Getting your kids to help around the house with chores can be a challenge!
Making it fun? Challenge.
Teaching them to do things right? Challenge!
I want to share a cute diea that my mother in law used with her kids that we’re going to try with ours.
So today I introduce you to Germ Bugs! 🙂
Here’s what you do:
Sit down with your kids and these items:
– pom poms
– ribbon
– googly eyes
– hot glue gun
And get to work creating some cute little bugs 🙂
Next, you’ll either make cute glasses out of bristol board, or you’ll use dollar store sunglasses with the lens popped out (or not popped out)… just get some glasses for your kids & deem them the germ bug glasses- they have special abilities to see germs!!
Here’s how you use your germ bugs:
When your kids have completed a chore, ask them if it’s done really well (they’ll insist they have done a fabulous job ;))
Then tell them to go & grab their germ glasses. While they’re off getting those, you check their work. If the job’s not done to your standards, plant a germ bug!
Your kids will be back in time to examine their own work carefully…
If there’s a bug, then it’s back to work!
When I told Talia (my 6 year old) about this, she thought it was hilarious & awesome! 🙂
I’m excited to try it with them because I think it’ll make things fun, and they’ll go back to their chore in a good mood! It’ll also give us learning opportunities- if there’s a bug, we can talk about why it’s there- what might not be done properly here?
I hope you’ll have fun with your kids with this and get a chance to teach them while you’re at it!
Harleena Singh says
Cool ideas indeed, something creative that kids of any age would love doing. 🙂
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Heather Lynne says
You’re welcome! Thanks for taking the time to comment 🙂
Stephanie says
Cute! My four year old viewed this post with me and declared that she needed to have the red bug with pink eyes. I’ll have to make one for her and put it to the test… Maybe keep one in the bathroom near the soap, just to remind her to wash her hands for starters!
Heather Lynne says
haha That’s so cute! 🙂
And that’s a good idea to use it as a soap reminder! 🙂
Shelley says
This makes me smile. My kids will love making these, and might even get excited about cleaning? Thanks for the inspiration.
Tracy Allen says
What a fabulous idea!! I LOVE it!! I think my 4 year olds would really get into this idea! It makes me actually want to start cleaning! haha Thanks for sharing!! 🙂
Heather Lynne says
haha Woo! It must be a great idea if it makes you want to clean! 😉 (I need more things like that 😉
You’re welcome 🙂 Thanks for taking time to comment!
Missy says
I love that look on your daughter’s face as she examines..too cute. What a fun idea – craft and learn!
Ali @craftyWImama says
What a totally cute idea! I love it, and like you said, a great way to make cleaning (and cleaning things WELL) fun. I’m all about teaching my kids the proper ways to keep a house and help, but don’t want it to always be a fight!
Stefani says
This is an awesome idea!! Thanks so much for posting this…I will definitely be making some bugs of my own. 🙂
Rosa says
I love this idea and will be posting my outcome on my blog as soon as I get it up and running again (life has gotten in the way of me fixing my blog for the past couple of weeks and it has really suffered). I can’t wait to try this out on my kids (kids are like Guinea pigs for parents).
Mary says
Except, we have the kind of kids that will miss spots, clean badly, just so that they can get a germ bug. And they’ll keep on doing a bad job so that they can collect them all.
Monique says
This is great! It makes me double checking their work fun and me not so much a nag.. With five.kids Im gonna be making ALOT of germ bugs:) hopefully as time goes on will be rid of them. Great Idea!! Kep ’em coming:)
Shara @ Palmettos and Pigtails says
I LOVE this!!! I just published a post with age appropriate chores for kids….and will definitely be adding these little bugs to our cleaning “system”! Thanks so much for sharing this idea!
Donna says
Very cute idea but I have at least one or two grandchildren that would purposely do a poor cleaning job so that the germ bugs would show up. It is seems like a reward for poor cleaning. Maybe the germ bugs should sit in the places where cleaning is most needed and then the kids can collect them after doing an awesome job. 🙂
Mandy Gladden says
This is such a cute idea and I love how it makes chore time fun for the kids. I’m always looking for ways to make cleaning up fun. Thanks so very much for sharing!
Sami says
Best chore/parenting idea I’ve read by far ever online! My 6 yr old boy will convince you 2-3+ times things are done perfect. I cannot understand how he doesn’t see what he misses cleaning. I feel really bad criticizing him. Warm up the hot glue gun girl, I’m making germ bugs today.