• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Self-Sufficient Kids

Self-Sufficient Kids

  • Raising Self-Sufficient Kids
  • Life Skills for Kids
  • Explore
    • Toddlers and Preschoolers
    • School-Aged Children
    • Teenagers
    • Kids Chores
    • Kids and Money
    • Encouraging Self-Sufficiency in Kids
    • Kids Routines
    • Communicating with Children
    • Kids Emotions
    • Growth Mindset
    • Kids Activities and Play
    • Gifts for Kids
  • Shop
  • Course
  • Membership
  • About
FacebookTweetPin

Age-Appropriate Chores for Kids – Lists by Developmental Stage

by Kerry Flatley, Certified Parent Educator

Are you raising a self-sufficient kid? Click here to take my 2-minute quiz and find out.

Do you do too much for your kids? Click here to take my 2-minute quiz and find out.

chores for kids age-appropriate

Wondering which chores for kids are age-appropriate? This list of age-appropriate chores for kids can help.

age-appropriate chores for children list

Research suggests giving kids chores helps them in multiple areas of life: academically, socially, emotionally, and eventually in their future career.

Chores also encourage a team mindset in kids as they help their family, they build a strong work ethic, and instill a sense of responsibility. Knowing how to do basic household cleaning also benefits kids when they leave the nest and enter adulthood.

Knowing how to start giving chores to kids can be half the challenge. (Click here for detailed advice on how best to get started) As well as trying to determine which tasks children are developmentally ready to do.

No parent wants to discourage their child by giving them a chore that’s beyond their capabilities. 

The following is a list of chores for kids by age. Any task listed in a younger age group is appropriate for older kids too. 

In addition to helping you determine which household tasks your child is capable of doing, this list will also hopefully provide ideas for what your child could be doing now. 

Interested in getting your kids started on chores? My four-lesson course will teach you how to get started, avoid nagging & power struggles, and keep your kids motivated. Click here or the image below to learn more.

Get your kids successfully started on chores

Chores for 1-3 year olds

At ages one to three, young toddlers may seem too immature to be helping out around the home. And assigning housework at this age may be too much for young children to handle. But toddlerhood is the ideal time to begin instilling a “helper” mindset in kids.

Toddlers are curious, eager to try new things, and willing to help. Take advantage of this stage by allowing your toddler to help alongside you. For example, they could fold laundry, wash windows or put their dirty clothes in a hamper.

None of these tasks will be done well, but that’s not really the point. What’s more important is encouraging your child to see himself or herself as a helper. (Click here for detailed advice on how to get started with toddler chores)

Chores can also be made into a game at this age. Place age-appropriate chore cards in a bowl and let your toddler pick one out every day. It can be fun to see which chore they choose and toddlers will feel good about themselves taking on a small responsibility each day.

The following is a list of chores toddlers can begin doing on their own:

For ages 1-2:

  • Put toys away
  • Put dirty clothes in hamper
  • Help clean up own messes: spilled milk, water, etc.

For ages 2-3:

  • All previous
  • Pick up toys
  • Help set table
  • Dust
  • Help clean up spills
  • Dress themselves
  • Take dishes to the sink after meals
  • Guided help putting away laundry
  • Outside tasks: rake leaves, help plant plants, weed, etc.

Chores for 4-5 year olds

As kids become preschoolers, their motor skills mature and they’re more capable of demonstrating greater responsibility. 

Younger kids are also able to begin to do assigned or daily housework. Although making a game out of cleaning up with these chore cards can still add an element of fun. 

If you haven’t begun chores with your children until now (and click here for advice on how to get started), the good news is that most preschoolers are still eager to help and will likely want to contribute to family cleaning. 

For ages 4-5:

  • All previous
  • Make bed
  • Help clean bedroom
  • Get own drinks
  • Put dirty dishes in the dishwasher
  • Help with meal prep
  • Water plants
  • Bring mail into the house
  • Feed pets and give them water
  • Help put away groceries
  • Help load the dryer
  • Help match socks

Chores for 6-9 year olds

By the time kids enter elementary school, they’re capable of taking on much more responsibility and can begin to do tasks that parents previously did for them. 

