Mother's Day Helpers

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*This activity is one my Mom used to do when she was Music Leader and I was a little girl. We
loved it!

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SONG LIST:

• When We're Helping
• Quickly I'll Obey
• If You're Happy and You Know It
• Saturday
• A Happy Helper
• Fun to Do
• Mother's Day Songs

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Gather cleaning items from around your house. Pint sized items are even better. (see the list below)
Line up all the groups of things on the floor at the front of the room so everyone can see them. These are all of the "chores" a Mother does.

SAY: Today we get to be Mother's helpers! Moms sure do have a lot to do! Let's see if we can do everything a Mom does.

Walk along the line of "chores" you've set out and mess everything up (nicely, not like a ravishing monster).Take the bedding off the bed, scatter the dishes, dump the laundry out of the basket.  Explain as you go what each thing is "...and here we have to make a bed, and here we have to put the laundry in the basket...".  You may need to specifically talk about or demonstrate what is to be done at each "chore".

CHOOSE a child to be the Mother's Helper. Put the Apron on the child. Walk with them to the first item. Point down the line and tell the Mother's Helper that they have to complete all these chores by the time we are done singing.

SING one of the songs on the list.
Then, have the Mother's Helper do all the chores while you sing the song again.... really fast!

Choose another child and REPEAT.

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LIST OF ITEMS (and what to do with them). No need to have ALL the items. Pick and choose from what you have:

• An apron and unused plastic gloves(put on Mother's Helper)
• Plastic make-up, or just a blush brush (get ready for the day)
• Plastic plates, silverware and plastic food (make available, but don't set up so the child "sets" table and puts food on plates)
• A doll crib with a bedding (mess up bedding - child has to make the bed)
• A duster/rag and an item to dust (lay rag by item that needs to be dusted)
• Play iron/ironing board 
• Toy vacuum
• Small broom / hand broom
• Dishes and wash cloth (make in dissary - child "washes" dishes and puts them "away" in a neat orderly fashion)
• Laundry basket full of clothes (scatter clothes on floor - child puts laundry in the basket)
• Computer keyboard (type on it to check email)
• Baby bathtub, doll and washcloth (place items near tub - child gives baby a bath *suggested to leave a diaper on the baby)
• Doll with hair and comb
• Lunch box and plastic food (have food lying out near lunchbox - child packs the lunch)
• Small toybox and toys (put toys away)