A chore checklist your child can follow before she reads
In short
Zupzi is a free family chore app where each mission has its own screen with a picture and a Read it to me button. The 26 ready-made missions add two or three short steps to tick, read in Zuzi's recorded voice, and wait for your yes before Stars count. Missions you write are read by the device's own voice.
Updated
How can a child who can't read yet use a chore chart app?
A chore app usually hands a child a list of words. Zupzi gives each ready-made mission three things a child can follow without reading: a picture that says which job it is, two or three short steps she can tick one by one, and a Read it to me button that says the mission and its steps out loud.
When she is finished she taps I did it!, or takes a photo if you asked for one. The mission goes to your phone, and her Stars wait for your yes. See photo proof and Stars and rewards for what happens next, or watch Your kid does her missions, about a minute long.
What does a mission screen look like?
From top to bottom, a mission on your child's side shows:
- The mission's picture, its name and how many Stars it is worth.
- Before you say "Done": the steps, each with a circle she taps to tick it.
- Read it to me, which reads the mission aloud. Tap it again to stop.
- I did it!, or Take a photo when the mission asks for one.
Once she sends it, a small celebration plays and the screen tells her the Stars arrive when her grown-up says yes. There is another celebration when you approve.
Whose voice reads the steps?
For the 26 ready-made missions, it is Zuzi's recorded voice. Each recording reads the mission's name and then every step, for example: "Make the bed. Pull the covers up. Smooth them flat. Pillow at the top."
- The recordings are inside the app, so they play without an internet connection.
- They play even when the iPhone or iPad is set to silent.
- For a mission you write yourself, the device's own voice reads the mission's name.
The Read it to me button only speaks. It doesn't listen and it doesn't answer. Talking with Zuzi is a separate feature that stays off until you allow it; see Zuzi, the voice companion inside Zupzi.
Which missions switch on automatically?
When you add a child, Zupzi opens the list of ready-made missions and switches on the everyday basics that fit her age. There are five of them:
- Brush teeth
- Get dressed
- Make the bed
- Put away toys
- Tidy your room
Which of the five start on depends on the birthday you enter. The birthday is optional; without one, all five start on. Every other mission starts off.
The list is a grid with one column per child. One tap on a cell adds or removes a mission for that child. When you take a mission away from the last child, it is paused, not deleted, and the Stars already earned from it stay. See Add your child and Pick missions, or write your own.
What are the 26 ready-made missions and their steps?
Zupzi comes with 26 ready-made missions, sorted below into six groups. Each one has its own picture, two or three steps and Zuzi's recording. They start at 10 to 60 Stars; 18 are daily and 8 are weekly, and 12 ask for a photo. You can change the Stars of any mission, and give a daily one a set time.
Looking for ideas by age instead? Chores by age lists what children can usually do at each age.
Routine (6 missions)
| Mission | Steps she checks | Starts as |
|---|---|---|
| Brush teeth | Brush for two minutes · Rinse the brush · Put it back in its place | 20 Stars · daily |
| Shower or bath | Wash with soap · Dry off · Hang up the towel | 20 Stars · daily |
| Get ready for bed | Pajamas on · Teeth brushed · Lights low | 20 Stars · daily |
| Get dressed | Clothes on · Shoes on · Pajamas put away | 20 Stars · daily |
| Comb your hair | Brush out the tangles · Brush back in its place | 10 Stars · daily |
| Wash hands before meals | Soap and water · Scrub for 20 seconds · Dry your hands | 10 Stars · daily |
Home (9 missions)
| Mission | Steps she checks | Starts as |
|---|---|---|
| Make the bed | Pull the covers up · Smooth them flat · Pillow at the top | 30 Stars · daily · photo |
| Put away toys | Pick up every toy from the floor · Each toy in its box or shelf · Floor is clear | 30 Stars · daily · photo |
| Tidy your room | Clothes off the floor · Desk and shelves tidy · Trash in the bin | 60 Stars · weekly · photo |
| Set the table | A plate for everyone · Forks, knives and spoons · Cups and napkins | 30 Stars · daily · photo |
| Tidy the bookshelf | Books standing up · Spines facing out · Nothing left on the floor | 40 Stars · weekly · photo |
| Help with the dishes | Plates rinsed · Dishes on the rack · Sink is empty | 40 Stars · daily · photo |
| Put away laundry | Clothes folded · In the right drawer · Basket is empty | 40 Stars · weekly · photo |
| Take out the trash | Tie the bag · Take it to the bin outside · New bag in | 30 Stars · weekly |
