Finally, I am starting to see a glimmer of spring just around the corner. The temperature is no longer bitterly cold, we have more hours of sunlight, and the snow is almost completly gone. This means it is time for SPRING CLEANING!!

Now that Cora is turning two she absolutely has the skills to start helping clean up around the house. At this age, the most important starting place is to get the toddler excited about cleaning. You can make picking up toys a game by racing to see who can pick up the most items the fastest. Songs and chore charts with sticker rewards can make cleaning enjoyable for this age group as well.

A bonus is that children want to help out. They are trying to assert their independence and model behaviors after their parents. One time after watching me dust the living room Cora picked up a rag and started “dusting” everything in sight without any prompting from me.

What Cora does need is a lot of guidance and reminders about picking up her toys. The constant clutter drives me crazy! As always, to help introduce a new skill to my toddler I use books.

If you follow my blog you know I am an avid reader. I am constantly learning and becoming more educated on various topics from the books I read. Books can help your young child learn too!

Here are some books to help teach children how to participate in keeping the house clean, especially how to keep their toys picked up.

   

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Clean-Up Time

Clean-Up Time is a rhyming book that encourages children to put things where they belong while having fun. A very easy book for toddlers to understand.

   

Monster Mess

Monster Mess is about a monster who is grossed out by a messy room and decides to clean it before the child wakes up.

   

Clean It

Clean It encourages young kids to help around the home but some parents don’t like the text of the book since much of the book is in the form of questions. Instead, when reading the book to their children parents often make up their own words with this one.

   

How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Rooms?

Dinosaurs learn how to clean their rooms in the book How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Rooms? It is part of a series of books that teach colors, numbers, etc. It is funny, with great illustrations.

   

What Mess?

In What Mess? a boy has many excuses for his messy room. This book is for slightly older readers.

   

The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room

I never tire of this series! Brother and Sister don’t pick up after themselves and the parents have had it. The Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room focuses on cooperation and organization.

   

Henry Helps Clean His Room

We love the “Henry” books. Henry Helps Clean His Room shows how a child can help with tasks around the house.

   

Edie is Ever So Helpful

A young girl wants to be helpful but sometimes her efforts cause more destruction than anything else (sound familiar to your life?). In Edie is Ever So Helpful Edie has great intentions like most young children do.

   

Where is Your Dinosaur?

Where is Your Dinosaur? focuses on getting children to pick up their toys. In this book a little boy loses his toy dinosaur and the dinosaur tries to find his way back home (the toy box). It helps teach the importance of taking care of the items we hold dear.

   

You may want to get your child some of their own personal cleaning items to encourage helping around the house. These make great gifts:

   

Want more book recommendations? Check out – Books You and Your Toddler Will Love to Read Together.