HI HO HELPERS
(Tune: "Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It's Off to Work We Go")
Hi ho, hi ho,
A cleaning up we'll go.
Put the toys away for another day,
Hi ho, hi ho.
Hi ho, hi ho,
A picking up we'll go.
So everyone join in the fun,
Hi ho, hi ho!
MAGIC TRASH
Select one random piece of trash to be the "magic trash." Have
the children pick up the
room. As they dump the paper and scraps in the trash can, inspect what they
have in their hands. The one to find the "magic trash" gets a prize
or gets to be the line leader.
FIVE MORE MINUTES
To help prepare children to clean-up or move to another activity, set a timer
for five minutes. Explain, "You have five more minutes. When the timer
goes off, we'll have a 'whisper clean-up.'"
Hint: You can also have a classroom helper called the "five minute person." When
there's five minutes left of centers, play time outside, etc. that person
walks around holding up a hand saying, "Five more minutes! Five more
minutes!"
SPOTLIGHT ON A GOOD HELPER
You will need a flashlight for this activity. Walk around the room at clean-up
time and shine the flashlight on children who are participating. Say, "Spotlight
on a good picker upper in the block center. Spotlight on a good librarian
putting the books away, etc."
Hint! You can also use this technique when children are reading, lining up,
etc. For example, "Spotlight on a quiet friend who's ready to go outside."
Note: This is called a positive clue because it lets the children know what
kind of behavior you are looking for.
A HELPER I WILL BE
(Tune: "The Farmer in the Dell")
A helper I will be.
A helper I will be.
There's work to do,
There's work to do.
A helper I will be.
A picker up I'll be.
A picker up I'll be.
It's time to put the toys away,
A picker up I'll be.
TWINKLE HELPERS
(Tune: "Twinkle Little Star")
Twinkle, twinkle, little stars,
Stop and clean up where you are.
Time to put the toys away.
We'll get them out another day.
Twinkle, twinkle, little stars,
Stop and clean up where you are.
CLEAN UP INSPECTOR
Let one child be the "clean-up" inspector and walk around and "inspect" the
classroom.
The inspector tells classmates if objects are misplaced, if a center needs
a little more
attention, or if things pass "inspection."
Hint! Let a puppet or stuffed animal help "inspect" the classroom.
Note: This is a good way to encourage children to take responsibility for
their
environment.
JOLLY GOOD HELPER
(Tune: "The Bear Went over the Mountain")
Choose a child who is demonstrating what you would like the other children
to imitate and sing their name in this song:
Child's name is a jolly good helper.
Child's name is a jolly good helper.
Child's name is a jolly good helper.
He/she is (state behavior, such as "pushing in the chairs.")