Hobbies And Interests
'Baseboard Race'
Kids compete to reach the end of their wall first in "Baseboard Race." Starting on opposite walls in the same room, kids use a a rag or sock to dust the top of baseboards. The kid who reaches the end of her wall first wins.
'Clear the Table'
"Clear the Table" takes a basic post-meal chore and crowns a lucky winner. Prior to serving the meal, an adult writes "Winner" with a dry-erase marker on the bottom of a cup or plate. Once everyone finishes the meal, the kids clear the table. The kid who has the winning item and finishes clearing the table wins.
'Dash For Trash'
Using a laundry basket, kids pick up as much clutter around the house as possible in "Dash For Trash." The kid who has picked up the most clutter at the end of 30 seconds wins.
'Dishwater Marathon'
Kids earn points for washing dishes in "Dishwater Marathon." With a goal of 100 points, kids earn 20 points for dirty pots and pans; 10 points for serving plates; 5 points for smaller plates; and 2 points for silverware. Once kids reach the target points, they win their favorite prize or snack.
'Hear Ye! Hear Ye!'
"Hear Ye! Hear Ye!" gives kids the chance to boss each other around. Each kid takes a turn playing "King" or "Queen" in this roleplay game, telling the others what to clean up. An adult leader oversees the proceedings, to ensure that the kids in charge do not demand monumental cleaning tasks. Kids also could use their own mini/toy cleaning tools, such as brooms, brushes, dustpans and mops.
'Hide-and-Seek Cleaning'
Putting a spin on "Hide-and-Seek," an adult hides spoons or other safe household objects under cushions, pillows or on windowsills. Kids clean as they search for the items, with the child finding the most objects winning the game.
'Restaurant Jamboree'
Kids perform certain chores to win their favorite snacks in "Restaurant Jamboree." Parents turn the kitchen into a restaurant, and post a menu listing the snacks' "price" in chore points, and the chore that kids must do to earn the credits. For example, a kid could put his toys away to earn 10 points for ice cream. The more involved the chore, the more points kids earn. Kids determine which chores they perform, based on the reward they want once they complete the chore.
'Laundry Basketball'
Possessing NBA-ready skills keeps kids from doing the laundry in "Laundry Basketball." An adult sets up a hoop over the laundry bin, marking 1-, 2- and 3-point lines around the area. Kids take turns shooting their dirty colors, darks and whites clothes separately into the bin. After totaling the points for all three color types, the kid who scores the least amount of points must do the laundry.
'Puppet Dusters'
Kids have fun with sock puppets as they dust in "Puppet Dusters." An adult makes and distributes sock puppets to kids for dusting. While the kids can put on puppet shows with the socks, they also must concentrate on collecting the dirt. The kid whose sock puppet gets the dirtiest wins.