Build a chore chart app for the family tablet

Why one shared screen

Apps built with Anticode save to the browser on the device they run on, and nothing is shared between devices. For a family chore tracker that points to an obvious set-up: one tablet or old phone in a common place, installed to the home screen so it opens like any app. Everyone uses the same screen, which has a side benefit: chores are visible, and "I didn't know" stops working. The picture-of-a-fridge-chart feel is part of what makes it work.

The chart itself

People: Each child with a name, a colour and a simple avatar chosen from shapes or drawn initials. Parents can be on the chart too.
Chores: A name, an optional picture-style icon drawn in code for children who don't read yet, a points value, and a schedule: daily, certain days, weekly, or once.
Today: A column per person with their chores for today, big enough to tap from across the counter. A finished day gets a small celebration, quickly over.
Week: A grid of everyone's chores and ticks, the view parents check on Sunday.

Fair rotations

Some chores rotate: bins, feeding the cat, emptying the dishwasher. Ask for rotation by week or by day across chosen children, so the app decides whose turn it is and there's nothing to argue about. Show the next person's name under each rotating chore.

Points, rewards and approval

A reward chart for kids needs a few rules decided in advance, and the app should make them visible:

Points per chore, scaled to effort: tidying a room worth more than putting shoes away.
Rewards with a cost, set by parents: extra screen time, choosing dinner, a trip out, pocket money as a number (the app records it; it doesn't pay anything).
Parent approval, optionally. Children tick, a parent confirms with a simple PIN, and only then do points count. Say plainly that a PIN on a shared tablet is a speed bump, not security.
No negative points by default. Taking points away tends to make charts a source of conflict; leave it as an option parents switch on.
Bonus points for unprompted help, given by a parent.

A history screen with points earned and rewards claimed per week lets families look back at progress, and helps when a child insists they did more than they did.

Describing it to Anticode

"A chore list app for our family tablet: three children aged 5, 8 and 12, plus two parents. Chores with points, drawn icons for the youngest, schedules (daily, certain days, weekly) and weekly rotations for bins and the dishwasher. Today view with a big column per person; week grid; rewards with point costs; parent approval by four-digit PIN; bonus points; weekly history. Saves on this tablet. Playful, bright design with large tap targets and a quick celebration when someone finishes their day."

Related builds: the habit tracker for older children's routines, the to-do list app, and spin the wheel for choosing who picks the film.

Limits

No sync to parents' phones. You can't tick a chore off from work or check the chart remotely; the shared tablet holds it.
No notifications. It can't remind anyone when it's closed.
No money. Pocket money is recorded as a number. It can't pay into an account or a card.
No real accounts. Children are names on a screen, not users with logins, and the PIN isn't a secure lock.
Device-bound. Replacing or resetting the tablet loses the history unless you export a backup file first.

Questions people ask

What age is a chore chart app right for?

Picture-based charts work from about preschool age, with a parent alongside. Older children usually want more say, such as choosing chores from a list for points.

Can each child use it on their own phone?

They can open it, but each phone would have its own separate chart. Points ticked on one wouldn't appear on another, which is why one shared device works best.

Can it work for flatmates instead of children?

Yes. Drop the rewards, keep the rotations and a week grid, and it becomes a household rota on a shared screen in the hall or kitchen.