Adorable Chore Checklist Place Mats for Kids

In order to teach my children responsibility, I've tried several varieties of chore charts. They all worked - for awhile - but eventually they were forgotten. There was one major problem with them - figuring out where to hang them. We tried on the girls' closet door, but they were destroyed by the constant opening and closing of the door. We also tried on the refrigerator, but it seems that in that location, they were out of sight and out of mind.

I was excited to find this cute checklist place mat idea in one of my favorite magazines, "Family Fun." I was even more excited when I realized that I had all of the materials on hand to make them, except for a sheet of poster board (39 cents).

I took the basic idea given, and modified it somewhat (as I do with most things). For example, I broke Bee's chores down by time of day, so she wouldn't feel overwhelmed.

For Cakes, I included pictures, so that she can identify her own chores and learn self-sufficiency. I also included a list of things to take to preschool, because she'll be starting next fall.

I embellished the place mats with the girls' nicknames down the center, along with stickers (bumblebees for Bee, and various cakes and ice cream for Cakes), and I jazzed up the paper with my decorative scrapbook scissors. To check off chores, dry erase markers would be fine for older kids, but in any household where a child like Cakes lives, it's just not smart to leave markers of any kind within easy reach. I think this picture perfectly illustrates my reasoning:

To prevent incidents like this, I velcroed crayons to the place mats. They're covered on both sides with clear contact paper, so the marks wash off easily.

I think these place mats are a great idea, because they can remain at the girls' places at the table, so they see them at every meal. Also, the contact paper makes them washable and reusable so I won't have to print new ones every day, as well as durable so they'll last until we need to update them.

And now....a picture of Bee, for no other reason except I think it's cute.

Isn't her fuzzy hat adorable? I got it at Dollar Tree for a buck! It's been so cold in the mornings that she's been wearing it on her way down to the bus stop, and my husband couldn't resist snapping pictures of her yesterday morning. She's just so pretty in pink!

Have a great weekend everybody!