Do you try to gamify household chores?

[kdonnel]

I try to turn household chores into a game to make them a little less boring and chore like.

For example when doing laundry my wife likes her clothes to run in the dryer for 5 minutes and then be hung to dry the rest of the way. During that 5 minutes I try to see how much I can accomplish. Can I get the dishwasher unloaded and reloaded in that 5 minutes?

Most of what I gamify is based on setting a timer and seeing if I can get it done before it goes off.

So today I Googled gamify household chores to see what else I might be able to do.

I should have known it is not an original idea, are there really any new ideas?

It turns out there are a bunch of apps, some geared to adults, some to kids. Apparently there was also a web page, ChoreWars.com, that recently closed that also turned household chores into a game.

Does anyone else gamify their chores?

 

[Simba's Mom]

The closest I get to "gamifying" (I didn't even know that was a word) is that I listen to podcasts when I do housework.

 

[amcnj]

The main game I play is how long can I put that off till I absolutely have to take care of it!

 

[disneychrista]

If chores are a game, I am clearly losing.

 

[barkley]

ummm? maybe 'beat the clock' cuz if you don't get your laundry into the hamper by the preannounced time i'm running a particular type of load then WHA-WHA-WHA you lost the game. similarly-if you don't get your request in for the monthly grocery trip...WHA-WHA-WHA (and no consolation prize of a lifetime supply of rice-a-roni ).

The closest I get to "gamifying" (I didn't even know that was a word) is that I listen to podcasts when I do housework.

I have some shows on my DVR that I call 'listen to's' that I turn on if I'm doing some chores that create no noise. I find the crazy court shows and true crime stuff is easily just listened to while I load/unload the dishwasher, fold laundry or dust.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I'm another who pairs chores with something I want to do - for instance, I'll save a show I want to watch on the iPad for when I'm doing the dishes.

And if anything you watch still has commercials, there's always the "what can I get done on this commercial break?" game.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I feel like women often do multi-tasking all the time constantly thinking of what tasks can be completed while something else is going on. It's kinda just called life and a reality of mental load. So I guess calling it "gamifying" is kinda strange there.

 

[John VN]

No gamifying doing chores or even gaming during the day.

DW has no requests regarding the way I do laundry whether it be the machine washing or line hanging to dry and then a quick cold air spin in dryer.

Never load or empty dishwasher since I hand wash and air dry. Food shopping and cooking are done by me without the need to gamify. DW will ask if I need something when she goes out and have no idea if she does any gamifying while roaming the stores.

 

[kdonnel]

I feel like women often do multi-tasking all the time constantly thinking of what tasks can be completed while something else is going on. It's kinda just called life and a reality of mental load. So I guess calling it "gamifying" is kinda strange there.

This isn't multitasking at all.

AI describes it better than I could:

Gamifying household chores involves turning mundane tasks into a game through elements like challenges, rewards, and progress tracking to increase motivation and make them more enjoyable.

As I said, I certainly did not have a unique idea, if you search for gamify chores in YouTube, there are tons of videos describing not only how to gamify chores but most anything in your life.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gamify+chores

This video talks about some of the science behind the benefits of gamifying.

The science behind gamification is rooted in psychology and neuroscience, primarily through the release of dopamine from achieving goals, which reinforces a desire to repeat the action. It also leverages other neurotransmitters like endorphins and serotonin to create feelings of excitement, accomplishment, and well-being. Gamification taps into psychological drivers for motivation, such as the need for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, and uses game design elements like points, badges, and leaderboards to trigger these responses in non-game contexts.

What I think is a relatively recent use of gamification is its use by adults. I think in the past it was limited to trying to get kids interested in completing tasks or learning. That sticker chart working towards a goal is gamification.

Now it is being used by adults to make life a little more fun.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

This isn't multitasking at all.

AI describes it better than I could:


As I said, I certainly did not have a unique idea, if you search for gamify chores in YouTube, there are tons of videos describing not only how to gamify chores but most anything in your life.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gamify+chores

This video talks about some of the science behind the benefits of gamifying.

What I think is a relatively recent use of gamification is its use by adults. I think in the past it was limited to trying to get kids interested in completing tasks or learning. That sticker chart working towards a goal is gamification.

Now it is being used by adults to make life a little more fun.

It is multi-tasking, what has been called multi-tasking for eons (although let's not get into the scientifics behind the brain's ability to actually multi-task) when you mention that you are doing another task while something else is going on. For example while something is in the microwave washing some dishes.

I'm just pointing out what you view as as means to make something more interesting in your mind in your to complete household chores, so-called gamify term here, is something that women have often been doing as a default. Finding joy out of it matters not when it's something you're just expected to do by means of society doing it.

Motivation into starting tasks or chores to begin with if you need it is different but using your OP what you describe ("During that 5 minutes I try to see how much I can accomplish. Can I get the dishwasher unloaded and reloaded in that 5 minutes?") is just what many women have been doing for forever as part of seeing what needs to be done. It's a mental load checklist of all the tasks and chores that need to be completed and trying to get those completed. What wouldn't be part of that is if you did nothing while the clothes were in the dryer for 5 mins and your wife was unloading the dishes in that 5 mins or vice versa she did nothing in the 5 mins but you were unloading the dishwasher as tasks were split (whether equitable is up to each household).

