Like you, I’ve had my fair share of kiddie messes to clean up over the years. The more you have to clean up, the more you feel like preventing the kids having as much fun. I don’t want to be the Mom that stifled the kids’ creativity. I want them let loose, run riot and enjoy being kids. Kids are supposed to be messy. But I just don’t have time to clean endlessly. After all, I want to have fun with the kids too.

One of my favorite discoveries in the last few months has to be oilcloths. These are very thick, durable tablecloths that can cope with heat and mess without damage. I love that they come in so many gorgeous designs as well. You can get fun and colorful ones, or try one to better match your decor. The wipe clean so easy, and you don’t need to worry about table mats when you’re having a coffee.
A plastic mat on the floor under the table catches all those splashes and play-doh crumbs that make your floor a disaster zone. Whatever the kids are doing, something always ends up on the floor. It doesn’t matter whether you have carpets or tiles. An old plastic party tablecloth or messy play covering on the floor is ideal.

I got rid of the carpets in the house years ago because of all the stains that I just couldn’t get rid of. They looked tatty and old and dirty all the time. Tiles and hardwood floors are much easier to keep clean. If you ask me what is the best vacuum cleaner to buy for hardwood floors, I would say that you should still choose power and maneuverability over cost. This ensures even the tiniest dust particles are removed every time from any floor.

Children love to play with messy things. It might only be water, but once they’re soaked, you have to get out yet another fresh set of clothing. Waterproof coverall aprons are ideal no matter what they’re doing. Just like the tablecloth or plastic floor mats, you can hang them on the washing line and hose them down to get them clean again. Best of all, there’s no need for spare sets of clothes.
When it comes to taking care of the floors, I know I have to be careful. The kids are always rolling around on the floor, playing with cars and blocks and things. Steam mopping is a must for me. There are no chemicals, and there’s no mop bucket to worry about. You just pour in some water, switch it on and go. Quick and easy and safe. I love it.

To be honest, though, I prefer keeping messy play playing in the garden when it’s a nice day. If the paints and clays they’re using are safe for the kids, I doubt they’ll do much harm to the lawn or flowers. There is far more space out there for them to have fun as well. I’ve got a lovely foldaway table they can take out there with a couple of matching chairs. It’s easy to wipe clean because it’s plastic. Then it all comes apart for easy storage in the cupboard or garage.

The kids love making dens. I don’t mind moving the furniture around a little to set the mood, or prop up the sheets! Of course, putting it all back and tidying up the sheets again is a bit of a bother. Folding sheets isn’t beyond even the smallest children, and it’s good practice for them to do it too. Moving the furniture is too much for the kids to do, but I take advantage of their new position by vacuuming the areas they usually sit on!

If you’ve ever wished you could just sit back and relax after you’ve got the kids to bed, then try out my easy hack for a tidy room. About twenty minutes before bath time, get the kids to pop their toys back into a toy box. You can use a plastic container instead. There’s no need to sort things or put items in lots of different places. But it can be more fun if you ask them to put all the red things in first. Or maybe you’re looking for all the toys that have wheels first! You can create a little song and have a factory line to pass the toys along to the box.

Big plastic containers for toys are so useful. You can select a few toys to go in each one. Then rotate which container comes out each day. Confining the play to just one tub of toys saves you clearing up and sorting out a huge mess later. You could pack the containers by category. Trains and cars in one, and blocks and books in another. But encourage the kids to put them all back before changing to the next tub.