Sweeping is an excellent exercise in gross and fine motor skills and cognitive development. The problem most parents find with teaching their children this most excellent and helpful skill is that the tool required (broom) is clearly made for someone twice their size.

Some parents may want to start with having their child hold the dustpan and work on getting the contents to the trash can. This allows time for your child to grow a little. But, they will not grow into the adult broom size in the next few years. You will still need to consider a modified or child-size broom.

I have seen some parents just take an older broomstick and cut it down a few feet OR purchase a play broom. There are pros and cons for both ideas. On the one hand, the cut-down broom will probably work much better, boosting confidence in accomplishing the task. The con is that the width of the bristle holder is the same size and a bit heavy. On the other hand, the play broom is much lighter, so the preschool child can handle it better. The con is that these don’t typically sweep well.

We have found a few kid versions that are a bit better than others. Either way, make sure that you find tools that are easy to use. Otherwise, you will frustrate your child. They may still obey you and do the job when that happens, but you will quickly crush their spirit and desire to help you.

GAME: A fun activity before sweeping is to take a piece of paper and sprinkle cinnamon all over the paper. Then take a watercolor paintbrush and show them how to start sweeping from the edges of the paper to the center. Then take a smaller piece of paper and curve it a little while they sweep the cinnamon into it. You can both take turns so they can see how you do it. Now you have a concrete example. You can use phrases like ” We sweep the floor just like we sweep up the cinnamon.”

Start with one room and teach them to start along the edges of the room, methodically sweeping the dust and dirt from the baseboards and edges of the floor toward the center.