My cute Hubby actually came up with the idea for our "Map Quest" chore chart. His dad did something similar for him & his siblings when they were young. We've tried other types of chore systems with no success. We've been doing this new system for a while now & it's still working. Plus, the kids love it & are constantly looking for ways to earn extra points. And bonus for us them, they're learning about the cities & towns in their own state.
What it's about:
The goal is for the kids to make it around Utah by doing their chores & good behavior. They can lose "miles" by doing bad behavior. They earn prizes by hitting specific "mile markers".
Rules:
*All chores need to be done by 8pm & bedtime routine needs to be done by 8:15 pm, then we can read a book & figure out map by 8:35pm.
*good behavior points are earned for things that are done without being asked, ie: doing something extra nice, helping out without being asked, etc.....
*bad behavior points are for fighting of any kind, back talking, not listening, saying mean things or bad words, etc....
*extra box is for extra chores that we may give for any reason & is worth extra points of our choice, depending on chore & how well it's done.
how to play:
the kids earn "miles" or points by doing various jobs & good behavior. They can also lose "miles" or points by having bad behavior. We keep track on a normal chore chart & points are added up at the end of the day & converted into miles, we then move them on the map according to the points/miles they earned less any bad points they got. We then move them on the map each night after their bedtime routine is done.
There are various dots marked on the map that they are trying to reach to earn prizes. Chores:
room 3pts,
chore 2pts,
(I have a list of chores listed by numbers, they roll a dice or two &
get the chore that matches the number on the dice),
homework 2pts
extra
(extra chores we may need done),
on-time 2pts
(on-time to school, church, or anywhere we need to be by a specific time),
bedtime 2pts,
good behavior plus pts,
& bad behavior neg. pts.
Prizes:
When they get to a blue, red, or star dot on the map they earn prizes.
Blue dot prizes are simple $1-$5 toys or such.
Red dot prizes can be either a more expensive toy or a movie with mom or dad, dinner to their favorite place, etc.
star dot prizes are the biggest prizes like a trip to Lagoon or Boondocks, etc.
*there are about 16 blue dots, 3 red dots, & 2 star dots. The star dots mark half way & then the finish line.
*We can move as fast or slow on the chart as we want. We've set a max of 20 miles a day. We want them to see progress but not so fast that we finish it in a month. LOL!
Do your kids have chores? Chore system? What works for your family?
I'd love to hear about it! Thanks for stopping by!