If you’ve decided to ask your children to help out around the house with chores, there's no reason why the tasks you ask them to complete can't be fun.
If your kids seem to lack motivation or complain that their chores are boring, why not inject a bit of fun into the housework? Your kids will feel more enthusiastic about completing their tasks, and you won’t have to nag them to get started.
Related: Age appropriate chore list for kids
7 ways to make household chores fun for kids:
- Create a scavenger hunt
- Give them their own cleaning equipment
- Turn chores into a game
- Blast some tunes
- Work as a team
- Turn chores into a competition
- Reward with pocket money
Why you should make chores fun for kids
We all feel more motivated to do something when it's enjoyable, and chores are no different. Making chores more fun for children (and you) has important long-term benefits for your kids. While it's up to parents to decide whether to encourage kids to do chores, helping out with household tasks can teach young people the skills they need to be independent, considerate and responsible adults. Making chores fun or rewarding kids for doing chores can make all the difference in getting your children up and ready to help with the housework.
Related: Benefits of giving kids chores
How to make chores fun for kids
Here are some creative ways to make chores fun for kids:
1. Create a scavenger hunt
Make a list of everyday household items such as shoes, newspapers and magazines. Now, set a timer for five minutes and send your kids around the house to see how many of these items they can find and put back where they belong before the timer goes off. The winner is the person that collects and puts away the most items. Keeping it short keeps kids focused and helps them stay engaged to get the job done.
2. Give them their own cleaning equipment
Give your child a bucket and stickers and ask them to create their own personalised cleaning caddy. Put their name on it and fill it with all the cleaning things they need like dust rags, sponges and paper towels. It will help them feel more motivated to do their bit when they know they have their own stuff to use.
3. Turn chores into a game
Everything is more fun when it's turned into a game. Cut some paper into strips and colour one end. Each colour represents a particular chore. When your kids pick a strip, they get to do that chore. You could add random fun tasks like 'do 10-star jumps' to mix things up. You can also make picking up soft toys into a basketball game by getting the kids to shoot them into a storage container.
4. Blast some tunes
Take it in turns to be the DJ and pick some songs to listen to while you clean and tidy. You could even get your kids to help make a cleaning soundtrack with all their favourite songs to listen to as they do their tasks. You could even throw in a mini dancing competition too.
5. Work as a team
Working together as a team can make chores much more fun. Build family chore time into your routine. For instance, set a 10-minute timer after dinner and get everyone to race to tidy as much as possible before the time runs out. Everyone pitching in together makes doing chores fun and a chance to bond as a family.
6. Turn chores into a competition
You might find that your kids feel more motivated to do their chores when there's an element of competition involved. Perhaps see who can finish their list of chores the fastest? Who can tidy their bedroom the quickest or have the neatest sock drawer? You could also time your kids to see how quickly they can pick up their toys and see if their time beats their last effort or that of their sibling.
7. Reward with pocket money
Pocket money is a great way to motivate children to do chores. It gets them into a habit of working to earn money and understanding the value of completing a task properly. If you decide to give your children money, make sure they understand how much they will get for each chore.
How to give your kids pocket money?
If you decide to pay your kids pocket money for doing household tasks, the GoHenry app is packed with useful features to help you and your kids keep track of their money. You can make one-off payments or set up regular pocket money transfers to your child's debit card. You can also set up saving goals and spending limits from your parent account and set paid tasks for your children to complete. They can then use their personalised GoHenry prepaid debit card to make payments online, in shops and withdraw money at ATMs. They get rewarded for tasks while learning about budgeting, saving, and responsible spending. It's a win-win.
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