What Nursery Staff Could Put in Place:

  • Be relentlessly consistent with expectations. Tidy-up isn’t optional.

  • Break tasks down: “Can you put the dinosaurs in this basket?” rather than “Help tidy.”

  • Use visual cues: picture cards, colour-coded storage, labels, or simple photos to show where things go.

  • Celebrate helpfulness with descriptive praise: “You put all the bricks back - that helped everyone!”

  • Role-play tidy-up scenarios during circle time to rehearse what it looks like.

  • Create buddy systems for children who need support - but make sure they’re doing, not just watching.