Household Task Management Game and Method Therefor

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The disclosure relates to child training games and methods and more particularly pertains to a new household task management game for organizing and managing the household tasks and chores to be performed by children in the household in a fun way using both rewards and consequences.

The prior art relates to child training games and methods. The prior art, as best understood, does not disclose a household task management game that includes a set of household task cards, a set of identification cards, a set of reward cards, and a set of consequence cards that are usable for organizing and managing the household tasks and chores to be performed by children in the household in a fun way using both rewards and consequences.

An embodiment of the disclosure meets the needs presented above in a household task management game generally comprising a set of household task cards, a set of identification cards, a set of reward cards, and a set of consequence cards. Each of the set of household task cards lists a different household task to be performed by a child. Each of the set of identification cards has an identification side that includes an erasable surface on which information is to be temporarily written, which information includes a name of a child and at least one household task drawn randomly from the set of household task cards with an expected due date of completion. Each of the set of reward cards lists a different pleasant experience for a child to be randomly drawn as a reward for completing at least one randomly drawn household task. Each of the set of consequence cards lists a different unpleasant experience for a child to be randomly drawn as a consequence for not completing at least one randomly drawn household task.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more important features of the disclosure in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additional features of the disclosure that will be described hereinafter and which will form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

The objects of the disclosure, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the disclosure, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure.

With reference now to the drawings, and in particular tothereof, a new household task management game embodying the principles and concepts of an embodiment of the disclosure and generally designated by the reference numeralwill be described.

As best illustrated in, the household task management game generally comprises a set of household task cards, a set of identification cards, a set of reward cards, and a set of consequence cards. Each of the set of household task cardslists a different household task to be performed by a child. Each of the set of identification cardshas an identification sidethat includes an erasable surface on which information is to be temporarily written, which information includes a name of a child and at least one household task drawn randomly from the set of household task cardswith an expected due date of completion. Each of the set of reward cardslists a different pleasant experience for a child to be randomly drawn as a reward for completing at least one randomly drawn household task. Each of the set of consequence cardslists a different unpleasant experience for a child to be randomly drawn as a consequence for not completing at least one randomly drawn household task.

As shown in, the set of household task cardscan include pre-printed household task cards, each listing a different pre-printed household task. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the pre-printed household tasks include regular chores or “PICK A CHORE” that are to be performed by a child at shorter time intervals including daily or weekly intervals, irregular chores or “PARENT'S PICK” to be performed by a child at longer time intervals including monthly or quarterly intervals, and laundry chores or “LAUNDRY LOTTO” including washing, sorting, and folding clothing. At least one of the pre-printed household task cardsincludes an erasable surface and a blank section to permit a parent to write a parent-selected modification to a pre-printed household task. In addition, the set of household task cardscan include blank household task cards, each of which includes an erasable surface to permit a parent to write a parent-selected household task thereon. It should be understood that for any of the cards described herein, the cards can be coated or made with an erasable surface, such as for use with dry erase markers, to permit temporary writing thereon, whether it is to freely enter information or mark or modify pre-printed information. In addition, for any of the cards described herein, they can include pre-printed information, blank spaces, or a combination thereof. For example, as shown in, a pre-printed chore of “MOP THE FLOORS” is printed on a “PICK A CHORE” card. In contrast, a pre-printed consequence of “LOSE PHONE FOR HRS/DAYS” is printed on a “CONSEQUENCE” card with a blank space to enter a selected number of hours and/or days. The blank versions of the cards provide great flexibility for parents to enter whatever tasks, rewards, and consequences best suit their children.

For each of the set of identification cards, there is also a pre-printed personal task sideopposite the identification sidethat lists personal space cleaning and hygiene tasks to be completed on one or more days of the week, a list of days of the week, and checkboxes to mark expected and actual day of completion. The pre-printed personal task sideincludes an erasable surface on which information is to be temporarily written. As shown in the exemplary embodiment in, the pre-printed personal task sidelists such tasks as making the bed identified as “BED,” cleaning a child's bedroom identified as “CLEAN ROOM,” taking a shower or bath identified as “SHOWER/BATH,” and brushing a child's teeth identified as “BRSUH TEETH.” Checkboxes are provided for days of the week on which these tasks are to be completed as well as morning and evening or AM/PM for tasks to be performed multiple times, such as brushing teeth.

