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Age Appropriate chores for young children

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Age appropriate chores for children are so important!  They help us to raise children that work hard and are not spoiled.

Chores by age

Children need chores. Age appropriate chores are important for kids!
They make them feel needed and helpful. They teach responsibility. They are important. 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. (unknown source) How true with our children!

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Before I begin with our list, you need to know that your children were not born knowing how to do these chores. You must walk them through it, teach them how you want it done. Do this with each chore until you have gone through them all (just do one or two a day).

Our chores are listed on index cards (you can print them here) & placed in a basket. 

The basket is in a place that they can reach it (we keep our in our pantry). When it is “time to do your chores”, they grab the basket themselves & bring it to the table. They close their eyes, reach in and pick from this basket…

How Many Chores Should Kids Have? 

  • The 3 and 4-year-old will pick out one chore.
  • A 5-6-year-old will pick out two chores.
  • A 7-8-year-old would pick out two-three chores.
  • Ages 9 & above get 3 chores from the basket & some few more difficult ones (Clean garage, detail vehicles inside & out)

    You can pick how often they do chores: daily chores, or weekends only, 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.

CHORE IDEAS:

NOTE: Remember, “make your bed” & “clean your room” & “empty the dishwasher” are not considered “CHORES” in our house.  They are daily responsibilities.  They are not on this list, because they are habits.  We do them daily & they just help to keep the house running smoothly.

Here are some examples: 

  • Clean the shutters behind the kitchen table (their food gets on these from their sticky hands!) 🙂
  • Clean out everything UNDER your bed.
  • 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.
  • “I love you- pick another chore, please!” (this is on 2 cards, just for a reminder)
  • 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 floors (our art supplies are in there, so coloring books and crayons end up on the floors a lot)
  • 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!) on the living room floor
  • 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…I made this chart for you.

** Keep reading for younger kids chores…

For a 3-year-old…   Our 3 year old would usually pull out a chore card, but I would make up one since he couldn’t read it.  I would say something like “go pick up the blankets and put them away.”  Or “Pick up the pillows on the floor”.  Something easy and safe that he can do without help.

Remember, children like being a part of what helps to keep everything going and they see that when they help us do chores, we all have more time to play together.

We also have “daily responsibilities”.
These are done on a daily basis. These include: Make bed, clean up room, clean up after every meal- just your stuff (plates, napkins, cups) , put clothes away (I put them into their own baskets & they are waiting for them by their dressers), unload the dishwasher with me, get dressed before you go downstairs in the morning on school days, brush teeth & use mouthwash.  These are not chores- they are done ON TOP of their “picked” chores.

I hope that helped you to create some age Appropriate chores for kids. 🙂  I would LOVE to hear what chores you have your children help with in your home! I am always revisiting our chores and editing them to their ages.

 

More posts you might like:

If you are debating chores because it is as much work to get your kids to help you as it is to just do it yourself, I want to encourage you to read this post – STOP doing that for your kids. 

Here is the reward system that we use with our kids- it works wonders! 

Here is the way that we teach our kids to clean their rooms… without reminding them!

 

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Comments

  3. This is great! My kids are 3 and 5, I am such a slacker when it comes to daily chore for them, although I do make them make their beds, clear the table, and pick up toys. I love the chore in a basket method, thanks for sharing!

    Bugs and Beans

    Reply

  4. Great idea! I like this better than a chart! My girls are awesome at folding clothes! I have also taught my four oldest kids to wash dishes. Sweeping the driveway is another one the kids help with.
    I can’t wait to try this method instead of a chart!
    Thanks for the idea:)

    Reply

  5. Great article thanks! I am changing up chores and the way we do things for my son now that he is not in Kindergarten anymore. Now what about allowances? Do you give those and how much?

    Reply

  6. Great tips! My boys (4 & 6) have chores:
    Feed dog twice a day – water too!
    Recycling weekly
    Laundry ( my 6 year old does this – brings the basket to the laundry room, puts in washer, adds soap, turns it on (with my help), switches it over to dryer, brings basket back up, helps fold and puts it away for him and his brother.
    They also put groceries away, clear the table, sweep the floors, dust, and water the plants. I think I will a few more after reading this!

    Reply

  7. My two year old daughter takes her dishes (she has plastic plates, cups, bowls ect) and puts them away in her own drawer. She also washes her table after meals and helps sweep, wipe counters/ cupboards ect. She loves to clean! If she spills she says “wash” and grabs a washcloth or paper towel and cleans it up 🙂

    Reply

  8. I have a 15mo and a 2.5yo. Plus my brother-in-law lives in our house. He’s 16yo with a learning disorder so on some things he’s about 6yo and others he is 16yo. When did you start giving you baby chores?

