Developing Talents, Work Scavenger Hunt

Developing Talents #7
List five things you can do to help around your home. Discuss the importance of obeying and honoring your parents and learning how to work.

For this activity we made housekeeping kits and did a housekeeping scavenger hunt.  The scavenger hunt is sooo easy and could be the entire activity.

The kits were a bunch of small house cleaning supplies in cello bags (10 cents each).

We used: 

cell-o sponges (cut in half 50 cents each when cut)

magic erasers (90 cents each, but we could have cut these too)

sheets of newspaper (free, great for streak-free window and glass cleaning)

reusable anti-microbial cloths (25 cents each)

a list of ideas on how youth can help out around the house (get the copies at the church, free)

Other possible items include dishwasher cubes, oxyclean pellets for laundry, toothbrushes, cotton swabs, microfiber washcloths, car air fresheners, and/or dryer sheets.

If you like this idea, but have budget constraints you could perhaps make one kit as a class and give it away (new move-in, newly wed, college student, etc.) or ask girls to each bring one of the items to contribute.  You could just show and tell cleaning supplies from your house and how you organize your cleaning stuff rather than giving them something as well.  I wanted to do the kits because I thought they were more likely to "go and do" afterward if they took home sponges rather than just a list of chores.

I had the girls start making the kits as soon as they arrived.  They wrote their name on the cello bag and then stuffed the items.  After everyone had arrived and made a kit, we talked about how helping around the house is a way of honoring parents.  Then we talked about what was in the kits and how the girls could use them to pass off Developing Talents #7 in their Faith in God book.  Only one of 15 girls had heard of using newspaper for cleaning windows, so that added a bit of suspense as they were curious what that item was for.  Another girl suggested the newspaper for lining pet cages.  Pet care is a great way kids can help out around the house.  Rather than tell the girls what each item in the kit was for, I had them brainstorm ways each item could be used.  We talked about dedicating kitchen cleaning sponges/cloths to kitchen and bathroom to bathroom.  

Then we did a housekeeping scavenger hunt.  The girls had a half hour to accomplish as many housekeeping tasks as possible.  we had three groups with a few girls in each group.  We went to different houses in the neighborhood, but this could certainly all be done in your own home or at the homes of a few kind-hearted next-door neighbors or next-door to church neighbors.  I had to swallow my pride a little bit in order to let the girls clean in my house, but it was fun and they weren't judgmental.  The girls thought it was so much fun to go to other people's houses to clean.

Developing Talents #7

List five things you can do to help around your home. Discuss the importance of obeying and honoring your parents and learning how to work.

Pick up toys


Make bed


Make a breakfast

Make sandwiches

Clean own room

Unload dishwasher

Vacuum


Empty garbage cans

Set table

Clear table


Make own lunch

Dust 


Wash walls 

Wash doors

Sweep

Load dishwasher

Empty dishwasher

Clean a sink

Water a plant


Answer a phone call

Wash dishes


Clean a toilet


Clean a mirror

Feed the pet

Start a load of laundry

Fold towels

Fold socks

Presoak Dishes

Vacuum out the car