With longer to-do lists than than you have time in a day, supporting children to develop brain connections and kindergarten readiness needs to combine play and learning with other things–even doing the laundry. With a little creativity, the laundry can be fun. Here is how:
To play the mountain game, take the clothes out of the hamper and sort them into mountains. Explain to your child, “All the light clothes go over here and pile into a mountain up to the ceiling and all the dark clothes go into a different mountain.” Oh no, there’s a problem, “Hey there black socks, you are in the wrong mountain. Walk over to the other side and get in the dark mountain. This mountain is only for the light colors.” After you supplying the voice that talks to the laundry, let your child talk to the dirty clothes.
The color game goes like this: “I spy with my little eye, something that is red. Can you see that red something? No, that t-shirt isn’t red. That’s blue. Red like a strawberry. Is the blanket red? No. Are those pants red? Yes, Yeah! you found something red! Your eyes found red. You did it eyes.”
For some moving and shaking, listen to the washing machine gurgling and swishing. Pick up your child and give gurgle and swish hugs. Shaaaake all over. When it’s time to take the clean clothes back where they go and put them away, walk like a robot, hop like a bunny or tiptoe without making any noise so you don’t wake up the alligators. You and your child can do this together because your day needs to balance work and play, too.
This makes doing the laundry a time for fun, plus supports your children as they play and learn. Can you add some fun with your next basket of laundry?