Today we're sharing our updated clipboard system and daily checklist for kids. This FREE printable can help you manage screen time, chores, homework and more! Plus, it's a great way to teach kids a little responsibility and independence.
If you know me, you know by now I'm a HUGE fan of clipboards! We've been sharing our family Clipboard System for several years now—it's a fan favorite and has transformed many of your homes for the better!
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This is what we use to keep us on track for homework, time with friends, screen time, chores, allowance, and more! I've even included a free printable (because I love you that much) so you can print out these bad boys and use them to help keep you on track this school year as well!
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Check out the video online or watch our clipboard system below:
There you have it!
We've updated how we do our clipboards and even added a kid's block schedule into our routine to help our kids get into good habits at a young age. If your kids are ready for it, teach them how to take on a bit more autonomy when helping with chores around the house! If you've still got young ones, chore sticks are a great option that work for us, too!
CLIPBOARD CHECKLIST PRINTABLES
First, let's print them off and get them ready to go! We made you some free, editable printables! GRAB YOUR BLUE CLIPBOARD PRINTABLE HERE or GRAB YOUR PINK CLIPBOARD HERE. But you could certainly make your own! In the past I've just used Pages (Mac program) or Canva has lots of fun options, too. Either way, print it off!
Simply print these sheets on your printer at home as an 8.5×11 standard print. I like to print mine on white cardstock paper for a firmer surface. Keep it in a clear sheet protector or laminate them (this is the laminator I use) so you can use dry erase (or wet erase) markers to cross off the boxes.
Pick up some clipboards, one for each child. I got my clipboards from Target for $3 each. You can also find them on Amazon or any big box store.
SIMPLIFY WITH OUR SUMMER CLIPBOARD CHECKLIST!
We also have another clipboard checklist in our summer clipboard post that's a little more simplified! We have a version you can laminate and check off daily and erase nightly as well as one that you can check off weekly. So be sure to go CHECK OUT OUR SUMMER CLIPBOARD POST and grab that printable!
HERE'S HOW THE CLIPBOARD WORKS:
1. CUSTOMIZE FOR EACH KID
Customize the list for each of your children. Include things they need to get done daily—we call these non-negotiables. For my kids, their clipboards include:
- Make your Bed
- Clean your Room
- Brush your Teeth
- Do your Hair
- Say your Prayers (working on lifelong habits, here!)
- Put Laundry Away (explained in my laundry routine)
- Do Your Zone (each kid is responsible for keeping one zone clean each week)
- Exercise
- Chores (we love chore sticks)
- School
- Cooking Day
Tailor the list for each child and make sure their clipboard matches the daily responsibilities and duties that are reasonable for them. For younger kids who can’t read, add little clip art pictures so they know what their list says without help!
2. GET ORGANIZED
We hang our clipboards on the wall in our homework station using these awesome clear wire command hooks. This way, the kids know exactly where they are at all times. We also organize the printed task list in order of when they need to accomplish the tasks (for the most part). For example, “get dressed,” “make bed,” and “say prayers” need to be done before the kids even come downstairs in the morning. Then as the list goes on, they have until the end of the day to complete the rest of it.
As for what we keep on the clipboard – we typically have TWO clipboards per child. One is for the checklist, and the second clipboard is what we clip homework, assignments, permission slips, and anything else important that the child needs to notice or be responsible for.
3. SET EXPECTATIONS & TIMELINES
As mentioned, the expectation in our house is that each child's clipboard needs to be completed by bedtime each day. It gets wiped off and starts over clean each morning. Their clipboard has to be completed before they can:
- Watch TV
- Play on a screen
- Play with friends (including going to a birthday party!)
- Get allowance
- Earn extra money
- When our kids are older, we will use this to track privileges like going out with friends, and even using their cellphones!
Maybe your kids are too busy to do daily clipboards. That's fine! Adapt and make it a WEEK-LONG clipboard that has to be accomplished by Sunday night, and starts over Monday morning. Just set a timeline and stick with it.
