“It’s challenge time!” Whenever Kate’s children hear those words, they gather around her, knowing that something interesting is about to happen. For older children, it could mean a 30-minute challenge, but preschoolers need only 10 minutes.
The rules of challenge time:
- You:
- Gather any materials needed
- Clearly explain the challenge
- Set a timer for 10 minutes
- Your preschooler:
- Has plenty of fun while completing the challenge
Here are 10-minute challenge ideas from Kate:
- Build a zoo/house/robot out of …
- Draw a map of …
- Make up a dance to …
- Run to the big tree/fence/light pole …
- Hop 10 times, turn around twice, jump three times …
- Pick 20 things up off the floor …
- Find as many yellow things as you can …
- Collect five leaves, 10 sticks, two feathers …
- Sing as many animal/car/dinosaur songs as you know …
- Build the tallest tower/longest line …
Notice that chores were slipped in . . .
No. 6 involved picking items up off the floor, which is age-appropriate. Other age-appropriate chores, according to FamilySponge.com, include:
- Clear and set the table
- Dust
- Take out trash
- Water flowers
- Bring in mail or newspaper
- Help cook and prepare food (note: use caution around a hot stove)
- Carry and put away groceries
Other families have found other fun ways to get preschoolers involved in family cleanup. For example, here’s an article from Little Family Fun that includes links to 118 family chore charts that are “incredibly creative and ingenious.” Some are more complicated than others to create, so use your judgment about which might work for your family.
Scholastic.com lists nine ways to make chores fun for your young children. Here are three of them—and you can read the rest here.
- If you’ve got a basket of clean socks to pair up (and more than one child), play a version of Go Fish, with each child getting a starter pile of socks. Each player takes turns holding up a sock and asking another player if he or she has the mate. If so, the player gets to fold the pair of socks and earn a point. If not, then the player draws a sock from what’s remaining in the basket. Whoever has the most pairs/points at the end wins the game.
- Let your child be Inspector D. Clutter. Give him or her a badge and a laundry basket. Your child can pick up “stray belongings” and put them in clutter jail (also known as the basket). To get the item back, the owner must do a chore, even if the owner is a parent.
- Hide treats, stickers or pennies under items that he or she needs to dust. Once each item is dusted, your child can look for the surprises.
Chores are important, allowing even preschoolers to make a valuable contribution to the family. How do you get your young children involved?
If you’re looking for a quality affordable preschool/child care program that provides the types of educational programs and enrichment experiences that help prepare your child for K-12, contact the Horizon Education Center in your neighborhood.
