It is that time of year again: Spring cleaning time! While it might be a great idea for your mental well-being to open all the windows and doors in your home and air out the house after spending the winter keeping the warmth (and all the winter germs) inside, it can be a complete headache trying to get help from the rest of the family. This is a perfect time to initiate a family bingo game with the bingo squares representing chores.
Take a little time before the big weekend clean and download one of the free bingo cards online, one for every member of the family. Write down all to the chores you want done. Make sure and put different chores on each person's cards so that you get the most chores accomplished. If you want a chore done extra well, put it on a few of the players' cards. Maybe not write the exact same chore, but rather something like "clean the kitchen" and, on another one, "deep clean the stove". Make the prizes won are based on the number of lines they complete. So for one diagonal they win, lets say, two hours of uninterrupted video game time, for two lines completed, a movie with popcorn and a drink. By making the prizes stackable, they are encouraged to move themselves up on lines finished to earn the big prize. For a total black out they win the big prize. Of course, you know your family and what will motivate them, so plan your prizes accordingly.
If you are like most families, the first thing you are thinking is that there is no way it would be anything but a speed-fest, with everyone quickly trying to get through every single chore to win the prizes. Put a stop to the chores not being done correctly by letting them know upfront that if the chore is not done to your satisfaction, they lose the right to that whole bingo line and will have to move onto the next. Be upfront with what you expect. Tell them they need to ask you what you want done BEFORE they start the project. They can write down your description as well or else you can just have your description for each chore written in advance for reference. Depending on the age of the kids, you might give one opportunity to make up a mistake in the case of trying for the blackout. This way they are not discouraged from trying if they make a mistake early on. It can be the black out (1) mulligan rule. but it is only good when trying for black out.
Take a little time before the big weekend clean and download one of the free bingo cards online, one for every member of the family. Write down all to the chores you want done. Make sure and put different chores on each person's cards so that you get the most chores accomplished. If you want a chore done extra well, put it on a few of the players' cards. Maybe not write the exact same chore, but rather something like "clean the kitchen" and, on another one, "deep clean the stove". Make the prizes won are based on the number of lines they complete. So for one diagonal they win, lets say, two hours of uninterrupted video game time, for two lines completed, a movie with popcorn and a drink. By making the prizes stackable, they are encouraged to move themselves up on lines finished to earn the big prize. For a total black out they win the big prize. Of course, you know your family and what will motivate them, so plan your prizes accordingly.
If you are like most families, the first thing you are thinking is that there is no way it would be anything but a speed-fest, with everyone quickly trying to get through every single chore to win the prizes. Put a stop to the chores not being done correctly by letting them know upfront that if the chore is not done to your satisfaction, they lose the right to that whole bingo line and will have to move onto the next. Be upfront with what you expect. Tell them they need to ask you what you want done BEFORE they start the project. They can write down your description as well or else you can just have your description for each chore written in advance for reference. Depending on the age of the kids, you might give one opportunity to make up a mistake in the case of trying for the blackout. This way they are not discouraged from trying if they make a mistake early on. It can be the black out (1) mulligan rule. but it is only good when trying for black out.
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