Taking Chores to the Next Level

“In every job that must be done
There is an element of fun
You find the fun and snap!
The job's a game.”

– "A Spoonful of Sugar" from Mary Poppins

Maybe Mary Poppins was right. Not about turning us all into diabetics, but about turning a job into a game.

The National Institute of Health has shown how gamification can motivate kids to learn. But, what about household chores? Is there a way to make them just a little more fun, too? Well, snap, there is! Give one of these a try:

• Track completed chores via a list, a chart, an app or a picture that you gradually color in. There’s something about seeing progress visually that can be very motivating.
• Have rewards. These don’t have to cost anything. For finishing all their chores, a kid could choose the movie for movie night, decide what to have for dinner or pick where to go for a family outing (beach, park or museum).
• If you feel like really taking rewards to the next level, give points. One hundred points for cleaning the bathroom. Three hundred points for mowing the lawn. Sure, this is more work, but it’s also a signal that something special is going on. Let your kids choose how to reach the rewards they want, and let them choose the rewards. Five hundred points to reach into a bag for a random piece of candy. Five thousand points to repaint a bedroom.
• Add a bit of fantasy. Rather than doing laundry, feed a monster that eats dirty socks. After dusting the living room (sorry, removing troll goo), make your way to the bedroom to put away toys (relics of power), but make sure you avoid dark colored (trapped!) carpet squares.
• Have your kids choose a restriction for a chore. That’s right, making a chore harder can actually make it more fun. Sweep the kitchen in just five minutes. Wash the dishes with just one hand. Can it possibly be done?
• Get the whole family involved. The spirit of teamwork can help siblings get something done. But parents can get involved, too. Try challenging your kids to see who can leave the fewest streaks on the windows or load the dishwasher the fastest.

There’s a whole host of apps you can use to gamify chores and daily activities too, like Habitica, Goal Hero, or LifeRPG.

One note of warning, however. There can be a danger with over-gamification, as highlighted by Psychology Today. It works best when people set their own goals and are not forced into gaming. So, make sure you truly get your kids’ buy-in before instituting any of these ideas.

Here’s hoping you find the fun in any job that needs to be done!