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/6-learning-activities-to-do-during-chore-time\/\" class=\"more-link\">Continue reading<span class=\"screen-reader-text\"> &ldquo;Games For Chores And Cleanup&rdquo;<\/span>&hellip;<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":49,"featured_media":3244,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-2337","page","type-page","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2337","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/49"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2337"}],"version-history":[{"count":30,"href":"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2337\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7853,"href":"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/2337\/revisions\/7853"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3244"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/parenttraining.chip.uconn.edu\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2337"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}