Get Your Kids Organized by Using Chore Charts
10 unique chore charts to get your kids motivated to tackle their chores.
A frequent complaint I hear when working with parents is that their kids are often the ones contributing to the mess and clutter around the house. I think when kids are part of the problem it's time to get them involved in the solution. Usually when kids have a stake in the game and ownership is shared, things are more likely to get done.
I came across this article: The Importance of Chores for Children which makes some good points about chores being a contributing factor to children's success in the future and that they're essential to help in learning basic life skills. I couldn't agree more. Within the post, there's even a free downloadable chore chart broken down by age which has chore ideas for kids ages 2-10.
I know that chore charts can be pretty ho-hum and easily overlooked when taped to the back of the door or tacked up to the family bulletin board, so I've compiled a list of ten creative versions of chore charts.
1. Chore sticks
Get crafty by writing out various tasks on popsicle sticks. Kids get to choose which one to do and then add it to the "Done" jar when completed.
Source: Toddler Approved
2. Paint chip chore chart
This one might be good for older kids as it breaks down a specific chore into easy-to-follow steps.
Source: Mommy Moment
3. Chore card
It's like a shopper's rewards card for doing chores. After kids get their card punched for doing a certain amount of chores, they get to pick a fun reward.
Source: Cluck Cluck Sew
4. Cookie sheet chart
This is a crafty way to get your kids' to-do list on! They can even help pick the paint colors, ribbon and washi tape to customize it.
Source: Craftaholics Anonymous
5. Chore dice
It's the luck of the roll with this creative way to choose your chores. You can doctor up an old building block with pictures shown here or you could just use a set of traditional dice and have a list of chores numbered 1-12 to correspond with the number rolled.
Source: Delia Creates
6. Tic Tac To-Dos
This is a cute way to make doing chores into a game. Parents fill out the card and then once a child gets three in a row, they get an incentive.
Source: Design Eat Repeat
7. Toy Jail
This might not work for everyone, but I got a kick out of this idea. In essence, you basically hold your children's toys hostage until they do some cleaning up!
Source: The Chic Site
8. Chore ring
Sometimes kids like to have a little money to add to their piggy banks. If you believe in paying for chores, this could be an option for your family.
Source: Meaningful Mama
9. Door hanger chore chart
If you're not one to create a whole bulletin board or devote the front of the fridge to the chore chart, this is a good idea. It's a nice visual reminder that can hang on the door where the child can see it each day.
Source: Memories of a Modern Mommy
10. Work for hire chore system
If your kids are a bit older and are motivated by money or they're working to earn something special, this system might be helpful for your household. Click the source link below to read the details of this system and how it successfully works for this mother's family.
Source: Happily Unprocessed
Do you have a favorite chore chart from the list?
Or is there one system that you might try to implement with your family?