Chore Games for Kids That Instill Responsibility with a Fun Flair

As a mother, I know firsthand what it’s like introducing young children to the concept of chores. Folding laundry, doing dishes, taking out the trash—these tasks sometimes seem easier to do yourself instead of assigning them to a child. It’s important, however, to consider the significant benefits of starting your child off at an early age with chores around the house. Kids chores can actually boost self-esteem, impart useful life skills, and teach responsibility. But despite all the positive outcomes, you may still struggle when it comes to delegating housework to your children. Creating chore games for kids just might be your answer to a no-sweat introduction to household responsibilities.

Finding Joy in a Job Well Done

Planning chore games for kids who are either reluctant workers or are simply new to domestic duties certainly beats assigning household jobs the old-fashioned way. Fortunately, when it comes to making kids chores fun, you have tons of options. Below are some ideas to get you started on a struggle-free journey.

• Assess the mess in your house, and create a scavenger hunt for items that need to be picked up and put away. This can be especially fun for siblings as they race to see who gets the most items.

• Give your children a customized cleaning bucket to decorate, filled with their own cleaning supplies. This will help instill pride in their work and in taking care of their personal household gear.

• For younger children, make up chore songs. Sing some simple tunes with your three- or four-year-old, and replace some of the words with chore-related words. This could include a rhyme about where to find the dog food or a song that lists all the rooms in the house that need to be cleaned.

• How would an animal do the dishes? Have your children find out by acting like any animal they choose as they complete their task.

• During particularly monotonous chores such as folding laundry, create silly stories with your child. These tales could be about the history of your clothes before you bought them or completely random narratives. Take turns making up sentences, and before you know it, you will end up with a fun story, lots of laughs, and an empty laundry basket!

• Play “Simon Says” while your child cleans up his or her bedroom. The room will be spic-and-span in no time at all!

It’s helpful to keep in mind age-appropriate tasks when you’re planning household chore games for kids. What’s good for an eight-year-old may be too overwhelming for a four-year-old. Light rewards and sticker charts can add some fun, but you may want to consider holding off on allowance for chores until your children are a bit older.

What chore games do you play with your kids? Tell us on Twitter!

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