    Reply

    • The 16yo helps with laundry & unloads the dishwasher. The 2.5yo puts his dishes in the sink and helps me put the soap (finish powerball or gel pack) in the dishwasher. He also helps me when I switch the laundry by pushing the wet clothes into the dryer or bringing me dirty clothes from the basket. What are some age appropriate chores I could give the baby to get him involved in helping?

      Reply

  9. I love this! I have tried to do chores a few different ways before, including the framed chart with a dry erase maker. It ended up becoming just another coloring board for the kids! I love that they feel some atoning by being able to pick their own chores and so I laughed when you said you make up the chore for your 3yo! I have one who is 3 and duh!… She can’t read lol I will def be trying this method! Thanks.
    Do you mind if I share this on my blog? ( linked to this article)

    Reply

  10. This is a great idea! Honestly, I have a hard time keeping up with a chore chart for my kids. This will be a very happy medium!

    Reply

  11. I love this idea. Right now I have our chores listed on a poster board and they choose the easiest one and do it over and over… This would help get some of the other chores done too! I offer 25 cents a completed chore. If the chore wasn’t completed correctly and they have to go back and re-do it, they only get 10 cents. And if I have to make them go back a 3rd time, then they just did the chore for free! I also charge 25 cents for lying (because they just wasted my valuable time) so they have to work hard save up money! lol
    I have folding and putting away a basket of towels listed as a money making chore for my 7 yr old. And both my kiddos (4 and 7) wipe down the kitchen cabinets (the ones they can reach are the dirtiest ones!!). They also wipe down base boards and wood furniture with an old rag that I spray with pledge 🙂 They are quite helpful when guests are coming and I have a ton of catch up cleaning to do!!

    Reply

  12. Cute…. and very helpful(i ended up here from another post but happen to read some of the comments and I have a suggestion (I did this when my kids were tiny (they are now almost 13 & almost 11)I did have chores for them but since the found read I would include a picture/clipart of the chore I wanted done (it worked….. mostly) it helped them to see it (it was written as well, for when they learned to read)
    Just my 2cents.

    AWESOME ideas…… been reading quite a few thanks

    Reply

  13. I think this is great, but apart from asking my children to take their plates to the sink after dinner they do very little in the way of chores, practically nothing. I would love to introduce this, but am a little scared if I’m honest at dealing with the reactions. My son is 9 and has adhd, my daughter is 7 and I have a 2 year old girl.

    Reply

    • i would do it… someone told me once to think about them when they are adults: doing chores now is teaching them to work hard at their jobs, keep their OWN house clean, etc… 🙂 you can do it!

      Reply

  16. These are great ideas to get the little ones involved in chores!

    Thank you for stopping by the Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop this week. We hope to see you drop by our neck of the woods next week!

    Reply

  17. When my daughter was young she was reponsible for making her own bed. Being only three or four years old, she could not do it very neatly. I would walk by her room and straighten it out. One day she told me ” you know Mom, when you fix my bed it makes me feel like I’m not doing a good job.” she was doing her best and I was telling her that wasn’t good enough. I never fixed her bed again.

    Reply

  18. I have all our chores drawn as well–written on Popsicle sticks and some of them have a circled T on them (like folding laundry) if someone draws one of these sticks, they also draw a green stick that has a number between 10 and 30 on it (in increments of five). All the sticks are placed in a large soup can that has a smaller can glued inside it. Finished chores go in the little can so they don’t get drawn again. It makes chores a game (thank you, Ms Poppins) even for me!

    Reply

  19. Hi Becky, I have a very strong-willed 2.5 year old boy (oldest of two) who is definitely ready and capable enough to start chores. How do I even get him to start? Sometimes he cleans up willingly. Many times he just flat out says no or ignores me.if I don’t do it it’ll just sit around. I don’t know how to transition him into doing chores consistently without any fuss… To just make it “something you do”

    Reply

    • Just ask him- tell him “grab your plate” every time that he finishes eating. It just becomes a habit. Our daughter turned two in August and she just follows her brothers- it isn’t even like she knew that she had a choice- she just cleans up because it is ‘what we do’, so to say. I would just make it as common as using a fork. 🙂

      Reply

  21. my son is 2 1/2. He helps feed his fish, pick up laundry and put it in the hamper, helps put the wash in and out of the washer (front loader) he picks up his toys, he ‘sweeps’ up with a hand broom, he puts dishes in the sink, heck, he will even carry mommy and daddy’s to the sink if we don’t get on it when he thinks we should, had to curb him from taking plates with food still in it! He throws out garbage when asked, picks up his bathroom toys. Some of these things he just naturally wanted to do, and we encouraged him and help him, they toys we make a game out of it. Lots of cheering. Now if potty training would just go smoother…

    Reply

  22. Question. What did you do when they wouldn’t do their chores? And, during school days when do you have them do the chores, before or after school?