4. USE IT FOR ALLOWANCE
If you do an allowance, this clipboard system is a great way to keep up with it! Set an allowance for each child, then set expectations for earning that allowance! Maybe it's “Clipboards must be done 5x completely each week in order to get your allowance.” Or maybe it's “You get $1 each day your clipboard is completed.” However you do it, these clipboards help you keep track of it all!
We actually no longer use our clipboards as a way to earn allowance. The expectation in our family is that the clipboards need to be done as a part of the “norms” of living in our house. Then if they want to earn some extra money, they come to us and we figure out what works best. You can learn all about that in my allowance 101 post!
TEENAGER ADAPTATION
Friends of ours use a similar system, but had to adapt it for their teenagers. Each kid (regardless of age) gets $5/week. They have a clipboard that has a WEEK'S worth of tasks to accomplish (rather than daily), and it has to be done by Saturday night. Most of their teenagers wait (or have to wait, because they are so busy) until Saturday to complete their clipboards. Theirs is an “all or nothing” policy; if the clipboard is done by Saturday night, they get their $5. If not? They get $0. Likewise, once their clipboard is done for the week, they have the opportunity to make extra money by doing extra jobs around the house.
Just adapt the system and make it work for you!
There you go! Hopefully this helps you keep things a little more manageable this year, and helps you keep track of homework, allowance, and privileges!
For WAY more time-management and productivity system ideas, check out my new productivity program, Productivity Boot Camp.
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Do you use the clipboard system? Share in the comments how YOU do it so we can all learn!
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Happy tracking, Freebs 🙂
You are such a role mode Jordan! I’m very thankful for all the effort you put into your blog and all the ideas you share. It may sound strange, but my life has truly changed since I found your videos/blog and started to put into practice lots of the things you’ve shared. I just wanted to let you know that my family and I really appreciate it! Lots of love from Mexico!
Homeschool Mama of five from Florida: We started doing the clipboard system this past summer after I saw your video. The deal we made with our kids was: no screen anything unless everyone’s clipboards are done. The result has been incredible: The older kids help the younger kids so that everyone can enjoy TV/ tablets etc. Which means, we now have a nine year old boy helping a three year old girl brush her hair so that she can check it off. It’s been so incredible to see the growth and strengthening of relationships that it’s brought. Thank you for sharing!!
That’s amazing! Thank you so much for taking the time to share that with me ?
Hiya Jordan. Oh my gosh I am so hooked on watching,learning and implementing your tips, tricks,to do’s & tasks on a regular basis. i was struggling with homework & chore routine that would stick with my twin girls. But yours actually works and they look forwar d to getting tir clipboard and checking off the boxes they completed. So far so good. Since I stumbled accross your blogs on YouTube homely r
You have a daughter named Priya?! That’s my daughter’s name too!
I do this but I print it off the kids lists and then laminate them and tape them to their bedroom doors. I can easily see what they have done or don’t by walking down the hall. We live in a small place for 6 people so this is one way I have been keeping the kids organized without cluttering up the main area of our home… which is quite a bit smaller than average for a family of 6 (not complaining though! Love our space 🙂
Your ideas are amazing! I try almost everything I read from you. Thank you. I’m going to try this! God bless you and your family.
Do you have the 3 yr old clip board printable?
Love the idea of using clipboards. FYI, at Dollar tree stores you can find clipboards for only $1.00 each. Well with taxes it will be $1.07. I think it’s a good deal. Thanks for always sharing your tips Jordan.
I have used your summer checklists two years in a row and they SAVED MY LIFE! I have also been using your budgeting system and it has added so much calm and predictability to our financial life that is immeasurable. So, THANK YOU!
I’m curious if there’s a printable for the school year list that looks like the one on the thumbnail for this blog? The one that has Priya’s name on it with the pink and yellow pretty graphic behind it? It’s so cute but I can’t find it anywhere.
Thanks so all of the order you bring to my usually chaotic life, Jordan!
Hi Erin! That’s so good to hear, I’m so glad that you’ve been able to use the printables and budgeting system to your advantage!!! 🙂 We have some new printables in the works right now, so keep checking back! XOXO
I definitely will. 🙂 Thank you so much!
