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Need an activity to keep your child occupied while you do your household chores?
Why not have them copy you and do some helping role play? You can play a game of pretend washing up, like in the video below, turning a household chore into a fun game.
This activity is great for your child's coordination and communication skills.
Supervise your child at all time, so they do not drink the soapy water.
Why should you play washing up with your child?
- Playing pretend washing up helps your child to understand your daily adult routines.
- Washing your pots and cutlery together develops your little one's and language and coordination skills.
- Talking through this activity and repeating it regularly helps your toddler pick up new words and skills.
- Explaining what you are doing introduces toddlers to new action words such as 'washing', 'scrubbing', and 'cleaning'.
- Allowing your toddler to do adult tasks boosts their confidence and self-esteem.
Tips for water and washing up play
Your toddler is interested in everything you do, even normal household tasks.
When you are next washing up, give them a plastic bowl with some warm soapy water, a sponge and a few plastic cups to "wash up" alongside you.
Practise washing up with your little one by using some plastic, or child-friendly cutlery, plates and pots.
Ask your child to chat through what they are doing and use describing words like "splash" and "shiny". You can also use lots of fun, new action words, such as "washing", "scrubbing", and "cleaning".
Ask your little one to describe what they are doing and talk through what you are doing as well. You could say "Daddy is cleaning a plate" and encourage your child to repeat the action.
You don't have to just wash up plates and dishes. Your child could also have fun washing up their toys, or stones or rocks they find in the garden.
Washing lots of items will give you plenty of opportunity to chat about different textures and colours.
Fun and easy play with household objects
You don't need loads of toys to keep your little one entertained - all you need is a couple of items from your house.
Below we've listed some of our favourite alternative uses for your most common household objects:
- By recycling just a few leftover plastic bottles you can create a homemade bowling alley or skittle game for your little one.
- Everyone has socks lying around their house, so why not turn them into a sock puppet family?
- Who needs paint when you have tea bags? Check out our tea bag painting activity video.
- Using just two cardboard tubes (and some optional string) your little one can create a pair of homemade binoculars, which are great for exploring nature and playing I spy.
