Busy households are full of lots of tasks that need to get done regularly- and there is just no reason why all of that work needs to fall on one person's shoulders! Even from a young age, kids can get involved in helping with chores and learn how to get organized. These are the best chore charts for kids that can serve as a great tool to communicate with and motivate your kids to get those chores done!
Here are Our Tops for the Best Chore Charts for Kids!
These are the best chore chart options for younger kids, older kids, ones that look nice on your wall, and a great alternative to using a traditional chore chart!
Type: | Brand: | Rating: |
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Best Chore Chart for PreSchoolers | Magnetic Chore and Behavior Chart This is an affiliate link: MomOf6 earns a commission if you purchase, at no additional cost to you. | |
Best Chore Chart for Older Kids | Simple Magnetic Back Daily and Weekly Chore Chart for Kids This is an affiliate link: MomOf6 earns a commission if you purchase, at no additional cost to you. | |
The Best Chore Chart That Looks Great With Your Home Decor: | Framed Whiteboard Chore Chart for 2 Children This is an affiliate link: MomOf6 earns a commission if you purchase, at no additional cost to you. | |
Best Accessory for Chore Charts | Time Tokens This is an affiliate link: MomOf6 earns a commission if you purchase, at no additional cost to you. |
Why You Should Use a Family Chore Chart:
I find that the best part of using a chore chart is that it takes away the nagging!
At the beginning of the week, you make a list of chores that need doing, and assign the chores to family members along with the day of the week they need to happen- and BOOM- you've set the expectation.
And while you will first need to build a routine for your family to get them to check the chore chart daily and record their actions, once that is established chores should get done fairly smoothly at your house!
To Reward or Not to Reward Kids for Chores:
This is really a personal family decision. The pros for rewarding kids for chores is that you are creating an external motivation for them to complete their tasks- they get everything done, they earn the reward. And in turn, you are creating a kind of punishment as well, if they don't complete their chores- they don't earn the reward. Bummer.
For many families, rewarding kids for chores happens in the form of an allowance.
The con for rewarding kids for chores is that they may begin to associate helping out around the house as something that should always be rewarded in some way- vs. doing so because they are part of a community (called a family), and communities need each other to operate. Not everything we do for our community should come with a reward.
And not rewarding for chores means that you can ask your child to take care of something that isn't on the chore chart- and they won't reply by asking “What do I get for doing that?”
I'll share with you that in our house we chose not to reward kids for chores. Once our kids hit high school, we give them an allowance- that is paid monthly- and is intended to cover certain expenses. We feel that having an allowance at this age brings with it life lessons on budgeting and saving money.
But we do not tie the allowance to helping with the family responsibilities- we consider chores and helping around the house to just be what family members do.
Things to Consider When Buying a Chore Chart:
There are a few things to think about before you invest in a chore chart and system for your family:
- Age of the children– for preschoolers that don't yet read, a picture-based system of identifying chores works best
- The number of family members you have– make sure that you buy a chart that works for the number of people you intend to assign chores to! Or get an individual chore chart for each family member.
- The number of chores you intend to assign– some chore charts have separate sections for daily chores (like making the bed, clearing their dishes) and weekly chores (like dusting, mopping, laundry). And some charts keep it all in one section but give you a place to define which days the chores are to be done. Just make sure that the chart you purchase can accommodate the # of chores you intend to assign.
- Where you'll display your chore chart– make sure the size of the chart you buy, and how it is displayed (as a magnet on a fridge, hung on a wall) works for your home.
So let's take a closer look at the chore charts for kids that I recommend!
The Best Chore Charts for PreSchoolers
Before kids learn how to read, you are best off going with a picture-based chore chart like these:
Top Pick: Magnetic Chore and Behavior Chart
What I love about this big picture (and big stars!) chore and behavior chart This is an affiliate link: MomOf6 earns a commission if you purchase, at no additional cost to you. is that you can use it both for assigning age-appropriate chores as well as for modifying typical preschool behaviors (I will share, I used kind words, I didn't interrupt), giving this chart multiple purposes!
Kids will love the large adorable drawings on the cards too!
More Great Chore Charts for PreSchoolers:
This beautifully designed chore chart from Melissa & Doug This is an affiliate link: MomOf6 earns a commission if you purchase, at no additional cost to you. includes 89 magnets with chores to be assigned (such as “Clean Room” and “Make Bed”) and is perfect for kids 3 and over.
The Best Chore Charts for Older Kids
I like breaking down chores for older kids by daily chores and chores that only need to be done once a week. But I am always sure to specifiy what day the weekly chores need to be completed!
Top Pick: Simple Daily and Weekly Chore Charts for Kids
What I love best about this large (18×14″) chore chart This is an affiliate link: MomOf6 earns a commission if you purchase, at no additional cost to you. is its simple design- which is perfect for tweens and teens!
Designed to work for 2 kids- there are sections for daily and weekly chores, and room to use a point system as a motivational tool. Available in multiple colors or as a single child chart. It has a magnetic back so it can easily be mounted on a fridge.
More Great Chore Charts for Older Kids:
This 11×17″ magnetic dry erase chalkboard chore chart This is an affiliate link: MomOf6 earns a commission if you purchase, at no additional cost to you. mounts on the fridge and can be used 2 ways. With 7 spaces to make lists- you can assign each list to a family member, write out their chores color coded by day- or make each list dedicated to a day of the week, and write out the chores color-coded by family member.
What I love about this dry erase chore chart This is an affiliate link: MomOf6 earns a commission if you purchase, at no additional cost to you. is there is space to both write a name next to each assignment, as well as check off that the chore has been completed, for each line and day of the week.
This large format 12×17″ magnetic board has 15 lines for chores.
The Best Chore Charts That Look Great With Your Home Decor:
While your kids might not feel any more inspired to tackle their chores just because you have a pretty chore chart hanging on the wall- it does inspire you to use it!
Top Pick: Framed Whiteboard Chore Chart
This beautifully framed whiteboard piece This is an affiliate link: MomOf6 earns a commission if you purchase, at no additional cost to you. is a custom creation that includes your children's names as well as the specific terms you want to use (chores vs contributions).
It measures 20″x26″ with the frame (18×24 as just the chart). Several options for framing are available.
More Great Chore Charts for Families:
This chalkboard chore chart This is an affiliate link: MomOf6 earns a commission if you purchase, at no additional cost to you. includes enough space to list chores for three children- all in one section each. It also allows for space for notes for each child.
The framed chalkboard measures 20″ x 26″ (the chore chart space is 18×24). Because this is custom made you can alter the style or headings. 4 child and 5 child chore charts are also available.
The Best Chore Chart Alternatives
Kids younger than 10 might be more motivated to do chores when they are presented as a game! Here are some fun chore chart alternatives:
The Best Chore Chart Accessories:
These accessories will be perfect alongside whatever chore chart system you decide to use:
Top Pick: Time Tokens
Some families have found success tying screen time minutes to finishing chores. These time tokens This is an affiliate link: MomOf6 earns a commission if you purchase, at no additional cost to you. are a great way to keep track of minutes earned for each chore- and the kids trade them in to enjoy electronics time!
More Great Chore Chart Accessories:
These fine tipped liquid chalkboard markers This is an affiliate link: MomOf6 earns a commission if you purchase, at no additional cost to you. are perfect for using on non-porous surfaces like dry erase boards.
Have I Inspired You?
I hope that these ideas have inspired you to start using a family chore chart in your own home!
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This is the exact Best Chore Chart for Kids! I really impressed your knowledge and experience about this.