Laundry
It’s a word most parents cringe at. There is just. so. much. of. it.
Always.
Then you get to that pile of socks and you are just done. That is one thing you just don’t want to tackle.
Good news here–I’m going to share one laundry hack for parents you definitely want to hear! And? It involves the dreaded socks.
I have turned this most-disliked household task into an exciting and educational laundry game…
For the kids.
That’s right. I’ve found a way to get the kids involved in helping with the laundry, and they think it’s just fun!
Parenting. Win.
Now, this may not work with every kid, obviously, but it does work with mine! Sometimes they get distracted and need a little help, if the pile is really big, but overall they get to help Mom and have a blast doing it.
So, what is this magical learning activity?
Mix Match Socks
This game teaches/reinforces:
- Matching
- Problem solving
- Sizes
- Shapes
- Colors
- Patterns
- Textures
- Homemaking responsibilities
PS, grab my free printable sock matching activity!
A pop-up window will show; scroll down with the scroll bars or with the page down or down arrow buttons on your keyboard to download.
Download Your Free Printable Sock Matching Game
Here’s how it goes:
While I go through all the big laundry to get things folded, I will take out all the socks and put them into a pile.
I will then encourage my son to set all the socks out flat (sometimes he keeps them in a pile and just puts out one or two at a time) and go through to find the matches.
We look for which socks have the same crazy patterns, the same color, and the same size. Sometimes this can be challenging, but we have him use deduction and close inspection to figure out which sock goes to which.
Sometimes he gets them wrong. We use this opportunity to take a closer look and figure out why the socks don’t really match.
Some socks don’t have matches. This can really make it a challenge, but it is great for learning! When a sock really doesn’t have a match, we have him set it aside in a separate pile to check it against all the other single socks. This lost sock hanger is a super cute way to collect them.
My oldest enjoys this matching game just like this and we are starting to get our toddler to help out (he’s great with the obviously-matching socks!)
Read also: 10 Laundry Hacks and Tips Every Mom Needs
Want to make it really fun, though?
Make it a competition!
If you have more than one kid (or if you really feel like joining in–I have before), then you can make it into a challenge. You choose if the winner gets something special or not, perhaps to choose what’s for dinner one night that week.
Set the pile of socks in the middle and challenge them to try to match the most socks (correctly) together! No fighting, of course. We don’t need broken socks, because this leads to lonely socks.
If you want to challenge an only child (or if you only have one child old enough to understand), you can have him race against the clock!
Want more fun printable sock activity pages?
I’m offering four more right now in the Arts & Crackers Gumroad store!
While you’re at it, teach the kids how to fold the socks afterwards! My son loves doing this. It may not be done exactly the way I do it, but he enjoys folding them and it is a great skill for him to learn.
This activity is such a great compromise between doing laundry by yourself and getting kids to help with chores. There is so much to learn and enjoy with this!
Read also: Measuring Belt | Kid Fashion Tutorial and Why I Clean the House Every Night
I would love to hear from you in the comments below–What is your least favorite chore? Do you involve the kids in some way?
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Excellent! Kids love to help and though they don’t do the job as good or as quickly as you can do it yourself now but they might eventually. And if you let them help when they are little they will grow in so many way. They will gain knowledge and confidence and most importantly will learn that you trust them to help as you are establishing an open communication pattern to build upon.
They really do! The boys love when I let them help and cheer them on.
Great idea – I tried to do something similar with my 5 year old but he helped me for about 30 seconds and then went back to his lego. I’m going to keep trying though!
Nicole | The Professional Mom Project
Mine does that too sometimes, Nicole, so sometimes we have to race against a clock or something and I’ll help him out to keep him on track.
Such a great idea -preschoolers love to help grownups, and they can have fun with a matching game at the same time!
Thank you, Heather. They definitely too! It’s a fun way to get them involved.
I really love this idea for my grandson. This way he learning and helping Grandma at the same time. 🙂