Age Appropriate Chores for Kids

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Age appropriate chores for kids are so important – with or without a chore chart! Household chores can be done by everyone and these ideas will help you get a system in place. If you want to know how to get your kids to do chores, read on. And if you need a little review we’ll go over the benefits of kids doing chores too.

Why are chores good for kids?

For one thing, they help raise children that work hard and are not spoiled.

As Lythcott-Haims said: “By making them do chores — taking out the garbage, doing their own laundry — they realize I have to do the work of life in order to be part of life. It’s not just about me and what I need in this moment.

If kids aren’t doing the dishes, it means someone else is doing that for them, so they’re absolved of not only the work but of learning that work has to be done and that each one of us must contribute for the good of the whole.”

When everyone pitches in and does their part, they add their contributions to the family. It is a life skill that they will never lose (and you can teach it without using a hard-to-manage chore chart).

Kids Who Do Chores Grow Up To Be More Successful & Happier Adults

Do you want your kids to become successful, happy, and responsible adults? Give them chores. Science proves it’s the key!

In the longest-running study in history, the Harvard Grant study set out to determine: “DOES DOING A CHORE REALLY BENEFIT A CHILD?” The answer was yes. The study proves that kids benefit from chores.

This study started in 1938 and has continued this day.

A study that has spanned more than 80 years has to be taken seriously, right? The researchers of the study found that people need to have two things in their lives to be successful and happy as adults:

LOVE
GOOD WORK ETHIC

“And what’s the best way to develop work ethic in young people? Based on the experiences of the 724 high-achievers who were part of the study (including people like future-President Kennedy and Ben Bradlee, the Watergate-era editor of The Washington Post) there’s a consensus.

A “pitch-in” mindset

“[The study] found that professional success in life, which is what we want for our kids … comes from having done chores as a kid,” says Julie Lythcott-Haims, in her 2015 TED talk.

“The earlier you started, the better,” Lythcott-Haims continued. (You can see her whole TED talk here.) “[A] roll-up-your-sleeves- and-pitch-in mindset, a mindset that says, there’s some unpleasant work, someone’s got to do it, it might as well be me … that that’s what gets you ahead in the workplace.” -Bill Murphy Jr, Inc.com

The High-Achievers all had a “pitch-in” mindset

The best way to teach children to have a good work ethic is to teach them to do chores, and expect that they complete them well.

Another study, by the University of Minnesota research team, spent over twenty years studying the best predictor of adult success. They also found that it was based on chores.

More specifically, they found that if they had begun doing chores at an early age… as young as 3 or 4, they were the most successful. Those children had learned about work ethic at a young age.

Remember… It’s never too late to start.

Children need responsibility and these age appropriate chores for kids are great for teaching responsibility & hard work.

Why Do Kids Need To Help Out by Doing a Chore (or Several)?

They help kids feel needed.
They give them a feeling of importance.
They help children learn responsibility.
They teach independence.
They create a work ethic in our children that will help build that character that we want them to have.
Helps to cut back on entitlement.
Family chores help kids learn to work together.
Children learn to help out the family, leaving more time to PLAY as a family. If your children learn to help now, you will have children that will be able to work later, allowing them the ability to work hard and keep a job or work hard to keep their marriage strong.

As hard as it is, do not do everything for your children! Let them do what they can. Remember the quote: fish for me & feed me for a day…. teach me to fish & feed me for a lifetime.

Children need to be taught how to do the chore first.

Before I begin with our list of age appropriate chores for children, you need to know that your children were not born knowing how to do these tasks. You must walk them through it, teach them how you want it done.

Young children will be watching you in order to learn how to do the tasks correctly, but your older children may attempt it on their own.

I always suggest walking them through the household tasks before expecting them to do it well on their own. Do this with each chore until you have gone through them all (just do one or two a day).

Do I need a Chore Chart?

I gave up on chore charts a long time ago. Why? It’s because I found chore charts for kids were more work than they were helpful. I had tried chore apps that let kids earn points, we tried a chore pad, we tried assigning chores by days of the week, etc…

When we were using a chore chart, I felt like I was constantly trying to keep rotating them, etc. I had tried finding great ideas on blog posts and in books, but nothing seemed to be what I was looking for.

Finally, one day I tossed our chore chart, chore chart templates, chore chart printable, and chore chart ideas out the window in favor of something better.

How to Get Kids to do Age Appropriate Chores

After getting frustrated with chore charts, I made these chore cards instead and I’ll never go back to another chore chart again. The Chore Cards that we made were my best idea to date (I hope that doesn’t sound braggy… it’ just works so well!) and I’ve NEVER looked back.

How do the chore cards work better than a chore chart?

Our kids do a chore (or several) in exchange for screen time (and even if you don’t use the screen time part, the chore cards alone are a life-changer). The job listed on the card are household tasks or outdoor tasks that need to be done.

NOTE: In our house, if they do not want screen time, they still need to help out. They can use their screen time minutes for something else (whatever you decide).

Swap Chore for Screen Time Cards

How do the chore cards work in place of a chore chart?

The cards are cut up and placed in a basket or jar.

The basket or jar is then placed somewhere so the kids can easily reach it (we keep ours in the pantry). When it is time to help out, they grab the basket themselves & bring it to the table. They close their eyes, reach in and pick from the basket. It is such a simple way to give out kids chores & to maintain a routine.

Chores by Age

The chore cards are split into different kid chores by age

The 3 and 4-year-old will pick out one chore.
A 5-6-year-old will pick out two cards.
A 7-8-year-old would pick out two to three cards.
Ages 9 & above get three cards from the basket & a few more difficult ones.

