I’ve seen several chore boards online and in stores and have loved the concept, but haven’t been able to bring myself to pull the trigger on spending the money times TWO. Leaning into the inspiration from our Family Schedule Board, I created a family Chore Board. Read on for information on how to organize your own, and to download FREE printable sheets of the days of the week, chore words, and smiley faces I’ve used for ours.

What you Need

Magnetized Dry Erase Board
Roll of 1/2″-1″ wide magnetic tape
Roll of 3/4″ black electrical tape
Yardstick
Scissor
Chore Board Printable Files (below)

Fonts: Regular & Mathlete Skinny | Photo Sources: Laundry Basket, Vacuum Cleaner, Bear, Fork Knife Spoon, Shoes, Trash Can, Rake

Chore Board Printable Files

How to set it up

1. Grid the dry erase board

Tiles are approximately 1-1/4″ square (smiley faces) and 1-1/4″ X 2-1/2″ rectangles (chore words and days of the week). You’ll divide your board according to those measurements, taking into consideration how many children you are placing on a board, and how many chores you plan to list. I decided to divide a 32″ X 19″ board into two, with seven spaces for each child for chore words.

Measuring from the CENTER of a piece of electrical tape, each box’s approximate measurements for MY board are listed below:

Chore words – 3″X2″
Days of the week – 2″X3″
Smiley Faces – 2″X2″
Child’s Picture – 3″X3″

2. Prepare the magnets

Dividing your board will probably be the most challenging part of this project. Once you’ve got a grid, print and laminate the printables I’ve provided above. Cut into appropriate squares and rectangles, slap a magnet to the back and you’re done.

How it Works (practically speaking)

I know I don’t need to go into specifics on how to actually USE a chore board, but I did want to mention how much more helpful and aware my boys have become since we put ours up.

Our chore board hangs in the living room, where they can see it frequently throughout the day. They each have their own set of smiley face magnets to put up when they complete a chore, and I have seen them grow in their attention to their daily responsibilities. We give them a very small commission for their contribution at the end of the week, and they are learning some very important money lessons by dividing that commission out between their Give, Live, Save jars.

I’m not sure why we didn’t start this sooner. I’m getting some practical help throughout the week, the boys are learning age-appropriate responsibility, and everybody loves the positive vibe the smileys give. This has been a win for our family on so many levels.

Hope it helps your family too :).

DIY Chore Board {FREE Printables}