Chores
A chore chart app with stars and rewards kids actually use
HouseChief turns chores into a chart kids check off themselves. Each finished chore earns stars, streaks build up day by day, and stars buy rewards from a store you stock and approve. Chores can belong to one kid, to anyone, or rotate between siblings. Kids need no email or phone, and the chart works on a tablet on the kitchen wall. Free while in early access.
How chores work in HouseChief
A parent sets up each chore once: a name, an emoji, how many stars it's worth, when it's due (daily, weekdays, weekly, or just once) and a time of day. From then on it shows up on the right days in the kid's own view, grouped into morning, afternoon, evening and anytime. The kid taps it when it's done. That's the whole loop.
Kids can only tick their own chores, and only for today, so there's no back-dating last week. Parents see every kid's column on the Chores page and on the wall display, and can check a chore off on a kid's behalf when needed.
Stars, streaks and cheers
Every chore is worth stars, and every tap adds them to that kid's balance. Do a chore on each day it's due and a streak grows; miss a day and the streak starts over at zero, but the stars already earned stay. Streaks give older kids a number to protect and younger kids a reason to get the whole row done.
Every chore a kid checks off earns a short cheer and a burst of confetti (the confetti is skipped if the device has reduced motion turned on). It's a small thing, and it's the part the kids talk about.
Rotate chores fairly
Nobody wants to be the one who always unloads the dishwasher. A chore set to rotate takes turns: each time it comes due, it passes to the next kid in the order you chose. Dishwasher on Monday is Maya's, Tuesday is Leo's, Wednesday is Maya's again, and HouseChief keeps track so you don't have to referee.
A chore set to anyone goes to whoever gets there first, which works for things like bringing in the mail. And a chore assigned to one kid stays theirs, like feeding their own fish.
A rewards store you approve
Parents stock a small store: an extra 20 minutes of screen time for 15 stars, picking Friday's movie for 25, a trip for ice cream for 60. Kids browse it from their view and "buy" with the stars they've earned. Each purchase waits for a parent to approve it, and the stars are held until then, so a kid can't spend the same stars twice while you decide.
Stars are points, not money. What they're worth is entirely up to your family, and you can change the store any time. If you're deciding between stars, allowance or no rewards at all, our guide to chores by age lays out the trade-offs.
On the kitchen wall
Put a tablet you already own on the kitchen counter in display mode and each kid gets a column of today's chores with big checkboxes. They tap, the stars update, the confetti falls. In a kid's view, a parent PIN keeps kids from switching into a parent's view, and kids never see private lists, settings or the approval Inbox.
Read more about what kids can see and do on the kids page, or set up the wall display in a few minutes.
Questions
How do chore reward systems work?
Kids earn points for finished chores and trade them for rewards the family agrees on. In HouseChief the points are stars: each chore is worth a set number, streaks reward consistency, and a rewards store lets kids spend stars on things like screen time or choosing dinner. A parent approves every reward, and stars are held until then.
How do I rotate chores between siblings?
Set the chore to rotate and pick the order. Each time the chore comes due it passes to the next kid, so a daily chore alternates day by day and a chore due once a week alternates week by week. HouseChief shows whose turn it is on the Chores page and the wall display, so there's nothing to argue about.
Do kids need a phone or an email to check off chores?
No. Kids are profiles inside the family with no login, email or phone. On any signed-in device, switch to the kid's view and they tap their chores for today. A tablet on the wall in display mode works well for this, and a parent PIN keeps kids from switching back into a parent's view.
Can stars be saved up for a bigger reward?
Yes. Stars accumulate in each kid's balance until they're spent, so a kid can skip the small rewards and save for a big one. Parents set the prices, so a bigger reward simply costs more stars. When a kid buys it, the stars are held until a parent approves, then taken off the balance.
What happens if a chore is missed?
The streak for that chore resets to zero, and the kid simply doesn't earn its stars that day. Missing a chore doesn't take away stars already earned. The chore shows up again the next time it's due. Kids can only tick chores for today, so a missed day can't be back-filled later.