How to Turn Holiday Cleanup from a Chore to Fun
The house is beautifully decorated and you're full of holiday cheer. It's also okay to admit that you're also thinking about what follows your upcoming celebrations: Holiday Cleanup. The oodles of wrapping paper you have to pick up, the plethora of boxes you need to get rid of, the ornaments and decorations to be boxed up and put away...you know the drill. My kids always love to help in the decorating process, but the taking down part? Not so interested. So we've come up with a few ways to turn post-holiday chores into a fun family activity:
-It's not a box! We love the book, Not a Box, by Antoinette Portis because it reminds us that our kids' imaginations are boundless with something as simple as a cardboard box. So save a few of the cardboard boxes you've received from holiday shipments and packaging and see what those boxes become in the eyes of your kids. Robots? Forts? Spaceships? Tugboats? Cars? (And when they're done, don't forget to recycle!)
-Play wrapping-paper hoops! Scrunch up used wrapping paper into balls and toss them into boxes or paper bags. See who can score the most points or who has the most creative way of making a shot! When you're done, take the filled bags out to recycling.
-Create paper/box sculptures. Take all of the used wrapping paper and boxes and let the kids turn them into post-holiday sculptures only using what they have on hand. And don't forget the leftover ribbons and bows!
-Have a holiday cleanup party. You know how you make a big deal out of decorating for the holidays -- putting on jolly tunes, watching a favorite holiday movie, serving up the hot chocolate for the kids (or hot buttered rum for the grown ups)? Well, do the same for holiday cleanup. Being in the right mindset definitely puts a positive spin when you're taking everything down and packing it away! So bake some cookies or make a special treat, put on some party tunes and get the whole family involved in an evening of holiday cleanup. Reminisce about favorite moments. Decide which ornaments should be stored for next year...and which ornaments should be retired. Ask the kids what would the kids do differently during future holidays -- you'll get some great ideas for next year!
Do your kids help you with holiday cleanup?
Share your holiday photos and any other fun, embarrassing or incredible moments that you have captured on the Moments of Motherhood Flickr Group. While you are here take part in discussions with other moms.
