Activity Overload: Cleaning Tips For Spills

Your child adores his new preschool desk or art desk and is being very careful, but sooner or later, spills will happen and messes will be made. While it's inevitable and unfortunate, accidents are simply bound to happen. Here are some helpful tips for cleaning up messes and spills.

First Things First The first step is to simply accept that accidents will happen. Spills and messes may be a good sign. It means that the new art desk or writing desk you bought is actually being used! However, if you can't stand the thought of any damage being done to your childrens desk, then maybe you should consider a lower-quality version until your child is older.

Establish Good Habits
Of course, the best way to clean up spills and messes is to prevent them from happening. Work with your child to create some rules that need to be followed when they use the art desk or activity desk.

By taking the time to establish some good habits up front, you may end up minimizing the frequency of accidents. Here are some simple rules you may want to include:

• No food or drink is allowed at the activity desk.
• No pushing or shoving when working with friends at your art desk.
• Permission is required to use paint, clay, glitter, glue, or any other messy art supplies at the preschool desk.

When Spills Happen
It also might be helpful to outline what your child should do if spills or accidents do happen at their toddler desk. Let them know that they need to notify you right away. Covering this topic before anything happens may increase the chances of your child letting you know when a mess has been made rather than trying to hide it.

Additional Clean-Up Tips

• Clean spills as soon as possible. In most cases, a warm, soapy cloth or sponge should do the trick.
• Periodically wipe down the entire preschool desk to eliminate any dust or grime.
• Keep a stack of newspapers by the art desk. When your child wants to do a messy activity, you can use them to protect the toddler desk.