Ultimate List of Age Appropriate Chores for Kids
Need some ideas for age appropriate chores? We’ve got fantastic ideas for kids chores listed by age. This will make coming up with a chore list for your daily household chores super easy.
As a parent, you probably know the value of instilling good values and work ethic in your children from a young age. There are tons of benefits of using a chore chart system. One way to get started is by giving them chores to help with household tasks.
However, it’s important to remember that not all chores are created equal and should be assigned based on the child’s age and skill level.
Age-appropriate chores not only help children feel like they’re contributing to the family unit, but they can also improve their self-esteem and teach valuable life skills.
In this article, we’ll break down the best age-appropriate chores for kids, dividing them into different age groups.
By the end of this article, you’ll have a better understanding of which tasks are suitable for your child’s age group as well as ways to make chores an enjoyable and educational experience for them. So let’s get started!
Make sure to grab some of our free printable chore charts and our family chore charts that make it super fun and motivating to complete the chores!
Table of Contents
Age Group 2-4 (Toddlers and Preschoolers)
At this age, toddlers and preschoolers are just starting to learn about their environment and how to help around the house.
It’s important to assign them simple tasks that they can easily understand and complete with minimal assistance.
Here are some age-appropriate chores for younger kids in this age group:
Picking up toys: Encourage your child to tidy up their toys after playing. This helps your child learn the importance of cleaning up after themselves and improves their organizational skills.
Putting dirty clothes in the laundry basket: Have your child collect their dirty clothes and put them in the laundry basket. This task improves their sense of responsibility and teaches them good hygiene habits.
Helping with basic food prep: Have your child help with basic food preparation, like washing vegetables or mixing ingredients. This can help develop their fine motor skills and basic understanding of cooking.
Wiping surfaces: Encourage your child to wipe surfaces clean with a damp cloth, like wiping down countertops or tables. This task helps with their motor skills and teaches them the importance of cleanliness.
Dusting and cleaning small garbage cans: Give your child a small cloth to wipe down surfaces and practice their dusting skills. Encourage them to clean small garbage cans around the house as well. This teaches them responsibility and works on their fine motor skills.
To make chores fun and engaging for this age group, consider incorporating games, songs or making a reward chart. Remember, at this age, children love to be praised for their accomplishments!
Age Group 5-7 (Early Elementary School Age)
As children reach the 5-7 age range, they are capable of taking on slightly more complex tasks.
They are eager to help and gain independence, making it the perfect time to introduce them to new chores that challenge and develop their skills.
Here are some age-appropriate chore ideas for 5, 6, and 7 year olds.
Folding clothes: Teach your child to fold clothes and put them away in drawers or closets. This helps improve their organizational skills and teaches them the importance of keeping their belongings tidy.
Setting the table: Have your child set the table for meals, including plates, cups, and utensils. This task helps develop their table setting skills and basic geometry by figuring out how many items are needed for each place setting.
Sweeping with a smaller broom or vacuum: Give your child a smaller broom or vacuum tailored to their size to help sweep up floors. This task improves their motor skills and helps them learn the importance of keeping floors clean.
Feeding pets or plants: Encourage your child to take care of pets or plants in the house. This task helps teach responsibility and the importance of caring for living things.
Packing their backpacks: Allow your child to pack their own backpack for school or other activities. This task helps teach independence and organization.
Making their bed: Teach your child how to make their own bed each morning. This task helps build good habits and the importance of having a neat and organized sleeping space.
Learning to wash dishes, folding laundry, and simple cooking tasks: Through assisting in household chores like washing dishes, folding laundry, and simple cooking tasks, your child will learn important life skills that will help shape them into responsible and self-sufficient individuals.
Remember, at this age, it’s important to make chores fun and engaging. Consider turning chores into a game or offering rewards to keep your child motivated.
Age Group 8-10 (Upper Elementary School)
At ages 8-10, children are even more capable of taking on heavier tasks and responsibilities.
They enjoy feeling like “big kids” and taking on new challenges in the home. Here are some age-appropriate chores for older kids in this group:
Vacuuming: Teach your child to use a vacuum to clean the carpet and floors. This task helps improve their motor skills and teaches them the importance of a clean home.
