Starting a new year, coming back from a long break (I am looking at you Christmas) or maybe it feels like your students have suddenly forgotten all the rules and routines, sound familiar?

I have worked in early childhood for over a decade, and this is how you can take you clean up transition from a nightmare to a breeze.

Suppose you have worked in the preschool setting or even early elementary. In that case, you will recognize this scenario: you are getting ready to transition to the next activity, so you say, “Clean Up time” and you play/ or sing a little song, but half the kids look at you like you spoke gibberish or just continue playing. Sound familiar? More importantly, how can you fix it?

The Mistake: Expecting them to know what “Clean Up” means.

The Solution: Have a Lesson on Cleaning Up

Step 1: Introduce what it means to clean up

Step 2: Discuss the whys of cleaning up

Step 3: Demonstrate cleaning up

Step 4: Let them Practice

Step 5: Praise with specifics

Step 6/Ongoing: Review often and refer to previous discussions/ charts.

Read bellow to get details on how.

I have great news: it’s not too late!

This method can be implemented at any point during the year so even if your school year has already begun. Just take a moment, in circle time or you can do it as an activity or game, to introduce, discuss, demonstrate, practice, and review what cleaning up is.

Step 1 Introduce:

Read a story about cleaning up, make sure it’s on level for where your students attention span is, long dramatic stories are great for some older kids but if it’s the beginning of the year or you have a younger group just a short simple story about cleaning up is perfect.

Step 2 Discuss:

Talk about what clean up means, example script (adjust it to fit your students as needed): Who knows what it means when we say clean up? Pause for response, if your children are too young or don’t respond just move on. When (insert teacher/your name) says to clean up that means we put our toys and things back where they belong. What are some reasons that we clean up? Answer can include to do a new activity, so that we have a safe place to play, etc. You can choose to make a chart and add pictures of why we must clean up or make a picture chart of the steps to clean up. Hang it at their level.

Step 3 Demonstrate:

Begin by demonstrating. you can say: If I am playing with this bucket of toys (pretend to play) and (teachers name/or an adult) says it clean up time, or the timer rings /song plays (pick something you can have consistently, I will put my toys back in their bucket, and then I will find its picture on the shelf to put them back where they go. Then I will: go sit on the rug, at the table, in the area, give example of what you want them to do after the clean-up to transition.

          Step 4 Practice:

Next ask: Who can show me what we do when we say its clean up time? Call on individuals, do a small group, or even several small groups, depending on the age and abilities of your class, you may have a few that do it with you or independent groups. Hand out a bucket of toys, or just a handful of toys, and remind them we are going to practice and see how nicely we can clean up.

Give them time to play with the toys, if you use a timer, or song to signify that its clean up time play it or have it ring. Dramatically say “Oh do you hear that? That means it’s time to clean up! Let’s put our toys back in their buckets and find where they go on the shelf! I want to see if you can clean up too/ let me see who is cleaning up so nicely, phrasing it as a challenge or question can help deter push back from the ones that struggle with demands.

Name children that are participating in clean up with specific examples “I see (child’s name) is putting the cars back in their bucket, thank you!” Try to point out something for each child, children love attention and pointing out good behaviors gives them that attention in a positive way.

When all the toys are put away point out the things that you can now do, now that we have cleaned up, we can: play a game, go outside, get ready for lunch/snack, whichever comes next in you day just make it sound like the best thing ever. Remember you want to clean up time to be a positive thing.

Step 5 Review:

Will one lesson create a magically perfect classroom where all children will clean up as soon as their told? We all wish but no, and that’s ok, consistency is key. Rember those charts we made this is where it comes in. If they need reminders throughout the day you can point to it and talk about the how and whys we clean up. Also in my experience, announcing the steps to clean up every time helps with the transition. Example: “I hear the clean-up song that means it’s time to put our toys in their buckets and the buckets on the shelf, when you are done sit down in your area so I can see your finished. Remember to praise, praise, praise with specifics avoid the generalized good jobs, say what you see.

Quick Recap:

Step 1: Introduce what it means to clean up

Step 2: Discuss the whys of cleaning up

Step 3: Demonstrate cleaning up

Step 4: Let them Practice

Step 5: Review and Praise with specifics

Have you tried this or other methods? Share your experiences with clean up time in the comments.