How do I make a simple chore chart in Excel?

List chores in column A and the days of the week across the top. Type an x in a cell when a chore is done. Add a conditional formatting rule to turn cells with an x green, then print the sheet in landscape on one page.

How do I add checkboxes to a chore chart in Excel?

Turn on the Developer tab in Excel options, then use Insert and pick the check box under Form Controls. Drawing one per cell is slow, so many people simply type an x or use a dropdown list from Data Validation.

How do I total points in an Excel chore chart?

Give each chore a points value in column I. In column J use =COUNTIF(B2:H2,"x")*I2 to multiply the number of x marks by that value, then =SUM(J2:J7) at the bottom for the week's total.

How do I reset an Excel chore chart each week?

Save one finished copy as a template. Each Sunday, right-click the sheet tab, choose Move or Copy, tick Create a copy, then select the cells with the x marks and press Delete. Formulas and formatting stay in place.

How to Make a Chore Chart in Excel (Free Layout and Formulas)

A chore chart in Excel takes about 15 minutes to build, costs nothing, and prints well. It will also do something paper cannot: add up the points for you. Below is the exact layout, the three formulas worth knowing, and an honest look at what a spreadsheet can and cannot do for a busy household.

What you need before you open Excel

Decide four things first. It saves you from rebuilding the sheet later.

Who the chart is for. One chart per child works better than one big grid, because each child can find their own row.
The chores. Two or three daily tasks for a preschooler, three or four for a school-age child, plus one weekly bigger job from about age 8. If you need ideas, see our chore chart ideas for kids.
What a point is worth. The common default is 5 points for a small task, 10 for a medium one and 20 for a big one.
What the points buy. A chart with no reward behind it loses interest in about two weeks.

Step by step: build the sheet

Open a blank workbook. In A1 type Chore. In B1 to H1 type Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sat, Sun. In I1 type Points each, and in J1 type Points this week.
In A2 to A7 list six chores, one per row. Put the daily ones first and any weekly one last.
In I2 to I7 type the points for each chore.
In J2 enter the formula below, then drag it down to J7.
In J9 enter the weekly total, and in A9 type Total.
Select B2 to H7 and add the color rule (next section).
Widen column A, center the day columns, and bold row 1 so the page reads at a glance.

Here is how the first few rows look with sample numbers:

Chore	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	Points each	Points this week
Make the bed	x	x	x	-	x	x	x	5	30
Feed the dog	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	5	35
Empty the dishwasher	x	-	x	-	x	-	-	10	30
Tidy the room	x	x	-	x	x	-	-	10	40

The three formulas worth knowing

Where	Formula	What it does
J2	`=COUNTIF(B2:H2,"x")*I2`	Counts the x marks in the row and multiplies by the points for that chore
J9	`=SUM(J2:J7)`	Adds up the week
K9	`=IF(J9>=100,"Reward earned","Keep going")`	Shows a message once the goal is reached

Change the 100 to whatever your family reward costs. COUNTIF ignores upper or lower case, so X and x both count. If a child writes anything else in a box, it will not be counted, which is a useful way to spot a typo.

Want a dropdown instead of typing? Select B2 to H7, open Data, then Data Validation, choose List, and type x. Each cell now has a small arrow.

Make done chores turn green

Colors do most of the motivating on a chart, so spend two minutes here.

Select B2 to H7.
On the Home tab choose Conditional Formatting, then Highlight Cells Rules, then Equal To.
Type x in the box and pick Green Fill with Dark Green Text.
Click OK.

Now every finished chore fills in on its own. If you do not want the x to show, choose Custom Format in the same dialog and set the font color to match the fill.

Print it and keep it where kids will see it

On the Page Layout tab, set Orientation to Landscape, then set Width to 1 page so the columns do not spill onto a second sheet. Print one copy per child, and tape it where they pass it every day, usually the bedroom door or the fridge.

To reset for a new week, right-click the sheet tab and choose Move or Copy, tick Create a copy, then rename the old tab with the date. On the new tab, select B2 to H7 and press Delete. The formulas and color rules stay. Keep the old tabs and you also have a record of how each week went.

Where an Excel chart falls short

Be honest with yourself about what you are signing up for. Excel is a fine way to build a chart, and a weak way to run one.

The file lives on one computer. Your child cannot tick a box from their own phone.
Nothing reminds them. The chart only works if somebody looks at it.
You are the one who updates it, and the one who resets it every Sunday.
Points add up, but nothing happens at 100 points. You are still the reward department.

If you want the same layout in a free cloud tool that two parents can edit at once, see how to make a chore chart in Google Sheets. If you would rather start from the principles and not the software, our guide to making a chore chart in 6 steps covers them.

When the spreadsheet becomes the chore

Many families build the Excel chart, love it for two weeks, and stop. The usual reason is that updating it depends on one person remembering. That is the point where an app that does the remembering is worth a look.

Letting an app run the chart

Famiyo is a free family app for iPhone and Android that combines a shared family calendar, chores with points and a rewards shop; kids join with a code, no email needed. It replaces the sheet you just built: you add each chore once, set it to repeat daily or weekly, assign it to a child and give it points.

Kids get a notification about a new task, check it off on their own phone (or you approve it, you choose which), and the points add up on their own. Parents are notified when a chore is done, and every phone stays in live sync.

Famiyo Daily Chores screen showing each child's points and today's tasks — Today's chores for every child, with points earned so far

The free plan covers up to 3 family members and 1 repeating task. For a look at the options, see our list of the best chore chart apps.

A good first week

Build the sheet tonight, print it tomorrow, and sit down with your child to pick the chores together. Check it with them for five minutes after dinner for the first week, so it becomes part of the day and not another thing to remember.