 

[kdonnel]

It is multi-tasking, what has been called multi-tasking for eons (although let's not get into the scientifics behind the brain's ability to actually multi-task) when you mention that you are doing another task while something else is going on. For example while something is in the microwave washing some dishes.

I'm just pointing out what you view as as means to make something more interesting in your mind in your to complete household chores, so-called gamify term here, is something that women have often been doing as a default. Finding joy out of it matters not when it's something you're just expected to do by means of society doing it.

Motivation into starting tasks or chores to begin with if you need it is different but using your OP what you describe ("During that 5 minutes I try to see how much I can accomplish. Can I get the dishwasher unloaded and reloaded in that 5 minutes?") is just what many women have been doing for forever as part of seeing what needs to be done. It's a mental load checklist of all the tasks and chores that need to be completed and trying to get those completed. What wouldn't be part of that is if you did nothing while the clothes were in the dryer for 5 mins and your wife was unloading the dishes in that 5 mins or vice versa she did nothing in the 5 mins but you were unloading the dishwasher as tasks were split (whether equitable is up to each household).

I guess we will have to disagree.

I don't see this as multitasking, because with the addition of challenges, rewards, and progress tracking, it makes it something else, gamification!

I just gave one example of how I gamify the task of unloading the dishwasher, I play beat the clock.

With gamification of household chores, it does not need to occur while doing some other task. In my example I could simply set a 5 minute timer before starting to unload and not multitask as you put it.

You could simple set a challenge to accomplish something by a certain date, track your progress, and reward yourself at completion while competing against your spouse or roommate or just yourself.

It is the addition of game elements to a task.

People have done it forever with kids, creating a sticker chart towards a goal.

Recently, 10-15 years, it has become more acceptable for adults to game and as a result elements of gaming are being added to everyday life.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I guess we will have to disagree.

I don't see this as multitasking, because with the addition of challenges, rewards, and progress tracking, it makes it something else, gamification!

I just gave one example of how I gamify the task of unloading the dishwasher, I play beat the clock.

With gamification of household chores, it does not need to occur while doing some other task. In my example I could simply set a 5 minute timer before starting to unload and not multitask as you put it.

You could simple set a challenge to accomplish something by a certain date, track your progress, and reward yourself at completion while competing against your spouse or roommate or just yourself.

It is the addition of game elements to a task.

People have done it forever with kids, creating a sticker chart towards a goal.

Recently, 10-15 years, it has become more acceptable for adults to game and as a result elements of gaming are being added to everyday life.

What you're talking about are two things: Motivation and completion of tasks.

You could apply "gamify" to a motivation to initiate tasks that need to be done. I've seen people create Spotify playlists for a set time like 20 or 30mins and use that time to complete as many tasks as they can in that time frame (you can't be the person who then dance and sings your way through it if that distracts you from the tasks). It's their way of providing a motivation to do it with something they enjoy (the music).

What you mentioned in your OP is not that, it's about using the time something is happening (in this case clothes in the dryer) to start or complete another task. That is something that many women have been doing forever. If it makes you feel better about this knowledge by saying you've turned it into this fun game in your head, sorta like beating the GPS, that's fine. That doesn't make it not true what I said about what many women have often been doing.

For that matter a sticker chart for children is not exactly the best way to compare as we do that for children who need to learn the ability to complete tasks and need developmentally appropriate ways to accomplish that. A concession there is that not everyone is taught "adulting" by means of household chores and some learn later in life.

Feel free to disagree but there's loads (no pun intended) of videos you can find that show what I'm talking about.

 

[kdonnel]

You seem hung up on my first example.

In short you might be multitasking while gamifying but gamifying does not mean multitasking.

Another example.

A married couple and two bathrooms.

The timer is set, they both set off to clean their assigned bathroom.

The first to finish picks dinner, the loser cooks.

No multitasking, just gamification, a challenge, a competition, a reward.

 

[kdonnel]

It’s what smart watches have done to exercise.

Fitness apps give you imaginary rewards for hitting either goals you set or were set automatically by the app.

You can add friends to share your data with and compete.

Gamification.

I’m asking about any gamification people have tied to household tasks in particular.

 

[Lumpy1106]

I know absolutely everyone in my family will leave me alone if I am folding and putting away laundry. They also really dislike watching sports on TV. Not sure if that's gameifying, but you put the two together and I get to watch the Oregon Ducks play football and the laundry gets done every Saturday.

As for chore charts etc., none of that has ever worked with my kids, but more power to you if it works for you.

 

[Lumpy1106]

You seem hung up on my first example.

In short you might be multitasking while gamifying but gamifying does not mean multitasking.

Another example.

A married couple and two bathrooms.

The timer is set, they both set off to clean their assigned bathroom.

The first to finish picks dinner, the loser cooks.

No multitasking, just gamification, a challenge, a competition, a reward.

I think all my kid would agree, if DW is cooking we all lose.

 

[kdonnel]

As for my example, I guess I failed to explain it properly.

While I am unloading/reloading the dishwasher while taking a break from doing laundry it is a totally separate event.

I hate unloading the dishwasher, especially the top rack. So to make it more fun I apply gamification ideas. I have a goal of completing the task in 5 minutes. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don't. My reward when I finish in less than 5 minutes is knowing I won! While I don't write it down, in my mind I keep score. I believe I manage to get it done in the time limit about 80% of the time.

Looks like the use of the word really started in 2004.