Teach Your Child Responsibility and Boost Confidence with this Simple Daily Task: Washing Clothes

As a parent, one of your greatest goals is to raise a confident and responsible child. But with so many distractions and demands, it can be challenging to find a way to instill these values in your child’s daily routine. Fortunately, there is a simple task that can help your child develop responsibility and boost their confidence: washing clothes. By including this task in their daily routine, you can teach your child valuable life skills while also helping them feel capable and independent. In this blog post, we will explore the benefits of teaching your child to wash clothes and provide tips for making the process fun and engaging. So, let’s dive in!

Washing Clothes

Suitable Age: 4+

Materials: 

• A washboard
• 2 basins (1 large/1 small)
• A bucket
• A hamper
• A basket with pegs
• 2 sponges (1 big/1 small)
• A bar of soap
• A tea strainer
• Brush
• Powdered laundry soap
• A pitcher (with a line)
• And a drying rack (to be kept at a constant location in the classroom)
• A mat for the floor (a boot tray, optional)
• A bucket for water activities

Direct Aim:

• To wash clothes independently

Indirect Aim:

• Concentration
• Hand-eye coordination
• Independence
• Order of sequence
• Fine motor skills
• Refining of the muscles in the hands and arms

Presentation/ Child instruction: 

1. Show the child where the materials are situated in the classroom. Tell the child we need the mat for the floor (if you are using one) and let him go get it. Invite him to place it beside the washboard, take the items from the tray and display them on the mat in the order of use, and then invite him to fill the pitcher (to the line) with warm water.
2. Once the child returns with the water, invite the child to pour half of the water from the pitcher into the large basin (situated at the bottom of the washboard).
3. Show the child how to fill the tea strainer with powder soap and show him how to shake it into the water. Use the bottom end of the tea strainer to swish the water around until all the powder has been dissolved and bubbles are formed.
4. Once all the soap has been dissolved, the tea strainer may be placed back in its original place. Invite the child to choose an item from the hamper that requires washing and place it into the large basin. Wet the item in soapy water, and then squeeze any excess water from the item and place it onto the washboard. Reach for the bar of soap and apply it to the item.
5. Once the soap has been applied to the stains on the item, show the child how to scrub the cloth using the washboard.
6. When satisfied with the outcome, squeeze excess water from the cloth and then place it into the small basin on the mat. You can indicate to the child to pour a little water from the pitcher onto the washboard to remove any excess soap. Then using the brush, show the child how to scrub down the washboard. Invite the child to rinse the washboard again, by pouring the remaining water from the pitcher onto the washboard.
7. Invite the child to empty all the dirty water from the large basin into the bucket.
8. Invite the child to fill the pitcher with warm water to the line, once again. When the child returns, he will pour some of the water from the pitcher into the large basin. Place the soapy cloth back into the large basin and agitate the cloth to remove all of the soap. Then squeeze any excess water from the item into the large basin, and invite the child to pour the dirty water into the bucket (emptying the bucket as necessary throughout the process).
9. At this point, invite the child to pour any remaining water from the pitcher into the large basin, in order to rinse the basin. The cloth is ready to be hung to dry on the drying rack. Invite the child may take two clothes pegs from the bowl and place them into the basin with the cloth, and take them to the clothesline to hand. Once the child has returned, use the large sponge to dry both basins.
10. Give the child an opportunity to repeat this activity, washing a different item from the laundry hamper.
11. Invite the child to wash any laundry from the hamper whenever he would like.

Point of interest:

• The water, soap, tea strainer, washboard, clean laundry, and doing something an adult does

Control of Error: 

• Spilling drops of water
• Using too much/too little soap
• Forgetting the sequence
• Unable to clean an item
• Forgetting to tidy up
• A messy work area

>> Read more: Teach Your Child Responsibility and Boost Confidence with this Simple Daily Task: Ironing