Checklist template: 4 free printable checklists and how to make your own

The short answer: a good checklist template saves you from rewriting the same list over and over. This free PDF has four printable checklists.

• Included: blank, weekly, project and emergency supplies checklists
• Write down every task and break big jobs into small steps
• Rank by importance with the A-B-C priority method
• Add due dates and names
• Next step: Get the free checklist template (we email it to you); want more? The Kids Chore Chart is $3.49.

A good checklist template saves you from rewriting the same list over and over. This free PDF has four printable checklists: a blank one, a weekly one, a project one with priorities and an emergency supplies list. Below you'll find how to use each one and how to write a checklist that actually gets finished. When the tasks have dates, a timeline template shows the same list in date order.

What's in the free download

The PDF has four pages:

1. Blank checklist. 22 lines with a check box, task, due date and notes column. Use it for anything.
2. Weekly checklist. One row per task and a box for each day, Monday to Sunday, for recurring jobs.
3. Project checklist. Columns for A/B/C priority, the step, time needed, who's doing it, the due date and a check box.
4. Emergency supplies checklist. The basic kit items from Ready.gov, ready to tick off.

Print it on plain paper. It fits US Letter, and A4 with "fit to page."

Why checklists work

A checklist does two jobs. It gets the tasks out of your head and onto paper, and it shows you progress as you tick boxes. Kansas State University Extension's guide to managing time, work and family calls the simplest time plan "a list of large and small projects" that you do as you have time. Its next step up is a series of projects in order of priority, and the most detailed adds time estimates for each task. The three templates here match those three levels. It's also a good first step in how to organize your life.

How to make a checklist in 6 steps

1. Write down every task. Don't sort yet. Just get it all on paper.
2. Break big jobs into small steps. "Clean the garage" becomes "clear the shelves," "sweep" and "take boxes to donation."
3. Put them in order. Decide what must happen first, second and third.
4. Rank by importance. Mark each task A, B or C.
5. Estimate the time. Add up the total and compare it with the time you have.
6. Add due dates and names. If more than one person is involved, say who owns each line.

The K-State guide suggests the same approach: list your activities, estimate the time needed, check it against the time you have and rank tasks by importance. It notes that if the time you need is more than the time you have, you may be overcommitted and need to make changes.

The A-B-C priority method

The project checklist has a priority column for the A-B-C system. K-State describes it this way:

Do the A tasks first. If the list is too long, the C tasks are the ones to move to next week.

Using the blank checklist

The blank page works for almost anything: a packing list, a party plan, a weekend job list or an errand run. Write a title at the top so you know which list it is, and add a date. Use the due column for anything with a deadline and the notes column for phone numbers, sizes or reminders.

When you finish a list, keep it. A packing list or a holiday prep list you've already written is a template for next time.

Using the weekly checklist

The weekly page is for jobs that repeat: making beds, feeding pets, taking medicine, watering plants, a 10-minute tidy. Write one task per row and tick the box each day it's done. It's also a good chore chart for older kids and teens.

For a planning routine, Stanford's Center for Teaching and Learning lays out a weekly method. First schedule your non-negotiables, then regular commitments and set appointments. Then list all the important to-do items for the week, schedule specific tasks into your week and, finally, break each to-do item into smaller tasks. The weekly checklist fits right into that last step.

Using the project checklist

Use the project page for anything with several steps and a finish date: a room makeover, a move, a party or a home repair. Write the finish date at the top, list the steps in order, give each a priority, estimate the time, assign a person and set a due date. Tick each box as it's done.

If a job has more than about 18 steps, split it into phases and print one page per phase.

Using the emergency supplies checklist

The last page is based on Ready.gov's basic disaster supplies kit. The list includes water, one gallon per person per day for several days; at least a several-day supply of non-perishable food; a battery-powered or hand crank radio; a flashlight; a first aid kit; extra batteries; a whistle; a dust mask; plastic sheeting and duct tape; moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties; a wrench or pliers to turn off utilities; a manual can opener; local maps; and a cell phone with chargers and a backup battery.

Ready.gov suggests storing kit items in airtight plastic bags and putting the kit in one or two easy-to-carry containers. Check the list once or twice a year and replace expired food, water and batteries. There are blank lines at the bottom for prescriptions, pet supplies and anything your family needs.

Paper or digital checklist?

Both work, and many households use both. A printed checklist is hard to ignore when it's on the fridge, it doesn't need a charged phone, and kids can tick it with a pen. A phone list goes everywhere with you and is easy to share. A simple rule: use paper for lists the whole family needs to see, like chores and routines, and a phone list for errands you run alone.

Checklists for kids

Kids follow a checklist better than a string of reminders. Keep it short, use pictures for younger kids, and put it at their eye level. A morning list might be: get dressed, make the bed, brush teeth, eat breakfast, pack the backpack. An evening list might be: homework, lay out clothes, bath, read, lights out. The Kids Chore Chart ($3.49) has a weekly chore chart, morning and evening routines, chore ideas by age, a sticker reward chart and an allowance tracker.

Checklist template ideas

Some of the most useful lists to make with the blank or weekly page:

• Morning routine for kids, posted by the door.
• Weekly cleaning, one room per row.
• Grocery staples you buy every week.
• Packing list for trips.
• Party prep, working back from the date.
• Car care, like tire pressure, oil and registration dates.
• Bills to pay each month.
• Back to school, from supplies to forms.

Ready-made checklists for bigger jobs

Some jobs are big enough that a pre-written checklist saves real time:

• Cleaning. The Cleaning Schedule ($4.49) has daily, weekly, monthly and seasonal cleaning lists already filled in.
• Moving. The Moving Planner ($5.99) covers everything from 8 weeks out to your first week in the new place.
• Weddings. The Wedding Planner Checklist ($5.99) has a 12-month checklist plus budget, vendor, guest list and day-of timeline pages.
• Meals. The Meal Planner & Grocery List ($3.99) has weekly meal pages, a grocery list sorted by aisle and pantry and freezer inventories.
• The whole household. The Household Binder ($6.99) keeps family info, calendars, meals, bills and the emergency plan in one binder.

Tips for checklists that get done

• Start each line with a verb, like "call," "buy" or "clean."
• Keep each task small enough to finish in one go.
• Put the list where you'll see it, like the fridge or your planner.
• Tick boxes as you go, not at the end of the day.
• Move unfinished tasks forward instead of rewriting the whole list.
• Review it once a week and remove tasks that no longer matter.
• Save a blank copy in your planner or binder so a fresh list is always ready to print.
• Celebrate a finished list, even a small one, before you start the next.

More free checklists

Our free cleaning checklist and deep cleaning checklist are ready to print, and the back-to-school checklist covers the start of the school year. For planning your week, the free weekly planner pairs well with the weekly checklist.

For more ready-made lists and planners, browse all of our printable and spreadsheet templates.