| Sweep the floor | Sweep into a pile · Dustpan to the trash · Broom put away | 40 Stars · weekly · photo |
School (3 missions)
| Mission | Steps she checks | Starts as |
|---|---|---|
| Reading time | Pick a book · Read for 15 minutes · Tell someone what happened | 40 Stars · daily |
| Pack the school bag | Homework inside · Pencil case inside · Bag by the door | 20 Stars · daily |
| Do your homework | Find a quiet spot · Finish every task · Pack it in your bag | 50 Stars · daily |
Pets (3 missions)
| Mission | Steps she checks | Starts as |
|---|---|---|
| Feed the pet | Food in the bowl · Fresh water · Scoop put away | 30 Stars · daily · photo |
| Walk the dog | Leash on · A good walk · Leash put away | 50 Stars · daily |
| Tidy the pet's bed | Shake out the blanket · Bed back in its spot · Toys next to it | 30 Stars · weekly · photo |
Wellness (3 missions)
| Mission | Steps she checks | Starts as |
|---|---|---|
| Water the plants | Fill the watering can · A little water for each plant · Can put away | 30 Stars · weekly · photo |
| Eat a fruit | Pick a fruit · Wash it · Eat it all | 20 Stars · daily |
| Play outside | Shoes on · Play for 30 minutes · Toys back inside | 30 Stars · daily |
Creative (2 missions)
| Mission | Steps she checks | Starts as |
|---|---|---|
| Draw or paint | Make something · Show it · Supplies put away | 30 Stars · weekly · photo |
| Practice music | Warm up · Practice for 15 minutes · Instrument put away | 40 Stars · daily |
Can I write my own missions?
Yes, as many as you like. You give the mission a name, pick one of Zupzi's pictures or let Zupzi pick one, and choose its Stars (1 to 1,000), how often it repeats (daily, weekly or once), an optional time of day for a daily mission, and whether it needs a photo.
Your own missions get the Read it to me button too, read by the device's voice. They don't have a list of steps; steps come with the ready-made missions.
Can I hear it before my child does?
Yes. On the parent side, See it as followed by your child's name opens a practice run of Make the bed with its steps and its Read it to me button. It is only practice: no Stars are counted. Watch See it the way your kid does.
Zupzi is free on the App Store
iPhone and iPad · United States and Brazil · nothing to buy inside
What Zupzi doesn't do
- There is no Android version.
- The app and the recorded mission voice are in English only.
- Missions you write yourself have no step list and are read by the device's own voice, not Zuzi's, unless their name matches a ready-made mission.
- Ticking the steps is optional, and the app never decides the Stars. You decide when you approve.
- Each family can add up to two children.
What else do families ask?
Does my child need to read to use Zupzi?
No. Each ready-made mission has a picture, two or three short steps and a Read it to me button that says them out loud. She ticks the steps, taps I did it! or takes a photo, and you approve.
Is Read it to me the same as talking to Zuzi?
No. Read it to me plays a short recording of Zuzi reading a ready-made mission, or the device's voice reading one you wrote; it doesn't listen or answer. Conversations with Zuzi are a separate feature, off until you allow them, with 10 minutes a month per family. See Zuzi.
Does Read it to me work without internet?
Yes, for the 26 ready-made missions: their recordings are inside the app. If her device is offline when she finishes a mission, it waits on the device and reaches you when the internet is back.
Can I add steps to my own missions?
No. Steps come with the 26 ready-made missions. Your own missions have a name, a picture and the Read it to me button, which reads the name in the device's voice. A mission you name like a ready-made one, such as "Make your bed", gets that mission's steps.
Can I record my own voice for a mission?
No. The ready-made missions use Zuzi's recordings, and the missions you write use the iPhone or iPad's own voice.
Which missions are on when I add my child?
The everyday basics that fit her age: Brush teeth, Get dressed, Make the bed, Put away toys and Tidy your room. Without a birthday, all five start on. You can switch any mission on or off with one tap.
Does she have to tick every step before she can finish?
No. The steps are there to guide her, and the I did it! button never waits for them. You decide when you approve the mission.
Does the mission voice speak Portuguese?
No. The app and the mission recordings are in English. Only Zuzi, in her conversations, answers in Portuguese when a child speaks it.
Does it work on an iPad?
Yes. Zupzi runs on iPhone and iPad with iOS or iPadOS 16.4 or later. Her side can run on a tablet that you pair with a 6-digit code; see Set up your kid's tablet.
Is Read it to me free?
Yes. There is nothing to buy in the app or on this site, and every mission has the Read it to me button. See Help & FAQ for more.
Zupzi is free on the App Store
iPhone and iPad · United States and Brazil · nothing to buy inside