Sweeping with a Small Broom and Dustpan

Safety

The broom handle is short enough that the child cannot swing it into another child's face; the adult shows sweeping away from other children and stops the work if the broom is swung.
The dustpan is emptied into a lidded trash can the child can open, and the trash contains no sharp or broken items when children use it.

1
After a meal, point to the crumbs under the table and say, 'Crumbs. I will sweep them.'
2
Take the broom from its hook. Hold it with one hand near the top and one hand lower down.
3
Sweep with short, slow strokes toward one spot, keeping the broom on the floor. The crumbs gathering in one pile is the point of interest.
4
Hand the child the broom and wait while they sweep. Let them sweep in their own way.
5
Kneel and hold the dustpan at the edge of the pile. Brush the pile in, or hold the dustpan while the child brushes.
6
Walk with the child to the trash and let them tip the dustpan in. Hang the broom and dustpan on their outlines together.

Crumbs left on the floor are visible after sweeping; an empty outline on the wall shows a tool not hung back.

A toddler broom that is too long is the most common reason the work fails. At home, a hand brush and dustpan alone is a good first step.