Yesterday, we taught our kids how to make a budget by setting up three money jars (one to spend, one to give and one to save). Now that our kids have a system for budgeting their money, let’s set up a chore chart to earn an allowance. If you do not want to give your children a monetary allowance, don’t worry! An amazing mama put together these free printable chore chart cards (complete with a dice game and a reward system that doesn’t require a cash allowance.) She gave us permission to share all of the details, including her free printable templates, as part of our “Back to Basics” camp!
“Back to Basics” Camp for Kids
Wow! Can you believe that it is already week six of our virtual camps? We have done all of the following camp activities already!
- DIY Craft Camp
- Cooking Classes for Kids
- Science Experiments for Kids
- Kids Entrepreneurship
- World Traveler (Kids Geography Camp)
This week’s virtual camp theme is“Back to Basics,”and I can’t wait to teach our kids important like skills, likehow to fold a shirt, how to make a budget, how to sew on a button and tons more! Don’t forget to join ourFacebook groupto see our live classes and follow us onPinterest, so you won’t miss a thing! You definitely need to follow Hannah atInspired Sparkstoo, because she is posting all kinds of awesome videos to teach kids about science, crafts and cooking.
Free Printable Chore Cards: How it Works
The basic concept behind this free printable chore chart is that you have a stack of chore cards and a dice. Your children will roll the dice every morning, and whatever color they get is their chore card for the day! Every card includes making their bed and cleaning their bedroom, because those are non-negotiable for the mama who made this. She also has separate cards for weekend chores versus weekday chores. So, if you roll the color red on a weekend day, it is a different set of chores than if you roll “red” on a weekday. However, the awesome thing about this printable template is that you can customize it completely to work best for your family’s needs! So let’s get started!!!
1. Download the free printable chore cards
First, download this set of printable, color coordinated chore cards. Feel free to modify each card to include chores that are important for your family. Since your children will be using these cards every day, you definitely want to put them in plastic sheet protectors or laminate them! And trust me, as soon as you have a laminating machine, you will be shocked that you ever lived without one!
2. Customize the chores for your family
Write weekend chores on the colored heart cards and write weekday chores on the colored star cards. Obviously, you can also just use the cards “as is.” Sometimes keeping things simple and easy is best!
3. Print & assemble this colored dice
Next, print out and assemble this colored dice. If you get a laminating machine, definitely laminate the dice first. See, I told you that you would find a million uses for a laminating machine!!!
How to Setup an Allowance for the Chore Chart
Now let’s discuss the reward options for this chore system! Each child may earn one ticket (printable here) for every weekday that they complete their chores. You can laminate the tickets and store them in a cute jar like this.
Free Printable Allowance Money
Every weekend day that they complete their chores, they can earn pretend money. This “cash” can be redeemed for real money at the end of the month. This helps teach your kids to save their money (rather than spending it immediately.) It also helps instill responsibility. If they lose the “money” before the end of the month, then they won’t be able to get real cash! You can decide what each chore is worth and use the following free printable pretend cash!
- $1 bills here
- $2 and $5 bills here
- 25 cent coins here
- 50 cent coins here
Ohhhh, there’s even a Mystery Box!!!
At the end of every month, your children may convert the pretend money into real money (a.k.a. allowance!). However, the part that they will be most excited about is drawing a prize from the mystery box. They only get to do that IF they have collected 30 tickets!!!
Print out this mystery prize box image and tape it onto a box. Then print out these mystery prize options to cut up and place inside the box. There are prizes like, picking a book to download for your Kindle, buying a science kit, taking a trip to the candy store, or even playing mini golf or glow bowling. Of course, you can customize these prizes to work best for you! I personally love the idea of doing experiences as rewards. We have done things like a trip to the zoo or going to explore a park of their choice!
Do you have some great ideas for your free printable chore chart or Mystery Box Rewards? Please share them in ourFacebook GroupandFacebook Page! Also, please share how this chore chart system works for you and thank the brilliant mama who put this together for us!
