“I like hugs and I like kisses, But what I really love is help with the dishes!”
Author Unknown
While I think most of us moms will always prefer hugs and kisses from our kids over help around the house, there’s still a bit of truth behind this little ditty.
But the benefits of having a list of chores for kids goes far beyond extra help with your to-do list.
Research shows children who do chores have higher self-esteem, are more responsible, do better in school, and are better able to deal with frustration. (The Center for Parenting Education)
So, obviously having chores is a good idea. But where does a parent start? What chores should be assigned at what age? What are reasonable expectations for your child?
If you need age-appropriate chores ideas, you’re in the right place. Here’s a complete list of chores for kids broken down by age.
Age-appropriate list of chores for kids…
Two-Three Years Old
Even the youngest members of your family can help with simple household tasks. One of the great benefits of starting them off at this age is they’re usually eager to complete just about any task!
Little kids love to help. They find joy in “acting big” and jobs that seem menial to an older child will delight a younger kiddo.
Plus, by starting early, you’re developing habits and laying down expectations that you can build on as they grow.
So, here’s a few chore ideas for the littles in your home.
Make the bed.
It’s important to keep in mind many of the tasks you give small children won’t be done perfectly. A bed made by a two-year-old won’t look like one made by an adult.
But if you want to reap the benefits from this list of chores for kids, you’ll have to be willing to let go of any perfectionist tendencies on your end.
Expect their best. But keep your expectations realistic.
Water plants.
Invest in a kid friendly watering can. (Here’s a good one.) And consider only assigning your child to the hardiest plants in the house. Just in case the amount of water isn’t always consistent!
Sort toys.
Store your child’s toys in easy to organize bins. Then give your child the responsibility for putting them away each day
I found it helpful when my own kids were young to have one pick up time before afternoon naps and another before bedtime. Doing it twice a day keeps the house tidier and makes the job seem more manageable.
Sweep small areas.
A normal size broom is way too difficult for a toddler to maneuver. But a hand-held broom like this is much easier for them to use.
Assign your kiddo a small area to sweep once a day. My girls used their little broom to sweep all the crumbs up from under the table each evening.
Put dirty clothes in the hamper.
Teaching your children from a young age to deposit their dirty clothes in the hamper will be something you’ll appreciate for years to come! Whether it’s a hamper in their bedroom or basket in the laundry room, toddlers are more than capable of being responsible for their own dirty laundry.
Help bring in groceries.
We’ve lived in two different houses with steps up from the garage to the kitchen. Having extra hands to bring in the mountain of never-ending groceries is always helpful! And this is another task you’ll be glad you trained at a young age-you’ll see the benefits of this one for years to come as well.
(Pro tip-save the bags with eggs or bananas for an older child or mom and dad!)
Need help with chore training? Read “The Benefits of Household Chores“ for practical tips and inspiration to get started!
Four-Five Year Olds
Preschool age kids are in the sweet spot for helping out around the house. They still love to be involved and are getting old enough to take on a little more responsibility.
So, make sure to give them challenging, but manageable tasks. And enjoy the great attitudes they have about completing it all!
Choose between two outfits for the day.
Kids at this age probably aren’t quite ready to put together an entire outfit-at least not one that’s presentable outside your house! So, unless you’re okay with them going to church in a princess costume or to school in mismatched tops and bottoms, you’ll need to set limits here.
Lay out two or three outfits and let them choose what to wear. They’ll enjoy the independence and you’ll make sure they’re still appropriately dressed.
Empty trashcans.
Trash piles up quickly with kids around! While your preschooler may not be able to empty big trashcans by themselves, small waste cans are the perfect size. Show your child how to take out one bag, where to put the dirty trash (ours goes by the garage door for me to take out later), and how to replace with a fresh bag.
Put away laundry.
Every family has their own laundry system. So, this tip may not work for you. But if it does, it can save you a whole lot of time and steps.
We usually fold our laundry on one of the lower levels of the house. (Since it rarely gets completed in one day, this keeps the piles out of our main living areas.)
While hiding the piles of laundry is a bonus, carrying all those clean and folded clothes to upstairs bedrooms is not! That’s where the kids come in.
Train them on how to carefully carry piles of clothes to their rooms. They may not quite be ready to put them away by themselves yet, but just getting them to the right place is still super helpful.
Clear their plate from the table.
The end of the day can be hectic. But it’s less so if everyone pitches in to lend a hand. Teach your kids to take care of their own dirty dishes-rinsing them off in the sink and placing them in the dishwasher. If they can’t reach the sink yet, show them how to pull over a chair to stand on.
Unload the dishwasher.
Yes, preschoolers can unload a dishwasher! And many of them love doing it! Start off slow-teach them how to only remove and put away unbreakable items.
As they become more capable, show them how to carefully place breakable items on the counter for you to put away later. And as they become more independent, graduate them to putting those breakable items away themselves. Teach them how to safely stand on a chair or counter to reach the high spots. They’ll be so proud of their accomplishment!
Wipe off the table after meals/snacks.
One of our kids has the job of wiping off the table every evening. It’s one of the quicker tasks on this list of chores for kids, but it’s still one less job for mom and dad.
Switch out clean hand towels.
Even a young preschooler can tackle this one-show them how to remove a dirty hand towel in the bathroom or kitchen, put it in the hamper, and replace it with a clean one.
Help put away groceries.
This one might take a little training. But having extra hands to put cans in the pantry or yogurts in the fridge definitely makes shopping trips a little easier.
Six-Eight Year Olds
Clean sinks.
