Most everyone has a “Trash Day.”  The day before is so significant in cleaning the house, especially if you live where animals can get into your trash. This is the perfect time to train your preschooler to be the house garbage collector.

GAME:  Company Bonus- To teach your preschooler to identify the smaller trash cans throughout the house, this is a pretty fast game, and you can repeat it as often as you want. I suggest switching it up a bit on older children/teens that maybe have forgotten how fun it is to help out. (That was very sarcastic, and I meant it to be.;0)

So the game is to put something like cash under or inside the can (if it has a plastic trash bag liner). When the job is done (they emptied the trash, they find the cash and get to keep it. You don’t want to do it every time as they grow to expect more. Surprise them every once in a while, like once a month.

Then after identifying all the trash cans, take them to one and demonstrate how to do it, talking through each step. Go to the next trash can and let them try. Give them verbal queues as they go. Then go to the next trash can and repeat. Make sure you stay with them through each can so that they know YOU know that they know where they are all located. (This is really for accountability.)  Then gather the bags and take them to the garbage or collect them in a bigger bag for you to take out.   My only concern here would be safety. You are the parent, and that decision depends on what you are comfortable letting your preschool child do on their own. A good rule of thumb is to have them alert you that they are taking the trash to the outside garbage and for you or an older sibling to go with them or watch them. But, again, you decide based on what you are comfortable with them doing at this point.

Because this is quite an easy job, they may get the hang of it quickly. Make sure and tell them how smart they are and that they are doing a great job. You can assign the task and remind them to do it the following week.