Parents, wouldn't it be great if your kids begged to do their chores? That's exactly what Cincinnati, Ohio-based startup ChoreMonster is promising. Available for iOS devices and online, ChoreMonster makes doing household chores fun by “gamifying” the process. Designed to encourage kids to do chores, the app engages them through an attractive user interface and rewards them with points that can be exchanged for actual prizes when they complete tasks. So if you've been having difficulty getting your child to set the table, unload the dishwasher, or make their bed, this could be the solution.
Parents assign scheduled chores with point values for their child on ChoreMonster. They also set the rewards and how many points are needed to claim them. The child then logs in to their account to view their chores and rewards. After a task has been completed, the child marks it in the app and the parent is prompted to verify it. The child receives the points once the parent has approved the chore. “There are usually enough chores in a week to redeem some sort of reward,” says co-founder and CEO Chris Bergman. Children also earn random monsters for extra fun and surprise as they use the app. Each monster has its own personality and voice, most of which were narrated by Bergman and co-founder Paul Armstrong.
In an eight-month test before its official launch at the end of 2012, ChoreMonster helped 21,000 kids carry out over 300,000 chores. Popular tasks included picking up toys and books, cleaning the bedroom, and feeding pets, while favorite rewards included computer time, sleepovers, and an allowance.
Bergman and Armstrong took home the top prize in the Cincinnati Innovates competition in 2011 with ChoreMonster. They were subsequently accepted into startup accelerator Brandery and received $350,000 in funding from CincyTech and private investors.
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