At this age, it’s fairly easy to incorporate a few daily age-appropriate chores into children’s routines. But having a visual reminder like a chore chart or chore cards can help both kids and parents remember what needs to be done each day. 

This housework doesn’t need to take long, and truthfully, remembering to do it is half the battle. But these small acts of responsibility add up – supporting kids’ sense of themselves as helpers and squelching any growing sense of entitlement. 

For ages 6-7:

  • All previous
  • Light cleaning of bathroom
  • Sweep floors
  • Put together lunch for school
  • Vacuum small areas
  • Help load the washer with clothes

For ages 8-9:

  • All previous
  • Wash dishes
  • Bring trash to curb on trash day
  • Fold laundry and put it away in room

Chores for 10-12 year olds

By the time they’re tweens, kids can begin to take on slightly more challenging housework and operate machinery that’s simply too dangerous for young children.

Kids at this age are also able to learn life skills such as doing their own laundry from start to finish and making easy meals for their family. Keep in mind that as children enter their teen years, life gets busy so finding the time to teach life skills such as these can be more challenging. It’s best to begin now while kids’ schedules are not jam-packed with academics, sports, and other activities. 

Even though they’re older, don’t expect your tween to always remember to do their chores – especially if there are far more interesting activities to do. Having a visual reminder, like a chore chart in the kitchen, can help everyone stay on top of who is responsible for which tasks each day. 

For ages 10-12:

  • All previous
  • Mow the yard
  • Wash, dry and put away laundry
  • Make easy meals for family
  • Mop floors
  • Clean toilets
  • Wash windows
  • Take out the garbage

Chores for 13+ year olds

By the time they reach the teen years, kids are almost entirely capable of taking on any chore their parents can do. 

Of course, keep in mind that housework that seems easy to us, may not be so straight-forward for teens. They’ll often need direction and coaching when beginning responsibilities so they’re able to do them well. 

Many teens have phones that can help remind them of what they need to do when. But if that’s not enough, or if your teen doesn’t have a phone, a visual reminder like a chore chart can help. 

  • All previous
  • Iron clothes
  • Vacuum entire house
  • Unload dishwasher
  • Mow the lawn

Sign up for my email list and I’ll send you a copy of my Age-Appropriate Guide to Children’s Chores. It includes all the chores listed in this post by age. Click on the image below to sign up and receive your free PDF copy of this list. 

age-appropriate chores for children

See related:

How to Get Started on Kids Chores – and Keep Them Motivated

How to Motivate Kids to Do Chores – Without Paying Them

13 of the Best Chore Charts for Kids

About Kerry Flatley

Hi! I’m Kerry, the mother of two girls and a certified parent educator. I believe it is possible for parents to have a supportive, loving, and warm relationship with their kids while still raising them to be independent and ultimately self-sufficient. Over the years, I’ve read numerous books and articles that support this belief and I’ve put those ideas into practice with my own kids. Read more about me and Self-Sufficient Kids here.

Posted Under: Kids Chores Tags: basic life skills for children, life skills to teach kids, raising independent child, teach responsibility

Sidebar

Join us!

Sign up to receive one parenting tip each week on how to raise self-sufficient kids.

Looking for something?

See my Disclosure Policy

See my Privacy Policy
 

Get your kids successfully started on chores course

Follow Self-Sufficient Kids:

Recent Posts

family eating breakfast during their morning routine
mother and kids laughing as infant son kisses mother on cheek
an independent child buttering toast on his own
square image of a child writing a letter to his grandmother
mother watching on as boy cooks on stove
boy accepting salad from mother while learning table manners

Copyright 2021 Self-Sufficient Kids LLC · All Rights Reserved · Powered by Mai Theme

See Self-Sufficient Kids privacy policy here.