Chores Done While Having Fun

Make Mom’s Day In A Helpful Way

BY JESS WEISCHEDEL

Everymom appreciates having a tidy home, especially when it’s done with everyone on board and having fun — including the kids! What better idea for a unique Mother’s Day gift than a chore chart system that turns cleaning into a fun time spent together?

The thought of starting a new routine of daily tasks and household chores can certainly be daunting, but there are some creative ways to make it something to look forward to.

By encouraging those involved to give their input during the creation process, it can be an enjoyable experience, especially for kids.

Here are a few ideas to use as a guide to get started!

HERE ARE SOME POPULAR TYPES OF CHORE CHARTS:

• Color-coded: assign a color to each person and show their chores for each day using stickers or markers on the chart.

• Interactive: create several chore cards usingVelcro or magnets to attach and move around the chart as each task is done.

• Scratch-off: reveal a prize for each completed chore using scratchoff stickers.

• Wheel: create a spinning wheel that adds an element of surprise to which chore will be next to do, making it feel more like a game

• Jar: write each task on a small piece of paper and place them all into a jar. Each day or week the kids can draw a chore from the jar, which makes it feel more spontaneous and fun.

Asking the kids to think about what needs to be done in each area of the house is a great way to get them motivated.

HERE ARE SOME IDEAS FOR KID-FRIENDLY CHORES TO ADD TO YOUR TASK LIST:

• Make your bed.

• Put your dirty clothes in the hamper.

• Fold the towels.

• Help with gardening tasks.

• Help with meal prep.

• Feed the dog.

• Wipe the mirrors.

• Put away your toys and books.

• Empty small trash cans.

• Help prepare school items.

• Dust the baseboards.

Once the kids have helped you develop a chore chart plan and list of tasks to include, it’s time to ignite a desire in them to want to participate in the new routine and develop habits of doing their chores on a regular basis.

THERE ARE MANY CREATIVE WAYS TO MAKE CLEANING MORE FUN FOR KIDS.

• Cosplay: use role play by acting out different scenarios and letting them wear costumes! Pretend the kitchen is a restaurant as the kids dress up with aprons, chef hats, and oven mitts and clean up for future customers or help to prepare a gourmet meal.

• Tell them to put on their capes and masks and use their super powers to battle the messes as the super hero cleaners. Break out the princess dresses and crowns and feel fancy as you help prepare the palace for some very important guests, while the fairy godmother adds sparkle to every surface she touches.

• Be an astronaut in outer space, on a mission to tidy up his spaceship, or be a futuristic robot or alien housekeeper who can only speak an intergalactic language.

• Imagine yourselves as pirates on the hunt for treasure around the house as they search for hidden gems as they clean.

• Relay challenge: one person could be assigned the task of cleaning a mirror, and once that is done, they need to tag the next person, who has to put away their toys away before they tag the next person to empty the trash.

•Working together as a team to accomplish a mutual goal will make your kids feel important and proud.

• Cleaning Olympics: set up an obstacle course around your home with different chores to complete in each spot

• Obstacles could be tossing items into a basket or bin, sorting a pile of toys, organizing a bookshelf, dusting surfaces, reuniting separated pairs of socks, and any other challenge you add to each level of the game (or to each room).

• Chore supply kits: gather a set of cleaning tools that are age appropriate, safe, and fun for your child to use. Take them shopping with you, and let them help with picking out each item.

• A fun spray bottle, a cool apron, and brightly colored gloves could be great additions to their kit.

• Choose a duster and a few microfiber cloths in their favorite color.

• Consider a small broom and dustpan, a mini vacuum, and a sponge in a silly shape.

Don’t forget to find a container for the kit, such as a small toolbox, a rolling bin, or a basket that is easy to carry around. Take time to explain each tool to your child and show them how to use them effectively, while giving them reassurance that they are theirs to have and use for their very own cleaning jobs.

The final step to consider while developing a chore routine is incentive. A reward system will make your child feel appreciated and give them a sense of achievement after reaching the goals. Younger children will enjoy seeing their progress on a sticker chart, earning a sticker for each chore they complete and getting a prize when it they’ve finished.

Tokens or tickets can be used to “purchase” a prize once enough of them are earned from completed tasks, and teaches kids about saving and exchanging currency. Reward systems that are time based will assign chores based on the amount of time they take to complete, providing valuable life lessons in time management

Encourage the kids to help with a list of prizes they could potentially receive once they complete all of their chores on the chart.

HERE ARE SOME IDEAS FOR INCENTIVIZING THEIR HARD WORK:

Special Outings:

A trip to the zoo, a play date with friends, a movie and popcorn at the theatre, an escape room challenge, or a visit to the ice cream shop are some ways to make their prize an experience.

Games and Activities:

A new board game, craft kit, backyard scavenger hunt, or pool and water toys will also create ways to spend some quality time together while having a blast.

Allowance:

Earning a small allowance for finished chores will make their hearts and their piggy banks feel full, all while teaching them about money management.

Screen Time:

Let them choose a favorite device to redeem some well-deserved screen time.

Toys:

Offer a collection of small toys and trinkets to choose from when a chore is done, or a bigger item they’ve been wanting and can win after a certain number of tasks are completed.

Stickers and Other Collectibles:

Encourage your child to start a collection of stickers, pins, marbles, cards, or other items that can be displayed and gathered over time as a curated collection to be proud of. Depending on what your kid shows interest in, you could have on hand a variety of unique stickers, erasers, charms, coins, key chains, magnets, Pez dispensers, trading cards, stamps, post cards, shells, stones, buttons, dice, etc. to let them choose from.

To give them a better understanding of how collecting something works, show them ways to store and arrange the items together, which could become a really cool display in their bedroom!

Whether you are searching for that perfect way to show appreciation to a special mother in your life, or you are a mom looking for useful gift ideas to suggest to the family, a consistently clean home is a gift that keeps on giving well beyond the special day we celebrate our moms each year.