Turn Chores Into a Game: How to Make Cleaning Fun

Gamify chores? Yes, it is possible and it might completely change the way you approach household tasks. Chores are an unavoidable part of adult life, but finding the motivation to clean when you are juggling work, family responsibilities, financial pressures, and a packed schedule can feel overwhelming. The result? Dust piles up, dishes sit in the sink, and the to-do list just keeps growing 😫

The good news is that chores do not have to be dull or draining. With a little creativity, and the right tools, you can transform routine cleaning into something surprisingly enjoyable. In this article, we will show you how to use gamification, particularly through a wheel spinner app, to make your chores more engaging, motivating, and even fun.

Why are house chores so boring?

Tasks like dusting, vacuuming, or scrubbing the bathroom rarely sound exciting. For most people, chores are repetitive and thankless responsibilities, meaning they are essential duties that often go unnoticed or unappreciated. You may spend hours cleaning, yet no one praises the effort or acknowledges the time it took. Unlike work or hobbies, which may offer tangible rewards, housework is rarely recognised, which can make it feel like a burden.

On top of that, the physical mess, time consumption, and lack of immediate gratification make chores easy to procrastinate, especially when your to-do list is already overwhelming.

Yet despite their dullness, chores are crucial. They create a safe, clean, and functional environment. Teaching children to do chores also builds responsibility, independence, and respect for shared living spaces, important life skills they will carry into adulthood.

What about for people with ADHD?

For individuals with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), chores can be particularly challenging. ADHD affects executive functioning, which includes the mental processes that help you plan, start, and complete tasks. This means even simple responsibilities like folding laundry or washing dishes can feel mentally exhausting or overwhelming.

Motivational issues are common not due to laziness, but because ADHD brains often struggle with prioritising and following through, especially on tasks that are repetitive or unrewarding. The effort it takes to initiate a chore can be much greater than for someone without ADHD.

This is where gamification and external structure can be especially useful. Tools like wheel spinners, visual chore boards, or randomised task generators help reduce decision fatigue and introduce novelty, which makes tasks more approachable and engaging.

🥳 The power of gamification: make cleaning fun

Gamification is the process of adding game-like elements to non-game tasks to increase motivation and enjoyment. It works by activating our inner sense of play, and play is a powerful motivator.

With just a smartphone, you can turn your chore list into a colorful, interactive game using a wheel spinner app like Spinly.

How to gamify chores with a wheel spinner

1. Create your chore wheel

Start by creating a custom wheel with your household tasks. You can either build your own or use a ready-made template in the Spinly app. Include tasks of all sizes from “wipe the counter” to “vacuum the entire house.” Add colours you love to make the wheel visually appealing and more inviting to use.

🧠 Tip: Colors are more than decorative, they influence how we feel and behave. For example, blue promotes calm, while yellow can energise and uplift. Choose a colour palette that boosts your mood!

2. Spin and act

Spin the wheel and commit to completing whatever it lands on. This removes the mental effort of choosing where to start, which is often the hardest part. Pair the task with music, a podcast, or an audiobook to make the experience more enjoyable.

If you need an extra push, consider sharing your progress with a friend or on social media for accountability. Peer motivation can help you follow through.

Living with others? Make it a group activity! Take turns spinning the wheel to assign chores fairly. This method works especially well for families with children or roommates. You can even incorporate light rewards or praise to keep things positive.

3. Reward yourself

After completing a task whether big or small celebrate your progress. Take a short break, treat yourself to a snack, or enjoy a few minutes of guilt-free relaxation. Building in small rewards reinforces the behaviour and makes you more likely to do it again.

4. Build it into your routine

To keep your home consistently clean, make it a habit. Set reminders for weekly or daily spins. Saturday morning is a great time for a quick clean-up routine. You can even add a “Remind Me to Spin” task to your wheel to stay on track.

Remember, the longer chores are left undone, the more overwhelming they become. A consistent routine will make everything more manageable over time.

The benefits of gamifying chores

✅ Motivation Boost: Great for people who live alone or have difficulty getting started after a long day.

✅ Fun and Engaging: Turns dull, repetitive tasks into something that feels like a quest.

✅ Stronger Relationships: Involve your household members and foster teamwork, fairness, and shared responsibility.

✅ A Cleaner, Healthier Space: The ultimate reward: your home becomes a safe, clean, and calming environment.

Gamifying your chores might sound like a gimmick, but research shows it can be a powerful strategy for boosting motivation and creating sustainable habits. A master’s thesis from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology found that using a gamified chores app significantly increased motivation, particularly among male users highlighting the impact of social interaction and reward systems. Whether you are living alone, managing a family, or coping with executive function challenges such as ADHD, turning mundane tasks into playful, goal-oriented activities can help you overcome procrastination and reclaim control over your space. So next time you are staring down a messy kitchen or a pile of laundry, open your wheel spinner app, give it a spin and turn your to-do list into a game worth playing 🥰