I’ve unintentionally created a micro celebrity at my work (daycare).
I made up and introduced the Clean Up Monster to the kids yesterday because they left so many toys out and weren’t putting things away well enough. I made a silly monster hat and told them this is the clean up monster and the clean up monster loves to eat toys. so if the clean up monster gets their hands on any toys during clean up time that toy is gone forever (not actually, I secretly put it back later) because the clean up monster ate it!!! and they shrieked and ran around cleaning up and coordinating their efforts while I prowled around the room like a monster trying to pick up toys that hadn’t been put away.
they beg me to let the clean up monster come out all the time now. they talk about the clean up monster like they’re real. they were congratulating themselves and reminiscing on how the clean up monster only ate two toy coins and a spoon yesterday. they were eating snacks today and didn’t put away two dodge balls and one kid came up to me mid snack and was like “I’m gonna go put those two balls away once I’m done eating so the clean up monster doesn’t eat them”.
you guys, they are obsessed. the clean up monster is a fun celebrity to them that could appear at any time. They have never cleaned up faster and more thorough than when the clean up monster appears (they also adorably work together and give commands to each other to make sure they divide and conquer so the clean up monster doesn’t have a chance to reach anything). it’s so cute. I had no idea the clean up monster would be such a hit.