As adults, we often view tidying up as a tedious chore, but for children tidy up time can be highly enjoyable and beneficial for their development.
At Musical Minis, tidy up time happens during each session and the children are encouraged to join in. This aspect of the session is necessary for the children to gain the most out of Musical Minis and to learn new skills. If the instruments and whistles were not tidied during the session, it would feel very chaotic and cluttered. The children would find it difficult to fully explore what was there as they would be over-stimulated. It’s also obviously important to keep things tidy to ensure the children are safe.
Tidy up time is also key for children’s development, specifically their social and emotional progress. By including children in tidying up, you are giving them responsibility and enabling their independence and confidence to grow. They recognise that they have an important role in a collective task. The element of routine and structure tidy up time also provides, allows the children to understand order and gain an idea of predictability. This link is emphasised at Musical Minis through the fact that there is a special tidy up song which enhances the association and often makes it a more enjoyable process.
Tidying up has also been said to support children’s mathematical development due to the element of categorisation it requires. Children quickly learn that different things go in different places which provides an opportunity to sort. At Musical Minis, children are encouraged to sort the different instruments into blowing, shaking and banging.
Although it can often seem like more work to involve children in tidying up, especially when they tidy up too well and tidy the car keys (!!), it is an effort worth making. Once the children are shown how to tidy up effectively, it can save you time and provides an opportunity for the children to learn an important life-skill.
To find out more about Musical Minis in your area please visit the Musical Minis website location page.
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