Washing Day Helper

What you need

• a basket of laundry that needs washing
• a drying rack or the backs of two chairs
• a few pairs of socks in the wash

How to do it

1. Tip the laundry basket out on the floor and sort it together: whites in one pile and colours in another.
2. Let your child load one pile into the washing machine, counting each thing in, while you add the powder and set it going.
3. When it's finished, help them pull the wet washing out into the basket and carry it between you to the drying rack.
4. Hang up the small things together, drape each sock over a rung, and find the pairs once they're dry.

Why it matters

Sorting, counting, carrying, hanging: washing day has all of them, and every one is a job the family needs doing.

What they're learning

Sorting by colour

Whites here, colours there.

Counting in

One number for each thing into the drum.

Carrying together

A heavy, wet basket shared between two.

What to look for

Notice them holding something up and deciding which pile it belongs in.

A tip

You add the washing powder and set the machine, and keep the door shut while it runs. Keep laundry capsules and detergent out of sight and reach, and close the machine door when you're done.

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