Cleaning bathrooms: Have your child help clean the bathroom, including sinks, toilets, and showers. This task helps improve their cleaning skills and teaches them the importance of personal hygiene.
Mowing the lawn and raking leaves: Teach your child how to safely operate a lawnmower or leaf blower. This task helps develop their sense of responsibility and teaches them the value of hard work and taking care of the home’s exterior.
More complex cooking and baking: As children grow, they can take on more complex cooking and baking tasks. Teach them recipes with multiple steps and more dangerous tools such as ovens and stovetops to help them gain confidence in the kitchen.
Grocery shopping with a list or managing pocket money: Involve your child in grocery shopping trips by creating a list and allowing them to help cross items off. Similarly, teaching children how to manage their own pocket money can help encourage responsibility and financial literacy.
Supervising younger siblings’ chores or organizing a family clean-up day: This teaches children leadership skills and helps foster a sense of teamwork when working together to keep the house clean.
As children enter this age range, it’s important to give them more independence in completing their chores. Encouraging them to take ownership of their tasks and showing them how to work towards a goal can influence positive habits into adulthood.
Age Group 10-12 (Early Adolescents)
As children become preteens, they are capable of handling even more complex and time-consuming chores.
They have developed a sense of responsibility and independence, making it a great time to teach crucial life skills. Here are some age-appropriate chores for this group:
Vacuuming and mopping the floor: Teach your child how to thoroughly vacuum and mop the floors to ensure a clean and tidy home.
Cleaning out the fridge: Have your child help clean the fridge, including removing expired items and wiping down shelves. This task helps teach organization and responsibility.
Ironing, gardening, baking, and cooking: Tasks such as ironing, gardening, baking, and cooking can help teach important life skills. From following recipes to understanding the importance of proper storage, children learn crucial skills that will come in handy later in life.
Planning and cooking a family meal or doing their own laundry: Encourage your child to plan and cook a family meal, which helps build independence and time management skills. Alternatively, teaching them how to do their own laundry can foster responsibility and self-sufficiency.
At this age, it’s important to give children more autonomous control over their chores. This allows them to demonstrate their capabilities and build confidence.
Encourage them to take on new challenges and help them see how their contributions help the household run smoothly.
Age Group 12+ (Teenagers)
As children enter their teen years, they are capable of handling even more complex and important tasks. They are approaching adulthood and are better able to understand and handle responsibilities. Here are some age-appropriate chores for this group:
Deep cleaning tasks: Teens can take on deep cleaning tasks like scrubbing floors, deep cleaning carpets, and cleaning out the garage.
Meal planning and grocery shopping: Encourage your teen to collaborate with you on weekly meal planning and grocery shopping trips. This task helps build culinary skills and promotes healthy eating habits.
Managing home details: Your teen can be responsible for managing certain household details, like coordinating doctor appointments, remembering birthdays or anniversaries, and organizing family schedules.
Yard work and landscaping: Teach your teen the importance of outdoor maintenance by having them take charge of the family’s yard work and landscaping tasks.
Minor home repairs: As your teen gains more skills and confidence, offer opportunities for them to handle minor home repairs, like replacing light bulbs or fixing leaky faucets.
At this age, children are capable of taking on more responsibility, but it’s important to remember that they are also dealing with the pressures of school, social life, and other activities.
Encourage your teen to take breaks and prioritize their commitments to avoid becoming overwhelmed.
By continuing to give your teen more responsibility and independence, they’ll gain valuable experience as they prepare to navigate post-high school life. Encourage communication and collaboration between family members in assigning chores and ensure that each person is involved in keeping the home running smoothly.
Incorporating age-appropriate chores into your child’s routine can have numerous benefits, including helping them to feel like a valuable part of the household, building a strong work ethic, and teaching important life skills.
It’s important to remember to tailor the tasks to your child’s age and skill level to ensure that they feel capable and are able to successfully complete the task.
To make chores a positive experience for your child, consider incorporating fun elements, like turning chores into a game or offering rewards for completing them.
It’s crucial to avoid chore burnout by ensuring that the amount and difficulty of chores stay within a satisfactory range for your child.
By introducing age-appropriate chores from a young age, your child can develop valuable skills and habits that will serve them well into adulthood. Remember, as your child grows, adjust and adapt their chores to help them continue to build responsibility, maturity and independence.
