Spring! Warm weather, sunshine, and the hope that flu season has met its demise. Spring cleaning is a great way to refresh your homeschool after the long winter months. We can include a bit of scholarship into our spring cleaning with lessons about germs, cleaning, and cleaning supplies.
1.1 Article: “How to Encourage Your Family at the Dinner Table”
Discouragement is like a bad germ;, it can spread far and wide, but a small acknowledgement can go a long way to encourage your children. Chap Bettis from The Apollos Project has a great suggestion to encourage your children at the dinner table.
www.crosswalk.com/family/parenting/kids/how-to-encourage-your-family-at-the-dinner-table.html
1.2 Spring Cleaning for the Family
You can make spring cleaning a family affair with these tips on getting your kids to help.
www.thehappygal.com/kids-help-with-spring-cleaning
This Guide to Cleaning with Kids by Room and Age is a handy reference chart for the chores your child might be ready to handle.
http://frugalfun4boys.com/2013/02/10/chores-for-kids-a-guide-to-cleaning-with-kids-by-room-and-age
This Today Show’s blog post has helpful tips on how to clean your shower head, makeup brushes, shower drain, kitchen sink, and washing machine and the reasons you want to tackle these jobs.
www.today.com/home/how-clean-your-shower-head-makeup-brushes-kitchen-sink-more-t70266
Why purchase mass-produced chemical cleaners when you can naturally clean your home with things on hand or cleaners that are made from organic materials.
www.greenmomscollective.ca/spring-cleaning-naturally
This downloadable spring-cleaning checklist from Martha Stewart can help you clean every nook and cranny of your home.
http://images.marthastewart.com/images/content/web/pdfs/2007Q2/la_0407_spring_cleaning.pdf
You can clean and sanitize household items and toys in your dishwasher. The instructions are in this post by the Fun Cheap or Free blog.
http://funcheaporfree.com/2011/11/youre-welcome-wednesday-tip-de-germ
1.3 Teaching Preschoolers about Germs and Cleaning
This interactive guide to washing your hands has poems, demonstrations, videos, suggested books, crafts, and more to help you explain germs to your littlest learners.
https://hubpages.com/family/childrenshandwashing
Sid the Science Kid has a video on germs and a video experiment that you can try with your students.
Sid the Science Kid – germs.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghLkwSlWSXw
Sid the Science Kid – video experiment.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6RshDZ1aks
This yummy demonstration of how germs spread uses powdered doughnuts. It can help your preschoolers see how germs spread.
www.acottonkandilife.com/teaching-toddlers-germs-powdered-donuts
Arts and crafts projects can help drive the lesson home with preschoolers. Here are two links: one to coloring pages and another to an art project on germs.
Coloring pages:
http://crystalandcomp.com/kid-color-pages-a-sick-day-and-spreading-germs
Craft project:
www.theottoolbox.com/2015/09/germ-craft-to-teach-kids-how-germs-are.html
After teaching your toddlers about germs, you could use these helpful ideas to include them in your spring cleaning.
www.running-from-the-law.com/2016/03/spring-cleaning-with-toddlers.html
1.4 Handwashing, Soap, and Spring Cleaning
This video will teach your students a method to wash their hands thoroughly.
www.purewow.com/wellness/the-best-way-to-wash-your-hands
You can use the unique activities and projects in this blog post to teach your child about germs and how they spread. White Blood Cell Cookies and Battle Inside a Giant’s Bloodstream are just two of the innovative activities listed.
www.ourtimetolearn.com/blog/category/germs
According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), flu season can last into the month of May. To stay vigilant this spring in your fight against viruses, you can teach these tips on cold and flu prevention to your students.
www.cleaninginstitute.org/cold-flu-prevention
Use this CDC webpage to show your children the latest influenza statistics for the country.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm#S5
How does soap work to get rid of dirt and germs? Is there really science behind using soap? This lesson plan on the science of soap will convince even your most skeptical students.
www.cleaninginstitute.org/science/soapclassroom.aspx
The links on this page will take you to pages about the history and science of soaps and detergents, the art and science of bubbles, and how to keep your world clean.
www.cleaninginstitute.org/clean_living/kids_corner.aspx
Teach your child how to clean the bathroom with the instructions and a downloadable cleaning chart at the Pichea Place blog.
This infographic on how germs spread is a great visual aid.
www.mnn.com/health/healthy-spaces/stories/how-do-germs-spread-infographic
1.5 Cleaning and The Chemistry of Cleaners
You can use the material at Essential Industries website to supplement your chemistry students curriculum on the chemistry of cleaning.
www.essind.com/general-cleaners/the-chemistry-of-cleaning
The Busy Bee Cleaning Service also has a webpage, The Chemistry Behind Cleaning, that teaches about cleaning supplies.
www.bbcleaningservice.com/office/chemistry-behind-cleaning.html
The American Cleaning Institute also has a section on the chemistry of soaps and detergents.
www.cleaninginstitute.org/clean_living/soaps__detergents_chemistry.aspx
Once your student understands the chemistry behind soaps and detergents, you can have them make chemical-free cleaners for your home.
www.brit.co/how-to-make-chemical-free-household-cleaners
You can make quite a few cleaning supplies. These handy tips can teach your high school student how to clean on a budget.
http://livesimply.me/2015/02/17/9-cleaning-products-stop-buying-start-making
Have your high school student make your laundry detergent. It’s economical!
www.mrshappyhomemaker.com/homemade-liquid-laundry-detergent-plus-a-free-printable-label
High school students will soon be navigating the world on their own. Your students may already know how to clean and do laundry, but it’s not too late to assign lessons on cleaning the kitchen and doing laundry.
Kitchen Cleaning Checklist:
www.settingforfour.com/kitchen-cleaning-checklist-printable
Beginner’s Guide to Laundry:
www.popsugar.com/smart-living/How-Do-Laundry-36056995
