Put away half of your kids' toys and switch them around every few months. They'll have plenty to play with and
their room will stay cleaner. Label boxes, baskets, milk crates, plastic tubs - anything they might store toys
in - to teach them how to sort toys and keep them off the floor. Let the kids decorate the containers they use
so they will be personal and fun.
Set a short period of time each day or each week that kids have to straighten up their room. Make a game out of
it with a timer and give rewards to all kids for jobs well done. It will become a good habit and they'll have fun.
Get the kids to go through their toys periodically and pick out some things that they don't play with anymore.
Pack them up and take them somewhere where there are kids who don't have enough toys.
Put bookshelves in every available place where the kids can stack their toys, books, etc. Anything to keep the
floor clean. Teach kids good cleaning habits by being neat and tidy yourself. Hanging up clothes and putting
things away after you use them sets a good example.
Assign specific chores to kids and set a limit on when the chore has to be done.
Put hooks and pegs on the backs of room door and on the insides of closet doors for quick hangups when the
kids come in.
Let the kids do some "adult" clean up jobs. Sometimes loading the dishwasher or helping mom clean up after
a baking session is fun, especially for smaller children and it teaches good habits.
Let kids listen to whatever they want to while they are cleaning. A little noise will be worth a clean room!
Assign each child a towel and make sure they hang it up every day. This saves unnecessary washing.