TEACHER TIPS
Clean Up Activity

Submitted by: Kathie Hilliard
From: Boise, ID
Date Submitted: April 24, 2003

Right before clean up time, I look around the room and pick out an item that will need to be picked up and put away. During clean up time, I let the children know there is a "mystery item". When everything has been picked up and put away, I disclose what the mystery item was and who picked it up. (It can be a block, a piece of paper on the floor, a crayon under the table...) The child who picked the item up, and put it away correctly, receives a little treat. Treats can be stickers, a "Caught Being Good" note, line leader, etc. When I do this the first time, I make sure the children understand that the item must be PUT AWAY CORRECTLY, or there will be no treat. When the children know there is a mystery item, EVERYTHING is picked up quickly AND put in the right spot. They seem to race from item to item, never sure if they have picked up the mystery item yet!