Ideas for Clean Up Time #2

Piggy-Back Cleanup Songs

Have the children sing songs during clean up.  It helps the transition move along quickly and happily.  They could even help you write a song – a good literacy exercise.

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 It’s Time to Clean Our Room (Farmer in the Dell)  It’s time to clean our room. It’s time to clean our room. We had some fun and now we're done; It’s time to clean our room” 

Or you could say “pick up blocks” “hang the clothes” “find a book” or other specific tasks that need to be done.

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Are You Helping -- (Frere Jacque)  Are you helping?  Are you helping? Pick up toys. Pick up toys. Let us all be helpers. Let us all be helpers, Girls and boys, Girls and boys.

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It's Time To Clean Up -- (Happy Birthday) It's time to clean up or Let's pick up the blocks  (Substitute other areas in your classroom)

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Pick Up Something – (If You're Happy and You Know I).  If your name is Jacob, pick up something. If your name is Abby, pick ups something. If your name is Elena, if your name is Hunter, if your name is Tommy, pick up something.

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Put the Toys Away -- (London Bridge Is Falling Down) (Child’s name) put the toys away, toys away, toys away. (Child’s name) put the toys away. It’s cleanup time.  Additional verses:  Use other children’s names. You can also substitute toys with puzzles, books, blocks, etc.

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Everybody Picks Up (London Bridge is Falling Down). Everybody picks up toys, picks up toys, picks up toys. Everybody picks up toys, to make our classroom clean.

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Who Is Going to Pick Up -- (Muffin Man)  Who is going to pick up blocks, pick up blocks, pick up blocks, who is going to pick up blocks, and be a classroom helper?

Repeat with child's name:  Sally is picking up blocks….

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Time to Clean Up -- (tune- Twinkle Little Star) Twinkle, twinkle little star, Time to clean up where you are. Put each toy back in its place; Keep a smile upon your face. Twinkle, twinkle little star, Time to clean up where you are.

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Time to Clean Up -- (Oh My Darlin’ Clementine)Freeze. Freeze. Time to clean up, Time to clean up pleeeaaazzzeee. Let's all help to clean our classroom. So we can go to circle time (or next activity in your schedule).

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Adapted from:

Gayle’s Preschool Rainbow. (2009)  Preschool nursery rhymes for transition times.  http://www.preschoolrainbow.org/transition-rhymes.htm -- downloaded 6/22/2009

Perpetual Classroom (2006) Let’s clean up. http://www.perpetualpreschool.com/cleaning_up.htm -- downloaded 6/20/2009

What piggy-back songs have you used?