5 Ways to Use the Kids Task Chart

Our Kids Task Chart has a pretty specific name. It's a "chart" for "kids" to track their "tasks." But you might be surprised at how versatile it really is! Today we're exploring 5 different ways you can use this particular product.

We’ll start with the obvious. List the things you want your kids to do on a daily basis. Have them check the tasks off as they complete them. At the end of the week, review their progress and reward them accordingly. I like to write my kids’ tasks in permanent marker so they don’t get erased along with the dry erase checkmarks when we reset for the week. As your kids start to master their tasks, you can use a little rubbing alcohol to erase the permanent marker and swap out that task for something new. It’s an amazing tool for helping kids build habits!

I grew up taking piano lessons, and my teachers would always write down my assigned songs in a notebook. It would inevitably fall apart before we had used all the pages, and it wasn’t exactly eco-friendly. Now my kids are learning the piano, but we have a Kid’s Task Chart for each of them on the wall near the piano. We write their songs there, along with any notes for practicing (ie, play 3x a day, watch out for the sharps, etc.). They check them off as they go so I can easily see their progress.

With the havoc 2020 has wreaked on our lives, there may be a lot more school going on at home this year. Writing down their subjects or even their specific assignments for the day can help older kids become more self-sufficient, so they can move from task to task without having to ask what’s next. Along with math, reading, and writing, you can include things to help round out their day, like physical activity or creative time. My kids love that they can check something off their to-do list after doing something as fun as jumping on the trampoline or building something with LEGO bricks.

If you are looking to keep your home cleaner and more organized without having to do more work yourself, recruit your kids! To turn the Kid’s Task Chart into a Family Chore Chart, start by listing the items you’d like done every day. Sweep the floor, unload the dishwasher, take out the trash, and so on. From there, you could go a few directions. Write a name next to each task and that’s their assignment for the whole week. Or, in the bubble for each day, write the initial of the person who is assigned that job for the day, and when they complete it, they erase the initial and replace it with a checkmark. You could even get each family member a different color of marker and just circle the bubbles to indicate which job is theirs. Hold those kids accountable AND help them build skills they’ll use throughout their lives!

It might sound weird to buy a chore chart for yourself, but trust me when I say that this will be the most fun you’ve ever had doing “chores.” In this scenario, you’re just going to go ahead and get a chart for yourself! I’m partial to the Llama design, but if none of the Kid’s designs speak to you, check out our Productivity designs. Then think of all the things you do for YOURSELF. Maybe think of ways you nourish yourself mentally, physically, spiritually, and socially. Or just things that make you happy! You might write out things like “Read a Book,” “Go for a Walk,” “Work on a Craft,” “Chat with a Friend,” WHATEVER feeds you mind, body, and soul. This will help make these things a priority, which in turn will help you become a happier, more whole person.