Contributor:
A Visitor
At the end of a session or end of the day, to get children to tidy up effectively and efficiently i have a “tidy up song” which i play and the children have to have the classroom tidy before end of the song.
I have a chart with my name on one side and children on the other. If the children clean the classroom before the end of the song they get sticker on their side of the chart, if not the sticker goes to the teacher.
At the end of the week, I add the stickers up and give a small reward.
Catriona has contributed a song which could be used with this activity. It has the same tune as ‘Frere Jacques’.
Are you helping?
Are you helping?
Pick up toys,
Pick up toys,
Let us all be helpers,
Let us all be helpers,
Girls and Boys,
Girls and Boys,
It’s simple yet effective!
Nat has suggested a variation to this idea… For tidying up, I also play a game with the class called Lucky Litter. I choose a piece of rubbish on the floor, then announce ‘Go!’ Students go crazy trying to pick up all the rubbish off the ground on the quest to find the ‘lucky litter’. Once all rubbish is picked up and in the bin, I announce the winner!
Jan has contributed this idea:
If you want to encourage your children to tidy up their classroom quickly and thoroughly, then this idea works really well. Use a two-minute sand timer and tell your children that you will give three stickers out to the children who are being the best tidiers. As the sand runs through, it works quite well if you tell the class that you have just spotted the first person who will have one (don’t give any names away yet!). It really works, and you can watch all your children giving you little glances as they rush around picking up the smallest piece of paper from the floor! When the sand has run through, then you can gather the children on the carpet to award the stickers and lots of praise.
Holly says…
I often use a song which I play at the end of the session, the children know this is their cue to tidy up and have the duration of the song to do it! I used Ray Charles – Mess Around, which was nice as the children recognised it from a TV advert.