Cleaning Up with Time and Joy

In Really Seeing Children, Educator Deb Curtis writes “We provide ample time for clean up at the end of playtime. Everyone cleans up the entire room, which eliminates the cry of, 'I don't have to clean up. I didn’t play there.' The children come to understand that we are all responsible for our room...we emphasize how to care for the materials, and the importance of order and organization in helping us accomplish our ideas during playtime.”

Curtis continues, “Clean-up time in our room is busy and noisy and takes a long time. We are very active in helping children stay involved. It has helped us to realize and let go of the idea that clean-up should be an orderly, quick and quiet process. We know that we need to allow time and have patience and fun as we work with children on the important job of maintaining our wonderful environment."

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