Tidy-up time is easier when it feels like a game. Children often ignore the word tidy. They answer to a game. Here are five that work with a basket of crocheted animals.
Animals go home
Tell your child the basket is the animals' house. It is getting dark, and everyone must be inside before bedtime. Your child carries each animal in and says goodnight.
Count them in. If one is missing, the search is part of the game. Check under the bed and behind the door.
Sort by colour
Ask for all the yellow animals first. Then grey, then brown. Your child collects each colour and places the group in the basket.
Giraffes, elephants and lions give you plenty of colours to call out. If your animals are mixed, you can make up colours too: sunshine, mud, cloud.
Smallest to biggest
Our animals come in Small, Medium, Large and Extra large. Put them in a line from the smallest to the biggest. Then carry them to the basket in that order, the biggest last.
If you only have animals of the same size, line them up by something else. Ears, tails and manes work well.
Closing the park
Play the ranger. The park closes at six. Everyone has to be back in the basket. Walk around the room with a pretend torch and check each corner.
One song, one basket
Pick a song that lasts about a minute. Start it when tidy-up starts. When the song ends, the lid goes on. Use the same song every day so your child knows what it means.
If the room is not finished when the song ends, sing it again. Keep the mood light. A game that turns into a fight is not a game.
Where the basket lives
Choose a spot your child can reach. A low shelf or a corner of the room works well. A basket with air around the animals suits crochet better than a closed bag.
Keep the basket away from damp walls and wet floors. If an animal gets dirty, wipe it early. The care guide has the steps we can share today.
A small reminder
Mikono states zero plastic and nothing detachable for plain animals. Even so, keep an adult close when young children play, and look over each animal now and then. If you spot a problem, message us with a photo.
A new rabbit or a small cat can be the one that leads the others to bed. Choose your next animal, or use the Size Finder to see what would fit your basket.
