If the words “pick up your dirty laundry,” are on a constant loop, welcome to the club. Keep your daily routine in order and chart a course for clean this summer. We’ve picked 10 of our favorites chore charts that range from toddler to teen, and electronic to seasonal. A few are free, and a few can be purchased for a nominal fee. And really, isn’t a few bucks worth paying to keep our sanity in check? Click through the slideshow below to see them all.
Pretty Cool
Kids will love using this chore chart––it's gorgeous! The simple magnetic style is easily customizable and made using basic supplies that are inexpensive and found at your local craft store. The pre-made printables make this craft cute and exciting to use. Head to The Crafting Chicks to download for free!
Personalized Style
No one does it better than Pottery Barn when it comes to personalized kiddo gear. This acrylic board makes it easy to come up with your own chores and is easily changed when you use dry erase markers. It's the perfect companion for minimal and clean-lined decor––not to mention kids will love writing on it!
Available at Pottery Barn, $79
Let's Go Digial
The app is a digital platform for chores that helps teach kids responsibility and financial literacy, with options to receive their allowance on their own VISA, give to a charitable donation or even invest in real stock! Parents can set up a chore chart and individual payouts for each type of chore. At the end of the week, kids will get their payout via direct deposit to the method of your choosing. Parents can also set a percentage to go directly to savings!
Available at BusyKid.com, $7.99 per year to use VISA pre-paid card option.
Modern Rewards
This chore chart is made of reclaimed wood that you can personalize in any color. There are nine clips, each with an assigned chore card. Simply clip a reward to each task: You can add dollars, extra screentime minutes, a treat, etc. We love the modern design and simple organization of this chart.
Available at sealedwithakissgift at etsy.com, $25.50
Pick-a-Chore
You don’t have to be crafty to pull off this brilliant mason jar idea from Our Three Peas. Using terms like “must-do” and "can-do,” you’ll separate the things that just need to be done from the things that can be done to earn rewards. You can even pick chores based on age and season. To see what you’ll need (about five items!) and how to lay the ground rules, head over to Our Three Peas.
Simple & Sweet
This square 14-inch chore chart won't take up much space and is great for the entire family. It's dry erase, magnetic surface is perfect for customization and resists staining. Each chart comes with space for up to nine family members, magnets and a place to spotlight rewards.
Find it at The Container Store, $9.99
Keep it Colorful
This delightfully bright idea comes from Mommy Moment. Instead of just giving a general chore, each paint chip strip includes several tasks for one space: the bedroom, the bathroom, the kitchen. This way, since kids can easily get overwhelmed when asked to pitch in, there’s a very specific list of things that need to be done. Best of all? You can make these handy cards for free. You can grab more details over at Mommy Moment.
What Time is It?
For some parents, bedtime is the worst time of day. If you're looking for ways to make the evenings easier for your toddler, this chore chart may save you. It was designed specifically with bedtime in mind including chores like brush teeth, bath, get dressed and read a book. The illustrations next to each chore are great for non-readers, and there's also a morning chore list! You can download from graphic designer Alexa Zurcher's store by clicking here. Slip the checklist in a frame, grab a dry erase pen and get started.
Available at alexazdesign on etsy.com, $5.
Magnets that Make Sense
This fully magnetic routine chart features beautifully-illustrated magnets that you can select for the day. Parents decide which tasks go where and select the magnet that corresponds to the assignment. When the "to do" is completed, kids move the magnet off the chart. What's great about this method is kids can have control over their routine. So while you decide what chores they do, they get to order the tasks for themselves. The morning and evening sets include six magnets each. There are dozens of more magnets available, too.
Available at mightyandbright.com, $15.50 for set of eight magnets and $36 for magnetic base calendar.
Change it Up
Not all chores (and seasons) are created equal. Depending on the time of year, kids may need to help out around the house in different ways. Maybe raking leaves is on the "to do" list for fall, while cleaning up pool toys is on the summer list. Clean Life and Home created a chore chart for summer that you can download for free and customize with your kiddo's name and the items you want to be completed. When a chore is completed, you can stick a shiny star sticker in the box. Find out more here.
Say My Name
If getting crafty is your thing, you'll love this beautiful and clean DIY chore chart from Christie at Lemon Squeezy Home. On her blog, she details exactly what materials you need to make the chart and includes links to the printable chore items and a to do/done template. You can also customize the tasks based on your household chores. The simplicity of this chart is great. The two columns (to do and done) make it easy for kids to see exactly what they're responsible for each day. Find out more at Lemon Squeezy Home.
Play It By Age
Nicole from The Bird's Day came up with chore charts that include tasks geared toward the ages of each of her kids. You can download a chart for a three-year-old, five-year-old and seven-year-old. All three varieties include cute drawings that accompany the writing. There's also a "when" column to illustrate with the task needs to be completed (great idea for the weekend only chores). Take a look at the chart and see her creative chore challenge over at The Bird's Day.
Perfect Punch Card
Bring a gaming vibe to the household chores with this downloadable punch card from JH Print Studio. The idea is so simple—do 12 chores, get a surprise! And, who doesn’t love a surprise?
Available at jhprintstudio at etsy.com, $4.85.
— Gabby Cullen, Leah R. Singer & Karly Wood