Introduction: Sponge Skating! (Get Your Kids to Clean the Floor and Enjoy It)
Do you have a dirty kitchen floor? Are you tired of cleaning it yourself? Do you have energetic kids that you need to wear out before bedtime? Try this trick and your kids will beg you to let them clean the floor for you! It is also great exercise, and with the addition of a couple of mops and a lid it can also be turned into a fun family hockey game.
WARNING: Be careful, and if you slip and fall and hurt/kill yourself, don't blame me! You might want to think about wearing a helmet or pads or something if you're worried about it...
Step 1: Materials
You will need:
- Sponges (two for each person)
- Pair of shoes
- Hot glue gun
- Soap or floor cleaning (non-irritating to the skin)
- Bin or bucket for the suds (or use the sink)
- Music for skating to
To play hockey, you may also want:
- A mop for each player
- Some type of object to use as a puck
Step 2: Attach the Sponges
The first step is to attach sponges to the bottom of the shoes for everyone who will be participating. Our grocery store had a three-sponges-for-a-dollar sale, so we stocked up on a few. They were the type that you use for cleaning the kitchen sink or washing the dishes.
Hot glue works great for this because it can be removed when you're done. It held the sponges to the shoes remarkably well while we used them pretty hard for over an hour.
I attached the sponges to my son's old imitation crocs that were a bit small and were about to be thrown out. I used my "nice" sandals and the glue peeled off easily when I was done.
Step 3: Add the Suds
Add a bit of soap to the bucket and fill with water to make the floor-cleaning suds. You should make sure that the soap you use is non-irritating to the skin.
Now, get your sponge skates nice and soapy. My kids loved standing in the bucket with their skates on.
Step 4: Crank the Tunes
We chose to set the mood by throwing a mix of classical piano, Zelda soundtrack, and Charlie Brown Christmas CDs into the CD changer. Adjust to your own musical tastes.
Step 5: Let the Fun Begin!
I was very suprised at how well the slippery skates worked, and how much the kids liked it. Our floor became very clean!
The video below shows the type of fun you should be having at this point.
Step 6: Go for the Goal
Once you have the hang of using your sponge skates, it's time to get competitive. Arm each participant with a mop and find some type of round object to use as a puck. Use chairs, cones, Tupperware or whatever to mark off some goals on opposite ends of the kitchen and let loose your hockey mojo.
Every so often, have the team wring our their mops in the sink. This helps get the soap and water off the floor so that it will dry.
Step 7: Enjoy Your Clean Floor and Worn Out Kids
Our floor was sparkling clean when we finished, and the kids were begging to do it again.
Here are some things we overheard our 9 year old say during our skating session:
"You're dumb if you think this is boring!"
"This is where tap dancers would come in handy!"
"This floor is so clean!"
"This is way better than school!"
I hope you and your family enjoy this activity. If you try it out, I'd love to hear about it in the comments!
For more activities you can do with your kids, check out our blog at mytimewithdad.blogspot.com