Kids Chore Examples:

Clean the shutters behind the kitchen table (their food gets on these from their sticky hands). 🙂
Clean out everything UNDER your bed.
Take sheets off of the bed (for younger kids) weekly.
Take sheets off and replace with clean sheets (older kids) weekly.
Do your laundry (older kids).
Take your dirty clothes to the laundry room (younger kids).
Wipe bathroom sink and vanity in the main bathroom & their bathroom.
Clear & clean the table after dinner.
Sweep hallway upstairs with broom & dustpan.
Put away ALL shoes in the garage by the door (we have 3 spots for shoes – they each have their own baskets at these places, so its easy to do & takes a second to put them away).
Clean the outside of the toilet (bottom too) in those same bathrooms.
Sweep the kitchen floors.
Sweep the hallway upstairs.
Clean out the van (bring in all garbage, coats, shoes…) – I do this same chore on 3 cards, so they could even both get them & do it together. It’s a big job.
Empty all garbage in the bathrooms and their bedroom into one big garbage bag (getting garbage from all cans).
Bring the garbage can up from the street after the garbage truck comes (it might be heavy to take it down while it is filled, but even our four-year-old can bring it up for us when it is empty… and we have a steep driveway).
Clean the steps with a broom and then a damp rag (wooden steps). If you have carpet- have them use a damp sponge to get the dirt or pet hair if you have a pet. Have them use a small vacuum if you have one (the tiny kind for steps & small areas).
Pick up everything on pantry floor to keep the pantry organized. (Some of our organized art supplies are in there, so coloring books and crayons end up on the floors if we don’t stay on top of cleaning it.)
Sweep the front porch.
Sweep the back porch.
Dust furniture in the room that mom or dad pick (they use a sock on their hands).
Pick up toys (even if you didn’t make the mess).
Organize the mudroom bench (see make a mudroom bench to see how we made it) – they hang up coats, put shoes in the right baskets, hang up their backpacks under the correct name, etc.

Age Appropriate Chores for Young Children

Younger kids tasks are a little difficult, due to a lack of development in certain skills. However, they can still help out around the house. Here is some information that may help:

Chores for a 3 Year Old

When our 3-year old would pull out a chore card, I would make up one since he couldn’t read it. I would say something like “Please pick up the blankets and pillows that are on the floor, and put them away.” or “Can you put the ice cream away after I scoop it for dessert?” Something easy and safe that he can do without help.

Remember, children like being feeling like they are contributing to the family. They like to feel like they have helped to keep everything going. They also learn quickly that if they help out, everyone has more time to play and relax together.

Age Appropriate Chores for Tween & Teens

I have our older sons pick several chore cards, as they are much older. You can also keep a basket for their chore cards, separate from the younger children.

I often hear the question: Do you have a chore list that 12-Year-old can follow? Do you have a chore list for what a 13-year-old be doing? What tasks and jobs should a 14-year-old be doing?

My Answer: Pretty much any chore, as long as they are responsible enough to do it safely. At this age, a child can handle doing the more difficult tasks and they deserve the confidence from you to try. Be sure to give them rules and show them exactly how to do it.

Examples of age appropriate chores include:

Cleaning the garage.
Being assigned a bathroom to take care of.
Clean & detail vehicles inside & out.
Mowing the lawn (to be honest, our sons love to cut the grass).
Clean glass items that may be too fragile for younger children.
Take the dog on a walk.
Scrubbing windows or floors.
Washing the car.
Yardwork.
Ironing Clothes
Cooking breakfast, making lunch, helping with dinner.
Setting the table without being reminded.
Help a younger sibling with something.
Babysitting a younger sibling.
Changing their sheets.
Washing (or at least folding) laundry.
Do something to help you while they are learning the important skills to become an adult. (Example: making the grocery list for the week in order to learn to budget & plan.)

Printable Chore Chart by Age

I know, I know – I just finished telling you I don’t do chore charts. But they can be helpful to give you ideas! And age grouping for chore ideas lets your child succeed at their specific task because it is based on their development. You’re welcome to use this chore list for kids (free printable) as a jumping off point to find good chores for kids.

This chore chart by age lets you see some examples of the chore or jobs that your children are capable of, with a little practice and a demonstration by you.

You are welcome to print this Chore Chart template for kids. Just click here to send me your information & I will e-mail you the free chore chart pdf.

Does a daily responsibility count as a chore for kids?

In our house, our kids have daily responsibilities that are not “a chore”.

Examples of responsibilities include:

Make bed.
Clean up after eating.
Put dirty clothes in the hamper.
Put clean clothes away.
Unload the dishwasher as a team.
Get dressed and brush your teeth without being asked.
Keep your shoes in the shoe basket.

Then, they have extra chores that they can pick from the basket to earn screen time.

How often should kids do a chore?

In our house, the kids’ responsibilities occur daily. However, if our kids want screen time, they will also have to find the time to do the task on the card to earn the screen time minutes. This usually means that our kids are doing extra tasks to earn screen time daily (even if they save time for the weekend).

You can pick how often they do their chore(s): daily chore cards or weekends only? Maybe you choose for your children to or maybe they get more in the summer when they are out of school, etc. You need to do whatever fits with you, your schedule & what you want for your family.

Remember, as I stated above, “make your bed”, “clean your room” and “empty the dishwasher” are not considered a “CHORE” in our house. They are daily responsibilities. They are not on the chore list, because they are habits. We do them daily & they just help to keep the house running smoothly.

I hope that helped you to create some chore ideas for your kids. 🙂 I would LOVE to hear what jobs you have your children helping within your home! I am always revisiting our cards and editing them to their ages.

And don’t forget to get the chore cards! I promise they are a game changer!