Version: v0.5.0 Difficulty: Intermediate Prerequisites: Home Assistant Companion App with NFC support

Enable kids to quickly claim chores by scanning NFC tags placed near chore locations (pet feeding station, bedroom, kitchen). No dashboard interaction required - just tap the phone to the tag.

What You'll Learn:

• Setting up NFC helper sensor for user tracking
• Creating basic NFC chore claim automation
• Time-based chore selection (AM/PM chores)
• Logbook integration for accountability

1. NFC tags (NTAG213/215/216 recommended)
2. Home Assistant Companion App on kid's device
3. User accounts for each kid in Home Assistant

Each Home Assistant user has a unique alphanumeric ID required for tracking:

1. Navigate to Settings → People → Users
2. Click each user to view their profile
3. Copy the User ID from the top of the dialog (long alphanumeric string)
4. Store these IDs - you'll need them for the helper sensor

Example User ID: 9999999953eb45019c0f3e0811111111

This sensor translates user IDs into readable names for logging and tracking.

Add to configuration.yaml or template file:

template:
  - trigger:
      - trigger: event
        event_type: tag_scanned
    sensor:
      - name: NFC Last Scan By
        state: >
          {% set user_map = {
            "9999999953eb45019c0f3e0811111111": "Sarah",
            "9999999953eb45019c0f3e0822222222": "Alex",
            "9999999953eb45019c0f3e0833333333": "Mom",
            "9999999953eb45019c0f3e0844444444": "Dad"
          } %}
          {% set user_id = trigger.event.context.user_id %}
          {{ user_map.get(user_id, 'unknown') }}

What This Does:

• Listens for NFC tag scans
• Maps Home Assistant user IDs to friendly names
• Creates sensor.nfc_last_scan_by with the user's name

Configuration Steps:

1. Replace the User IDs with your actual Home Assistant user IDs
2. Replace the names with your kids' names (must match KidsChores kid names)
3. Save and restart Home Assistant
4. Verify sensor appears: Developer Tools → States → search "nfc_last_scan_by"

Use Case: Kid scans tag on litter box → chore automatically claimed.

Physical Setup:

1. Stick NFC tag on/near litter box
2. Register tag in Home Assistant Companion App
3. Note the Tag ID (you'll need this for the automation)

Automation:

alias: "NFC: Clean Litter Box"
description: "Claim litter box chore when NFC tag scanned"
triggers:
  - tag_id: 059701cb-9096-40d3-be04-59c112345678 # ⚠️ Replace with your NFC tag ID
    trigger: tag
conditions: []
actions:
  - variables:
      claim_button: button.sarah_kidschores_chore_claim_clean_litter_pm # ⚠️ Replace with your button entity
  - action: button.press
    target:
      entity_id: "{{ claim_button }}"
  - wait_for_trigger:
      - trigger: state
        entity_id:
          - sensor.nfc_last_scan_by
    timeout:
      seconds: 5
  - action: logbook.log
    data:
      name: Clean Litter Box
      message: "Claimed by {{ states('sensor.nfc_last_scan_by') }}"
      entity_id: "{{ claim_button }}"
mode: single

1. Go to Developer Tools → States
2. Search for: button.kc_<kid_name>_chore_claim_
3. Find your chore in the list
4. Copy the full entity ID

Workflow:

1. Kid scans NFC tag
2. Automation presses claim button
3. Waits for NFC sensor to update (5 sec timeout)
4. Logs entry: "Clean Litter Box: Claimed by Sarah"

Use Case: Single NFC tag on pet food station → claims AM or PM feeding chore based on time of day.

