chores with kids.

Let's be honest.

It's not always a big fun event to get the kids to do chores or help out around the house.

However, I really feel like it's necessary.  I can't always get everything done that needs to be done without help.

Mr. Farmhouse is a great help-mate and helps inside and outside of the house, but sometimes (during hay season...or calving season...or bean-planting season...or...), we need to have a big marathon cleaning day and I need help from the girls.

Over the years, I've realized that the more fun we can make this process, the quicker it gets done and the less likely I am to scream like a crazy person by the end of the day.

A few winters ago, over Christmas break, when I was trying to get the house back in order to get ready for third quarter at school, I had a breakthrough.

I started to make cleaning a game...for all of us.  

I started to think about ways we could make our mundane housekeeping tasks a competition, a team event, a game.

Over the last few years, I've come up with several of these "cleaning games".

I usually let the girls decide which one we do for the day.

I thought today I would share them with you so maybe those cleaning days can be a little more enjoyable for everyone involved!

1. Disappearing Post-it Notes

Every once in a while, I divide my "to do list" into small tasks and put each task on a post-it note.  I stick them all up on the refrigerator, in no particular order.

The girls choose five and get them done as quickly as possible.  When those five are complete, they set the timer on the microwave and have a ten-minute break.

(Sidenote: cleaning the front of the refrigerator is definitely on the list today...as you can see, it needs it!)

The Disappearing Post-it Notes is one that the girls really like because you can watch the amount of post-it notes dwindle down to those last few tasks and then BOOM...the fridge is empty!

The rule is that the right side of notes has to be empty before they start on the left door.

The left door includes what I call "finishing" tasks.  They are all somehow dependent on the ones on the other door.  For example, on the right door is "clean out refrigerator" and "load dirty dishes from sink".  So on the left door is "run dishwasher".  In other words, they need to gather up all the dirty dishes from anywhere in the house before we run the dishwasher.  Other "finishing" tasks would include dusting the flat surfaces in the house, sweeping the floors, putting all the clean clothes away that they have folded on some of the other post-it notes.

2. Note Card Flip

Another task-oriented game that we play sometimes is what I have called "Note Card Flip".

Again, I put all of the tasks on note cards.  I have a whole set of these that I created a few summers ago that include basically every task that it would take to do a quick deep-clean of the house.  

I add anything that needs to be done that day specifically and then I make some bonus "fun" cards.

I always end with a "last card" that is something fun.  Almost always, it involves a slush or shake Sonic.Some of the fun cards might be:

• ​30-second dance party
• 10-minute reading break
• Run around the house
• Sit on the porch and talk for 5 minutes
• 15 jumping jacks
• 15 minutes of free time
• Find a worship song on YouTube and sing along

Obviously the sky is the limit on what you could add to the cards.

​I always end with a "last card" that is something fun.  

Almost always, it involves a slush or shake Sonic.

​Basically for me.

Because Sonic's unsweetened raspberry tea is my favorite beverage EVER.  

3. 30/30

There is an iPad and iPhone app called 30/30 created by Binary Hammer.

I cannot believe how much it helps our productivity level by keeping us on task and focused when we need to get some serious work done.

​I use it in my classroom, when I am working on photography edits, and the girls and I use it when we clean.

30/30 is a task management app that basically takes your to do lists and times it.

You can add as many tasks as you want and assign the tasks a specific amount of time.

For example, "make bed" might be a 5-minute task.

When the five minutes is up, the app starts the timer for the next task.

We take our list of things we have to get done and add them to the app.  

After every 30-40 minutes, we add a 10-minute break right into the app.

So our whole cleaning spree is timed there.

Sometimes, to keep us on task, we add our "lunch break" and anything else that we know will be taking our time that day.

Here is a screenshot of what the app looks like while we are working.

The task at hand is the same color as the timer and the background.

When the timer goes off (in this case...in two minutes and 54 seconds), the screen goes to the next task's color (in this case...green).

The girls like it because we are racing the clock.

I like it because as long as we estimate the right amount of time for each task, we know exactly what we are going to have time to get accomplished that day.

It helps us to prioritize and to stay on task.

The girls also like the technological component to it.  Something about using an iPad is motivating for kids!

4. Task Competition

The last one we use at our house is one I've never really named until just now.  

And "Task Competition" is probably a boring name...you can rename it at your house if you so desire!

I make a list of tasks in black pen.  

There is always an uneven number of tasks.

Beside each task, I draw a box.

Each of the older girls picks her own color of marker and I say "go".

They work until the list is completely done.  

Every task they get finished with gets the task's box colored in using their individual color.

When all the boxes get colored, the girl with the most boxes colored gets some silly little prize.  

Maybe a popsicle, a piece of candy, or a medium drink instead of a small at Sonic (I told you...I have a problem).

These are all ideas of how we try to make cleaning fun at the Newkirk house.

I hope you've gotten some ideas to use in your own homes!

I'd love to hear any other ideas you have for getting kids involved in the home management process!  

Feel free to comment below so others can learn from your knowledge!

Thanks for reading, friends!  Happy Friday! ❤️