The set of reward cardsalso includes pre-printed reward cards, each listing a different pre-printed reward. As shown in the exemplary embodiment in, the rewards can be small rewards of a smaller value or cost, identified as “LUCKY,” such as the child being allowed to pick what the family has for dinner, and large rewards of a larger value or cost, identified as “SURPRISE,” such as the child receiving a trip to the movies. At least one of the pre-printed reward cardsincludes an erasable surface and a blank section to permit a parent to write a parent-selected modification to a pre-printed reward, like the “CONSEQUENCE” card shown. The set of reward cardsalso includes blank reward cards, each including an erasable surface to permit a parent to write a parent-selected reward thereon.

The set of consequence cardsalso includes pre-printed consequence cards, each listing a different pre-printed consequence. At least one of the pre-printed consequence cardsincludes an erasable surface and a blank section to permit a parent to write a parent-selected modification to a pre-printed consequence. The set of reward cardsalso includes blank consequence cards, wherein each includes an erasable surface to permit a parent to write a parent-selected consequence thereon.

The household task management gamealso includes dry erase markers, as shown in, as well as a box. In another possible embodiment shown in, the household task management gameincludes a calendarthat includes an erasable surface to permit users to temporarily write information relating to assigned tasks and dates of completion and dates when a reward will be provided. The household task management gamealso includes reusable vinyl stickersthat include symbols corresponding to rewards and household or personal tasks, wherein the stickersare removably attachable to the erasable calendar. In another possible embodiment, the household task management gameincludes a set of attachment devicesto temporarily attach the identification cardsto a household surface including a wall or a refrigerator, wherein each of the set of attachment devicesincludes magnets.

In its most basic form, the household task management gameis used to organize the household tasks and promote performance thereof by the children using positive and negative reinforcement. The child randomly selects one of the set of the household task cards. The name of the child, the selected household task, and an expected due date of completion are written on the erasable surface of the identification sideof one of the identification cards. When the child completes the selected household task in a satisfactory manner by the expected due date, the child then randomly selects one of the set of reward cards, and the selected reward is then provided by a selected date. When the child does not complete the selected household task in a satisfactory manner or by the expected due date, the child randomly selects one of the set of consequence cards, and the selected consequence is then performed by a selected due date. It should be noted that parents are free to use whatever cards they wish in whatever manner they wish. For example, the parent could choose only a few cards to use, or only certain types of cards to use, based on age and knowledge of the children or other specific family needs or educational or performance goals. A parent is also free to select cards of any type for a child rather than using random selection.

When using the pre-printed personal task sideof the identification cards, the parent can mark one of the checkboxes to assign a corresponding personal space cleaning or hygiene task to be completed and an expected day of completion. When the child completes the selected personal space cleaning or hygiene task in a satisfactory manner by the expected day of completion, the child randomly selects one of the set of reward cardsand then the reward is provided by a selected date. When the child does not complete the selected personal space cleaning or hygiene task in a satisfactory manner by the expected day of completion, the child randomly selects one of the set of consequence cardsand then the consequence is performed by a selected due date. It should be noted that the parent can set whatever standards for success or failure as desired, including full completion of the task, performance of the task to certain level of quality, and performance of the task with a certain behavior or attitude.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized that the optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of an embodiment enabled by the disclosure, to include variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and manner of operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obvious to one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to those illustrated in the drawings and described in the specification are intended to be encompassed by an embodiment of the disclosure.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the disclosure. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the disclosure to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the disclosure. In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in its non-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included, but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to an element by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibility that more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearly requires that there be only one of the elements.