I made a clipboard for myself and it hangs alongside the kids clipboards. They can see Mommy’s checkmarks as I work on mine and also the long list of chores Mommy does during the day. They think it’s super fun and I also use it to keep track of some of my goals by including things like “Fill a daily water bottles” on my list so I am setup to reach my water goal.
I love that idea!!!
Jordan, I found your clipboard system early in May and my kids are loving it! I told my sister about it and she wants to do it too. But I printed the super one you had with the pineapple and kiwi and stuff. I can’t find it anymore! Is there somewhere I can go to find that version of the printable?
Thanks!
You can grab that HERE!
Jordan
I love watching you and all of your systems. I did something like this for my son that is now 22. I am trying to figure out how to do your system now for my son that is 8 since I can’t find what worked for my 22 year old and yours is close. I am not sure how to split the chores since there is no one to split them with that is a child. Also, how do you and your husband decide who takes the rest of the chores?
Either let him choose which chores he does daily, or decide his chores for the week and rotate through them at the beginning of each week. You could also go ahead and decide which chores you and your husband will be doing during the week so everybody is on the same page and nothing is forgotten. If you use chore sticks, you could draw those each week or write down the chores and draw them out of a hat. Hope that helps!
In your example of helping Hutch trim three rose bushes, where does that fit into your personal block schedule? I assume in the family block after 3pm? If so, is Hutch waiting around for your help before he can have screen time? Thank you!
We choose chores that, for the most part, the kids can do entirely on their own! Even our youngest kiddos! I will help him get the supplies, but otherwise he does it entirely on his own! This is why it’s important to choose age appropriate chores, and we have a blog post that can help give you some ideas!
Girl you are my inspiration! Your tips are invaluable. Thanks for sharing.
P.S. our twins are about the same age, but mine are babies 3 and 4 ☺️
Awww thanks! Aren’t twins the BEST?!?
Did I miss the piano website? Sounds great!
It’s an app called Simply Piano!
I love these ideas. It has come on a very hard day for me.
I would love some more tips for uncooperative teenagers, especially with scheduling their day. I have 5 kids from 5-15 (4 of them boys) and it’s really hard to accommodate little kids and teenagers all together. My little kids are more then happy to do their stuff and but with my teenagers it’s like pulling teeth. Especially when you need the kitchen clean before you make the next meal, and it’s their job, but they don’t want to do it. I know your family isn’t in that stage yet, but I know you worked with teens a lot before that, so any content for us poor mothers of teenagers would be great.
Do your teens use electronics, such as cell phones, during the day? If so, you could most definitely use that as a driving factor to motivate them. If not, find what WILL motivate them. Make them put their phones, any remote controls (such as tv or gaming) or anything else they’d rather be doing than working on their family responsibilities in a basket every night before they go to bed. If they use their phones for their alarms, buy they a regular alarm clock so they don’t need their phone. If they want their electronics (or whatever else is motivational for them) back, then they have to pitch in and help out around the house. They will most definitely NOT be a fan of it at first, but it should light a fire under them to get their things done quicker! This is also a great time to start working on those life skills that every teen needs. If the kitchen needs to be cleaned before or after a meal, have them start helping to prepare and make the meals (if they don’t already) so they realize that cooking and cleaning goes hand-in-hand. They won’t have someone else to clean up after themselves when they leave the mess, so now is a good time to start practicing for once they’re out on their own!
Melissa Luria shared the following in 2018.
Homeschool Mama of five from Florida: We started doing the clipboard system this past summer after I saw your video. The deal we made with our kids was: no screen anything unless EVERYONE’s clipboards are done. The result has been incredible: The older kids help the younger kids so that everyone can enjoy TV/ tablets etc. Which means, we now have a nine year old boy helping a three year old girl brush her hair so that she can check it off. It’s been so incredible to see the growth and strengthening of relationships that it’s brought.
Do you think something like this system would help?
I LOVE THIS SOOO MUCH!! Thank you!! I can’t find the printable that has the School option (reading, Spanish, your choice, etc) that has little boxes as well. Thanks again, I’m literally starting this today!
