How to turn chores into games and make it fun for the kids to help around the house.
As my kids are getting older, I want them to learn to clean up after themselves as well as help around the house.Right now, they know that after each meal, they need to bring their plates, glasses and utensils to the sink when they are finished eating. They also put their dirty clothes into their hampers when it’s time for a bath, usually.When they come into the house, they also take of their own shoes and put them in the stand, after I remind them.
That is all great, but I also want them to participate in helping around the house with chores that aren’t directly related to them. It’s in a far-fetched hope that it’ll continue and they will be willing and happy to do chores as they grow into teenagers. Yes, I know I’m dreaming, but a girl’s gotta hope.
In that aim, I’ve been trying to create games out of household chores. This makes it fun for them and they end up helping around the house. Here are a few where I’ve tried to turn chores into games and some that I’m looking forward to trying.
7 Ways to Turn Chores into Games
1. The Socks Matching Game
In this game,we do all the laundry and then save the socks for the kids. The goal for them is to separate the socks by color and then make matching pairs. If you have more than one child doing this, whoever makes the most pair wins!
2. Pick a Chore From theJar
We created amovie night jar. We made list of all the family movies we wanted to watch, cut them out, folded them and put them in a jar. Then once a month when wewatch a family movie on a Saturday night, we pick a title randomly out of a jar. Why not do that with chores too? Sit down with the kids and make a list of chores they think they can do. Then let the kids help you cut and fold them. Put all the pieces in a jar. And then when it’s chore time, they can pick one and do it. It sounds fun in theory, especially because the kids helped create it.
3. Sort the Utensils
I came up withthis gamevery recently. How it works is, when the dishes are washed and it’s time to unload the dishwasher, hand over the spoons and forks to the kids. (I have little ones, so I took knives out myself.) They can sort the forks and spoons first by size and then find the right spot in the tray to put them in. And trust me, it’s really fun for them for some reason!
4. Kid-Sized Cleaning Supplies
Get your children some kid-sized cleaning supplies like brooms, mops, dust pan, even a small spray bottle with homemade non-chemical cleaner. You will be very surprised to see how excited they will beto help you out when they have their own special supplies and they can spray things. It’s really a win-win situation.
5. Sock Dusting
Got some old, unmatched white sport socks that you’re going to throw away? Give them to your kids instead. Tell them to put it on their hand as a glove and see how much dust they can pick up. If you have more than one child, make it into a “who can collect more dust” game!
6. Spray the Plants
I have a terrible green thumb and that’s why I don’t keep a lot of plants around. But what if you don’t need to remember to water the plants? Keep a spray bottle at a level that your kids can reach and make it a fun game, because really, what kid doesn’t love spraying water?
7. Chore Chart
Buy or make a chore chart.Put a fewage appropriatechores on it for your kids. Then as a reward, let them put a sticker every time they finish a chore. You can even add the stickers or checkmarks up at the end of the week and give them a quarter for every chore they completed. Yes, it’s a little like bribery but it works really well!
If you’re kid’s are getting older and they don’t buy the whole “it’s fun to turn chores into games,” then you can try some of these chore chart reward ideas.
How do you get your little ones to help around the house?
