Making After-Dinner Chores Fun

Do your kids groan at the mention of evening chores? After a long day of school, extracurricular activities, homework and dinner, chores are the last things on our kids' (and our) minds. But - as all parents know - chores teach responsibility, service, and duty, and work must be done before fun can be had; right? Think again! By making after-dinner chores fun you can get right into family fun time while still completing your daily duties. Here are some ideas:

1. Timed races
- Assign everyone their duties, then set the clock. Kids can either race against each other to see who finishes their chores first, or see if they can beat a pre-determined or past record time.

2. Assembly line - To make clearing the dinner table fun, try a family assembly line. Stand in a row between the table and the kitchen, then pass items to each other one at a time. Make up cadences and chants to repeat as you methodically clear the table.

3. Silly sing-a-long - Music makes any activity more fun! Take turns making up silly songs about the chores you and your kids are doing while you're completing them.

4. Family concert - If making up silly songs isn't your thing, turn on the stereo while doing chores and belt out familiar tunes in your best voices.

5. Chore dancing - Who says vacuuming has to be boring? Encourage your kids to dance their way through their chores (and dance along with them) to get the family party going.

6. Role play - If acting and playing pretend are your kids' forte, assign them roles to play while completing their after-dinner chores. Taking out the trash can be fun if kids have to pretend they are a dinosaur, a snake, or live in the year 2212.

7. Use accents - Get ready for the laughs! If you have older children, chores can be made fun for everyone involved (even those just listening) if you all attempt to use accents while completing them. Come up with original characters to make the game even more fun.

8. Tag team - Take the monotony out of after-dinner chores by allowing tag teams. Is one kid unloading the dishwasher while another sweeps the floor? Let them tag each other and switch duties at timed intervals to make each job more interesting.

See, who said chores had to be work? Making after-dinner chores fun can be a great way to transition from dinner time into fun family time, while turning everyone's mundane routine into an enjoyable segway they'll be begging to do every night.

Content by Becca Swanson.