They’re in the Clipboard Checklist Printables section close to the video towards the top! There are two black buttons, one to download the pink checklist and one to download the blue! 🙂
How do you edit on the ones you made? I tried downloading it then tried to add my kids names and it wouldn’t let me.
These aren’t editable yet, but the summer checklists are!
Save it to DocHub and it becomes editable
I have a sneeky Miss 10 yo and has been known to check off her list without doing the task or doing a poor job of it.
Besides me having to okay their completed tasks before they get their screens etc, any other ways around this one please?
We are currently having discussions about honesty, the boy who cried wolf, etc
Thankyou!
There is definitely some “training” involved with this one! I would suggest that YOU are the one who allows her to check things off. Unfortunately, that means that it’ll take more time with you having to make sure that things have been done in a way that you’re okay with. But she should realize that things will go a lot quicker if she does things the right way the first time. If she’s doing school work, reading, or anything that you need to physically see her doing, then have her sit down next to you or in the same room as you to do them. Putting her at the table without any other distractions is a good way for her to want to do those types of things quicker so she can get back to doing the “fun” things. And honestly, the screen could be a reward, but not expected. So if she’s having to re-do her tasks a lot or says she’s doing them but isn’t, then start taking screens (or any other rewards) away. She’ll learn very quickly that she needs to do things in the manner in which mom says they need to be done! We’re shooting for progress, not perfection, so as long as she continues to do better, then you’re doing a great job!
Are the old checklists with the summery graphics still available? All I can find are the pink and blue ones from this page.
You can find that in our summer clipboards post HERE!
Thank you, I am going to try this. Any way to make these editable?
Not at this moment, but you can grab some editable printables from our summer clipboards post HERE!
Thank you for providing this. If I could offer one suggestion (not to sound ungrateful for free stuff) is that the next time you make things colourful, to not only do only pink and blue. It’s just perpetuating silly stereotypes of “girl things” and “boy things” which are already so hard to avoid and there are so many beautiful colours out there that don’t get enough attention 😉
Those are actually our Fun Cheap or Free brand colors! They weren’t meant to be “gender” colors. 🙂
I can not edit the printable. Can you please let me know how to . I have a 4 yr who can’t read well and I have tried to get clip art and I can’t edit the printable tailored for her. Help!!! Lol
This printable isn’t editable. However, you can use the summer printables, which are editable! Grab those HERE.
What does the Spanish part on the Clip Board is/look like? You mentioned the “Lingo App” but is that considered screen time? Thanks! Just started the clipboard system, wish me luck!
We don’t consider any learning time on the computer or tablets as screen time, but they also don’t get unlimited time to do those types of things. The Lingo app is great and they can learn a lot in just 15 minutes. Good luck with the clipboard system, it’s going to change your world! 🙂
hi Jordan, i loved Beck’s clipboard cause it got the clip art for each task for the kids who can’t read yet. Do you still have his copy somewhere?
Really love your educational videos. I am trying to change and add something too, like meal plan, clipboards and a reward system for the kids and block schedule. Hopefully this will work. The thing is that my kids are not reading yet. Thank you
Unfortunately, no. But you can easily make your own in Canva for free! That’s where I’ve made mine in the past with the clipart. You’ll be able to completely customize yours to your needs, this way. Hope the new changes work for you, good luck! 🙂
Thanks for the ideas! I’ve started these with my 6 year old and 4 year old twins.
Since having baby #5 who is now 6 months…..my 2 year old son has been so demanding.
Any tips on what your toddler’s day looks like?
Toddlers are tough! Give him plenty of options to keep him entertained, busy, or active, but don’t feel like YOU have to be the one actually keeping him engaged! He needs to learn that mom isn’t the one to come to every time when he’s bored or needing attention. You could also get your older kids involved to play with him or help him when he needs it. Building that sibling bond is so important and they’ll cherish it when they’re older!
Jordan, I don’t know what I’d do without you! Can I ask what program you use to create documents like your clipboard checklists?
This was made with Affinity Designer for Macs. But Canva is always an awesome go-to resource that’s free!
