Floor Sweeping

For ages: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

Skills: order, concentration, coordination, independence

Materials:

Child-sized broom, hand broom, short handled dustpan, an area of floor marked off for sweeping, material to be swept (paper shavings, elbow macaroni, beans, etc.), and a garbage can.

Presentation:

1. Invite the child to sweep.

2. Carry a basket filled with the materials to be swept (macaroni) to an area of the floor marked off for sweeping.

3. Grasp one handful of elbow macaroni. Slowly and gracefully sprinkle them on the floor. Watch as they fall.

4. Obtain broom, carrying it with both hands. Place dominant hand on top, subdominant hand under, and brush towards marked off area of floor.

5. Sweeping in long, firm strokes, gather the macaroni into the center of the marked off area.

6. Put broom away.

7. Obtain the dustpan and hand broom.

8. Bend, hold dustpan firmly with subdominant hand on one line of the marked off area. With dominant hand, sweep the macaroni into the dustpan.

   

9. Hold the hand broom on the edge of the dustpan to keep the macaroni from falling off of the dustpan.

10. Stand and carry the dustpan and macaroni to the garbage can.

11. While holding the handle of the dustpan with the subdominant hand, and the hand broom with the dominant hand, gently sweep the macaroni into the garbage can.

12. Put the dustpan and hand broom away.

Points of Interest:

The appearance of the materials (color and texture), watching the material fall to the floor, the sound of the material hitting the floor, using long firm strokes while sweeping, sweeping material to the center of the designated area, sweeping the material into the dustpan, and sweeping the material into the trash can.

Control of Error:

• An area on the floor is defined by chalk or tape, material is a contrasting color to the floor, seeing material left on the floor when the activity is finished, limiting amount of macaroni in basket (teacher refills), seeing contents of dustpan spill, and seeing material outside of the defined area.

Language:

• sweep, dustpan, broom, hand broom, center, macaroni

Variations:

Using different sweeping materials (wood shavings, dried rose petals) or make the designated area a circle instead of a square.

Extensions:

Have child use chalk to draw the designated area before sweeping, have children use the same tools to clean up around the snack table after they eat.

Comments:

Materials for sweeping will be thrown away. This material should be pleasing to the child, but also should be inexpensive.