Today, I’m sharing all about our simple chore chart for little kids. When school began this year, I knew I wanted to get organized with the kids’ routines and also begin assigning them daily chores to complete. Previously, the kids basically had 2 responsibilities, clean up their toys and take their plate over to the counter after eating. My oldest did these 2 things without complaint everyday, but my youngest struggled and needed constant reminding. A lot of times, he even refused to clean up his toys before bed which was really frustrating.
Over the summer, I (with the help of my mom and sister!) put together this neat little chore chart, and I can’t tell you how much of a success it’s been. My youngest happily completes his chores in the morning and in the evening without complaint. He even gets mad if I forget to set them! Part of the success has to do with the novelty of it, of course, but I also think the act of moving all the tiles to the ‘Done’ side is like a game of sorts.
How We Made Our Chore Chart
To make our chore board, I purchased this magnetic metal board from Amazon. Then my mom printed out the letters on her Cricut. We made the top half the morning chores and the bottom half the evening chores with a ‘To Do’ and ‘Done’ column for each. I bought this thin black artist’s tape to separate the areas.
I purchased these wooden tiles from Etsy. The seller has a list of options to choose from so you can customize the chores according to your needs. I love that they are super cute and vintage looking. Plus they have a picture and words which works best for kids who can’t read yet.
I went ahead and bought extra tiles for chores they can’t quite do yet but will do in the future like unloading the dishwasher and vacuuming. We also have a tile for swim lessons and sports practice so they can get an idea of their schedule for the day.
How We Use Our Chore Chart
The process is very simple. I set the chores each day under the ‘To Do’, and then the kids complete the chores and move the tile to the ‘Done’ side. They always complete their chores at the same time each day, after breakfast in the morning and before bedtime in the evening.
We use this chore chart for more than just chores. I also include the items they need to get ready for school each day like their water bottle and lunchbox, and simple tasks they need to complete like brushing their teeth. We use the ‘Clothes’ tile in the evening as a reminder to lay out their clothes for the next day.
The first week, we incentivized doing their chores by rewarding them with a sheet of stickers, but after that we haven’t given them any rewards for completing their chores. That’s really up to you though!
I like how this chore chart is teaching my kid’s responsibility and independence. In the morning, after breakfast, I just say ‘go do your chores!’ and they run off and start getting things ready. It’s also been a great way to provide structure and routine to our mornings which can be a little hectic. If you’d like ideas to simplify your mornings even more, check out this post where I shared our weekly breakfast rotation.
If you have any questions about how we made our chore board or how we use it in our house, please leave them in the comments! Parenting can be hard sometimes so I’m just sharing this in hopes that it gives you a helpful idea.