If you want to start simple, cleaning sinks is a pretty easy job. Especially is you use these cloths which require no extra chemicals or cleaning agents.
Wipe down baseboards.
Here’s another easy one. Simply explain what a baseboard is, show your child how to wipe it clean, and send them on their way!
Sweep larger areas.
Your child should now be able to maneuver a larger broom. Assign them to sweep the kitchen floor, entryway, or bathrooms on a regular basis.
Remove bed sheets for washing.
Washing and replacing bedding is one of my least favorite tasks. It always seems to take forever! So, having my kids remove their dirty sheets and blankets and take them to the laundry room is a huge help.
Fold laundry.
Teaching a young child how to fold laundry takes time and patience. It also requires mom or dad to let go of any desire to have perfectly folded towels and t-shirts. But if you can move past these hurdles, having your kids help with this chore is a HUGE time saver.
Start out by having them just fold their own laundry. Then, have them move on to help out with other items when you feel they’re ready.
Spend some time showing them how to properly fold different pieces of clothing. Again, expect a job well done, but don’t insist on perfection. The time you invest will pay off in basketfuls!
Vacuum.
This is often a favorite on this list of chores for kids. Something about running a vacuum is wildly fun for young children. It’s another task that will take some time to teach. But it’s also another one that pays off in a big way.
Because (just like laundry), with young kids around, there’s always vacuuming to be done!
Dust.
Dusting is a fairly easy task for kids. They simply need to be shown what needs to be dusted, how to properly dust, and how to carefully move and replace items during the process.
It’s especially helpful to use clothes like this which don’t require the use of harmful chemicals.
Wash dishes.
I’ve got to admit…I was nervous about this one. Glass dishes, a sink full of soap, a water sprayer, and a young child-I mean what could go wrong?!?!
But sometimes I need to be reminded too-kids are capable of far more than we often think. And that includes washing dirty dishes.
When shown the correct process, your school-age child can absolutely accomplish this task.
Scrub the shower.
Scrubbing shower tile can seem surprisingly fun for a young kiddo. Give them a soft scrub brush, a bucket of soapy water, and watch them go to town!
I was amazed at the amount of soap scum my youngest daughter removed from our shower the first time I assigned her this job. And then my oldest begged to have a turn because it looked like so much fun!
Nine-Ten Year Olds
As your child grows increasingly independent and self-sufficient, so should their chores. While chore assignments might now also need to include a little attitude training, the time invested in both will be worth it.
Your child will be developing a solid work ethic and you’ll get more help around the house than ever!
Clean windows.
Getting a streak-free window shine can be tricky, so that’s why I left this chore for older kiddos. I recommend this cloth for a chemical free and safe approach.
Mop the floor.
We don’t use mops at our house. I’ve always found them cumbersome and less than effective. Any floor scrubbing has always been done by hand. (Except our wood floors-those get a good dust mopping.)
So, give your older child a bucket and thick rag and have them take a turn on all fours for a while. Your knees will definitely thank you!
Clean toilets.
For reasons I still can’t figure out, my kids begged to clean toilets from an early age. Because of the germ potential, I always did this task myself.
But this is one job I was all too happy to turn over to them as soon as I thought they were old enough!
Clean out the fridge.
I try my best to keep our fridge free of old or spoiled food. We utilize left-overs often and only buy what I’m confident we’ll eat, so food rarely goes bad.
Also, after each trip to the grocery store, I throw out anything that’s old before I put the new stuff away.
Despite all that, a few things still slip through the cracks. And trays and shelves somehow always manage to get dirty.
Having your older child clean out the fridge every few months is a helpful task. Teach them how to remove one shelf of items at a time, check expiration dates, clean the shelf and replace the items.
Organize the pantry.
If you have any Type A kiddos, this is the perfect job for them! And if you don’t, this might be a great opportunity to teach some organization skills.
Give as much or as little freedom with this task as you’re comfortable with. And then enjoy the benefits of being able to find that spice jar when you actually need it!
Wash/dry laundry.
If your child already knows how to sort laundry, learning how to wash/dry clothes will be a snap. Have them wash their own clothes or help out with everybody’s-do what fits for your family.
Sweep out the garage.
This task usually falls to my husband because the garage is his domain. But if it’s something your other half is willing to hand over to your kids, add it to your list of chores for kids. They’re more than capable of making quick work of a dirty garage floor.
Beat rugs.
This is another job that requires the strength and mobility of an older child. But it might become a favorite for some of your kids-especially if you have active boys!
Vacuum the car.
Everybody uses the car…and everybody probably contributes to getting it dirty. So, it only makes sense that everyone should pitch in to help keep it clean.
Show your child how to use the vacuum without damaging your car. And make sure the car is safely parked and secure.
Then everyone can enjoy riding around in a fresh and clean vehicle!
How a list of chores for kids is a win-win all around…
Having kids how help around the house is a tremendous blessing to parents. Your household will run more efficiently and your home will be neater. Plus, you’re building a stronger family unit by promoting team work and collaboration.
But chore training brings a host of other benefits too. It increases children’s self-confidence, instills a good work ethic, and provides numerous opportunities to practice positive attitudes.
And that’s only the beginning! Chores and all the lessons they bring help prepare your kids for success as adults-in their own homes and their future careers.
So, put this list of chores for kids to work-literally!
Pick and choose the options that fit your family best. And if you need help putting all these ideas into an actual chore plan, here’s a great resource.
It may take some time to work out the kinks. Be patient with yourself and your children.
But stick with it and find a rhythm that works for everyone. As you start to see all the positive benefits that comes from a simple list of chores for kids, you’ll be glad you did.
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