Pick-A-Stick Chore Jar has been getting a lot of use at our house this summer and I thought your family might enjoy “playing” it too.
Pick-A-Stick Chore Jar
As the school year was wrapping up and my husband was getting ready to spend a month in China, there was a lot of whining and arguing going on amongst our children. I knew that if it continued I would be a total mad woman, so in my angst I grabbed a handful of popsicle sticks and furiously started writing chores on them. This is how my favorite game “Pick-A-Stick” was born. When my kids started fighting or whining I simply say “Pick-A-Stick”. They groan and usually say something like “Ah, come on” but know that I’m not messing around and head to pick a stick and get to work. It’s been going strong for a solid 3 months, so I figured it was time to share with all of you.
Supplies:
- Popsicle Sticks
- Mason Jar
- Pen
- Printable Label and List of Chores (free download available below)
I tried my best to come up with chores that my kids (ages 5-11) could do with little to no supervision on my part. There are a lot of wiping chores; walls, cupboards, door knobs etc. My kids know to grab a rag and our favorite cleaner and get to work. It seems that no matter how often those sticks are pulled, the area is ready to be cleaned again.
The jar sits in our kitchen window sill and is only used as punishment for disobeying or fighting. We’ve been using it for 3 months and is still working in our home. My kids groan when they have to pick-a-stick but know the sooner they get it done the less likely they’ll have to pick another, or even a third stick.
One day after much arguing, my kids were busy working on their stick chores when my in-laws stopped by. My oldest was vacuuming the stairs, the middle child was sweeping the driveway and the youngest was wiping table legs. My mother-in-law was very impressed with the level of deep cleaning happening, little did she know it was because the kids were being total stinkers 5 minutes earlier.
More ideas of how to keep your kids on task this summer:
Morning Motivation
Age Appropriate Chores
I love this idea! My twin girls fight all the time when we are home. I may try this!
What about giving them a option of two jars one has earning money for chores or one jar has earning time on electronics