Physical Setup:

1. Place NFC tag near pet feeding station
2. Register tag in Companion App
3. Create separate AM and PM chores in KidsChores

Automation:

alias: "NFC: Feed Cat (AM/PM Auto-Select)"
description: "Claim AM chore before noon, PM chore after noon"
triggers:
  - tag_id: 0b3b18f7-0c99-4f19-9d17-d114ccf87799 # ⚠️ Replace with your NFC tag ID
    trigger: tag
conditions: []
actions:
  - variables:
      claim_button: >-
        {% if 2 <= now().hour < 12 %}
          button.sarah_kidschores_chore_claim_feed_cat_am  # ⚠️ Replace with AM button entity
        {% else %}
          button.sarah_kidschores_chore_claim_feed_cat_pm  # ⚠️ Replace with PM button entity
        {% endif %}
  - action: button.press
    target:
      entity_id: "{{ claim_button }}"
  - wait_for_trigger:
      - trigger: state
        entity_id:
          - sensor.nfc_last_scan_by
    timeout:
      seconds: 5
  - action: logbook.log
    data:
      name: Feed Cat
      message: >-
        {{ "AM" if 2 <= now().hour < 12 else "PM" }} chore claimed by {{ states('sensor.nfc_last_scan_by') }}
      entity_id: "{{ claim_button }}"
mode: single

Why 2 AM Start?: Prevents late-night scans (12 AM - 2 AM) from triggering morning chore. Adjust if needed:

{ % if 6 <= now().hour < 12 % } # Stricter: only 6 AM - noon triggers AM chore

Use Case: Shared chore (e.g., "First to Feed Dog") - any kid can scan to claim.

Automation:

alias: "NFC: First to Feed Dog (Shared First)"
description: "Claim shared chore for whoever scans first"
triggers:
  - tag_id: your-tag-id-here
    trigger: tag
conditions: []
actions:
  # Get the kid name from NFC sensor
  - variables:
      kid_name: "{{ states('sensor.nfc_last_scan_by') }}"
      claim_button: "button.kc_{{ kid_name | lower }}_chore_claim_feed_dog"
  # Verify kid name is valid (not 'unknown')
  - condition: template
    value_template: "{{ kid_name not in ['unknown', 'unavailable', 'none'] }}"
  # Press claim button
  - action: button.press
    target:
      entity_id: "{{ claim_button }}"
  # Log the claim
  - action: logbook.log
    data:
      name: Feed Dog
      message: "Claimed by {{ kid_name }} (Shared First)"
      entity_id: "{{ claim_button }}"
mode: single

Requirements:

• NFC helper sensor configured with all kids' names
• Chore must be set to "Shared First" completion criteria
• Button entity IDs must follow pattern: button.kc_{kid_name}_chore_claim_{chore_name}

Cause: User ID not in NFC helper sensor map.

Solution:

1. Check if user scanned with correct device (must have Home Assistant app)
2. Verify user ID in helper sensor matches user's actual ID
3. Check for typos in user ID (alphanumeric, case-sensitive)

Cause: Button entity ID incorrect or chore not assigned to kid.

Solution:

1. Verify button exists: Developer Tools → States → search for button
2. Check kid is assigned to chore in KidsChores configuration
3. Ensure chore is in pending state (not already claimed/approved)

Cause: wait_for_trigger timeout or sensor not updating.

Solution:

1. Increase timeout to 10 seconds
2. Test NFC helper sensor manually: scan tag, check States view
3. Restart Home Assistant if sensor stuck

Cause: Time logic boundary issue or timezone mismatch.

Solution:

1. Check Home Assistant timezone: Settings → System → General
2. Adjust time boundaries in template (change 2 to 6 for stricter AM)
3. Test at boundary times (11:59 AM, 12:00 PM) to verify behavior

• Pet chores: Stick tag on food container or feeding station
• Bedroom chores: Tag on door frame or nightstand
• Kitchen chores: Tag on dishwasher or sink cabinet

• Use NTAG213 or higher (NTAG215/216 for larger data)
• Avoid metal surfaces (blocks NFC signal)
• Test scan distance (kids may need to touch phone directly to tag)

• Name pattern: "NFC: [Chore Name]"
• Group in folder: Create "NFC Automations" folder in HA
• Document Tag IDs: Keep list of which tag controls which chore

• Kids must have Home Assistant Companion App installed
• User accounts required (can't scan as guest)
• NFC tags can be scanned by anyone - place in kid-accessible but not public areas

• Services Reference - Full service action documentation
• Chore Configuration Guide - Setting up chores
• Configuration: Kids and Parents - User account linking
• Home Assistant NFC Documentation - https://www.home-assistant.io/integrations/tag/