I LOVE when a plan comes together!!
Who doesn’t?
I often struggle to get my children to cheerfully help with weekly deep cleaning. We clean throughout the week, but by Saturday this house (which is LIVED in 24/7) needs to be scrubbed and disinfected. After a long week, I want to relax in a clean house. Saturday cleaning was a practice in my home growing up. I have tried to implement that same practice, but often am faced with exhausting resistance!
While doing dinner dishes Friday night, I asked myself, “How can I get the girls to help scrub tomorrow morning? How can I make this fun?” Brilliant inspiration hit!
With only 15 minutes until my self-imposed bedtime, clues for a scavenger hunt were hastily scribbled on sticky notes. The clues where hidden where they would be found during each cleaning task. The combinations for the 4 digit locks were reset. Prizes were placed in the lockbox. (Mine is a repurposed box from my husband’s hobby) With everything in place I headed to bed…

By 7:45 AM, the girls found the lock box and were ecstatic to break into the box. They started a load of towels in the washing machine and were off to the next task.
They then…
Dusted the Living Room
Scrubbed the Mirrors
Took turns picking up and Vacuuming Carpets
Scrubbed the Bathtub
Scrubbed Bathroom counters and Sinks
While the girls were working on these tasks, I was able to complete detail work and other cleaning jobs along side them. Math review problems were being solved by 9 am. 1 Hour and 15 minutes from start to end. This is an all time record!

There were no tears or complaining! PURE SUCCESS! What a great start to a beautiful Saturday morning!

To be completely honest… there were some tears. After the box was opened, my first grader was not pleased with the contents of the prize box. She had anticipated “something I could write on.” However, as soon as we started to make chocolate frogs (we are at Hogwarts this year after all), her woes were forgotten.Â

Happy Cleaning!
đź’• Terynn


I am so trying this! I did a scavenger hunt for our son’s birthday where each clue led him to a different gift. Now the kids are always making up their own!
I want to hear how it goes for you! Scavenger hunts were one of my favorite things growing up. I love that your kids are making up their own!