Found it! Made it! You’re Awesome!
hi! i was wondering if the weekly summer chore charts are still available? the daily ones are great, but we were using the ones with the daily small squares to track weekly for allowance. i have looked through your website, but cannot seem to locate them. love all your tips and tricks! you’re crushin’ it!
You can find them in our summer clipboard and chore chart post HERE!
This is such a fabulous resource! My family is loving it!! Just 2 questions: Do you use this one and the Summer Clipboard only during weekdays, or do you do these on the weekend too? Also, do you sit down and do pocket money each week before you start the next week? Again, thankyou for sharing all of this with us!!
So glad you love it! We don’t usually use them on the weekend, they’re mainly for weekdays at our house. But you do what works best for you! The allowance is up to you and your family. You can either use actual cash or you can just keep tabs of it and move it electronically at the end of the week/month.
This is great! have been looking for a way to organize our crazy life with 4 kids (20 months-almost 10 years old). we both work full time and our kids are in daycare/school during the day. My questions: 1. how do you make this work on school days? my kids are in full-time in person school, so wondering if you do what you can before and after school? 2. how do you work screen time when the TV is in an area visible to all the kids and if some have done their clipboard, but some haven’t? we are in the boat where the kids wake up early and immediately turn on the TV before we get up. ugh! thanks so much for your help….I’m praying this works for us 🙂
There are some things our kids have to do before they can leave for school, such as making their beds, getting ready for the day (obviously!), etc. Then when they get home, they’re expected to do everything else on their list before they can have any screen time. As for the TV in the visible area, I would suggest putting the remotes somewhere that your kids can’t use them when they wake up! Let it be known that the TV is an earned privilege and they don’t get until they’ve completed their clipboards. Even then, just because they’ve earned the screen time doesn’t mean that they immediately get it, it’s up to you as the parents to decide when it’s time for them to actually have it. As you well know, screens are a bad habit and it’s sometimes a tough one to break, but it’s so nice once you can get out of that cycle where they think they automatically get them when they want. If one kid doesn’t earn screen time, then I would send them to their room to play or do whatever they need to do while everybody else who has earned it gets to watch something. Hope this helps! 🙂
Hello, I love your chore clipboards and I saw in a video that you did a weekly checklist. Do you have that as a printable? Thanks.
So glad you love them! Are you maybe talking about our summer clipboards? There’s a daily and a weekly version when you go to print them out and they’re completely editable. If so, you can find those printables HERE.
Hello! What a great chart and idea. I have been tryinf it for a little while but running into a few problems. SO on this clipboard it says ‘chores’ … do you do a set amount of chore sticks? Or do you have another list of chores that they have to do? Or do they just come to you and ask what their chores are? I feel like I would add to this list their chores like laundry and dishwasher and not have so many things they have to do. Is that ok?? I love what someone said about no one getting screen time till everyone’s chores are done and so they end up helping each other out I love that. I dont know if it would seem unfair if you have just a lazy kid who wont do their chores and a kid who is a people pleaser and will do everyones chores just so they all get screen time….but we will see. What do you do when one kid just wont do their chores and they don’t care about screen time? Do they just stay in their room? No privileges etc? What about a 2.5 year old who is very demanding and gets the tablet often for doing nothing and the other think this isnt fair at all!? HELP
The great thing about this system is that you can really make it your own! Take a look at this age-appropriate chore list and pick a few that your 2.5 year old could do. Once the chores you assign to them are done, they can mark it off on the clipboard!
I love this system and want to use it, but I’m having trouble with editing it to our needs. Is there a link for editable checklist system?
We have an editable checklist here!
How much screen time do your kids get once they’re done their clipboards?
It depends! Each family is different and has different rules and expectations for screentime. 30 minutes or 1 show is a good place to start! The great thing about the clipboard system is that you can make it work for you and your family.
Love this system! Also—you can almost always find clip boards like this at the Dollar Tree 🙂
We love Dollar Tree!
If it is possible, can you guys make the teen to-do list edible like the chore chart? That would be awesome
We’ll look into it! Thanks for the suggestion.