The following is a guest post on seven kids zones for spring cleaning from regular contributor, Rachel.
When I think of spring cleaning, I automatically think of window washing and front porch refreshing. This year, my cleaning list advanced beyond the usual seasonal tasks. Below are 7 kid zones that needed a good “spring cleaning” in our home. Most of these are jobs perfect for enlisting the children’s help.
1. CLOTHING
I’m sure it pops into most mothers’ minds to clean out the kids closets around this time of year. I did the same for my girls just recently. In fact, I was prompted to because of an annual consignment sale I donate towards this time every year. (FYI, I’m working on another post coming soon about organizing kids clothing for consigning.) That said, spring is an automatic time to tackle the kiddie closets. Throw away the damaged beyond repair clothing, box up that which you intend to pass along as hand-me-downs, and prep anything you desire to consign or share with another family in need. When I spring clean my girls’ closets, I include shoes, socks, and summer accessories like bathing suits and swim hats. One good overhaul will last until next winter and we can operate on just maintaining the closet system until then.
2. ARTWORK
I still get asked about how to manage children’s artwork. I wrote about one option HERE and it remains my favorite method to this day! Even with our art notebook, I still find hand crafted treasures tend to pile-up by this time of year. Spring is the perfect time to evaluate what has been collected thus far and find another home for that which is no longer on the “keep” list.
3. DIAPER BAG
I know this is specifically for those with young children. I also know those of you with little ones agree how messy a diaper bag can get in one week’s worth of time. 🙂 I’ve emptied and cleaned out our diaper bag on several occasions over the course of a year. But, if you’ve never taken a few minutes to pull everything out and repack the baby bag, you might be surprised what “treasures” you find. The diaper bag is worth adding to your spring cleaning list and is very rewarding to cross off. This task is both quick and easy to accomplish.
Don’t have a diaper bag anymore? Turn your attention to the backpacks and the backpack station. Better yet, turn your kids’ attention to spring cleaning their own backpacks. It’s sure to reveal some forgotten goodies or lost homework. 🙂
4. TOYS
You didn’t think I would overlook the obvious, did you? 🙂 Hit the toy bins in your house with a purpose. Toss the broken toys. Donate or sell the no-longer-played-with-toys. Purge today so you can enjoy the beautiful spring weather tomorrow.
5. ART SUPPLIES
No matter how organized I am in this area, art supplies always need a detailed cleaning at least once a year. Pull out the paint bottles and wipe down the shelves or bins. Toss the used supplies that get thrown back in the stash for no reason. We have an Art Cart and a storage cabinet that both get reorganized this time of year (see also this art caddy post for ideas). At Christmas my daughter was gifted a caddy full of art supplies. In a few short months, it grew chaotic. I asked her to pull everything out and within 15 minutes she had it back to a more user-friendly condition. It’s a simple spring cleaning job that does wonders for arts and crafts time at home.
6. OUTDOOR TOYS
My very first post for Laura has been highlighted by both bloggers and magazines in regards to garage organization. It was all about outdoor toy storage. Let’s just say, my blogging has improved since then, but the subject remains pertinent as is demonstrated by the amount of times it has been referred to over the years. Creating a system for outdoor toy storage and maintaining that system is something I’ve found very beneficial to our garage. Every spring, those green bins of ours get emptied, wiped clean, and purged. By now, this has become a spring cleaning task for our oldest daughter while my husband and I tackle the rest of the garage.
7. CAR SEATS
From baby goobers to toddler crumbs, sometimes I wonder if our car seats could be a science experiment. Time to take out the fabric and run the pieces through the washing machine. Meanwhile, wipe down the plastic parts and vacuum out the crumbs found in the deep crevices. I find this to involve a little more time than other tasks listed above, but is equally rewarding when all is said and done.
So there ya have my list of children’s spring cleaning chores. Did I miss anything? What else do you deep-clean in relation to your kids this springy time of year?
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