    Reply

    • They didn’t get ANY privileges. No snacks in between meals, no electronics at all, no playing with friends, etc…

      On school days- they do the dishwasher as a group in the morning. They do the rest after dinner, all at the same time. 🙂

      Reply

  23. My 15 month helps put toys away, well we help her. She thinks shes oretty cleaver lol

    Reply

  24. I just found your site and I love it!

    How do your children help unload the dishwasher? Most of the things I put in our dishwasher are stored in the upper cabinets: cups, plates, and tupperware.

    Also, do you keep a stool near the sink so they can prerinse their dishes before putting them in the dishwasher?

    Reply

    • Oh! check out my series on 40 days to organization (I talk about how I have my kitchen organized). I keep their plates, bowls and cups in the lower cabinets. They do pre-rinse their bowls themselves. (They just open the cabinet door & stand on the bottom of it)

      Reply

  25. Dear Becky,

    I’d LOVE to be only a little bit as organized as you are!

    Please tell me: how do you structure your family days: WHEN do you let your kids do their chores?

    Lots Greetings from Switzerland,
    Tabea

    Reply

    • Our kids do their chores before & after school. Before school: Make beds, put clothes away.
      After school: Help with dinner/dishes/dishwasher, pick up toys.
      I save the big chores for Saturday & we just spend a few hours doing them as a family on the weekend. 🙂

      Reply

  26. What time do you have them pick out of the basket during the day. We are having trouble even finishing homework in time for bed let alone adding 2 chores. I really want to get them more involved but it just seems like there isn’t enough time. We haven’t even added activities yet. We have a 9, 7, and 3 year old. Thanks!!

    Reply

    • I usually have them do them right after homework. Sometimes (if we have sports) we don’t do them that day… just the normal “clean your room, make your bed, clean up after dinner” type of chores.

      Reply

  27. For the most part I agree with everything you have said. Until I came to the chart that went by age grouping. Now as as a previous child of parents who followed your ideology, I spent the majority of my childhood being free housecleaning with my two brothers. We had a nanny as my parents were military officer and wife and had a reputation to display that perfect home. As a child counselor and special ed elementary school teacher, I can assure you that the amount of work you have these children doing is tantamount to abuse of the child labor laws and the bottom line is while I approve of designated childhood chores, if adults want to bring in children into the world, it is their responsibility to realize the increase in laundry, dishes, room cleaning, the household chores need to be devised between all people living in the home, parents are required to do the ironing, lawn mowing, and specific intrinsic chores that are deemed dangerous to children under certain ages by state (you mention none of this) and the bottom line is with the increase in school homework and your lists of chores, where on the Paget growth chart does manual labor fall into normal childhood growth? I can appreciate teaching responsibility to children as they grow, I also appreciate well mannered children, but what you profess as well developed childhood growth with appropriate responsibility needs to be reassessed with the demands on children outside the home beginning with school (pre-K, on), church (Wednesday night 6-8:15) after school (sports), etc. At what point do you feel a child has the time and the right to just be a child?

    Reply

    • I completely agree- we only do these chores in the summertime. During the school year, we stick to the simple ones like unloading the dishwasher as a family and then usually one other 5 minute chore a day. 🙂

      Reply

  28. Well we have 2 girls 10 & 12 yr old girls. We needs age appropriate chores for them .They haven’t had any up till now. WE know that it’s our own fault. Also we are aware that it’s not going to be easy .I mean yes we try to get them to clean up after themselves and do the basics but not without a yelling and struggling match for way longer than I care to admit. And even then I break and just end up doing it that way I know it gets done and done right ! I’m a fanatic about cleanliness and keeping a clean house and organization .Clutter freaks me out .I can’t handle things left out randomly around the house. I need help with having them pitch in and start contributing towards the household chores. How do I change there routine now and incorporate the chores that I have been doing for them for yrs now ??

    Reply

  29. I love the chores you have come up with. I will be using your list this summer! There are a couple of chores that are good for the 4 and up age that my children do. We will have them wipe down the doors and door handles in the house. There are always spots on them from their sticky/ dirty fingers. Also we have the kids put out food and water for our dog. Thank you again for the list. I am looking forward in getting your blog emails.

    Reply

  30. I started the cotton ball jar with my kids last week! Amazing results all! They really want to go to reptile land and are working hard to make that happen! Great idea to work with all my kids age 2, 3, and 10! They all love it!!

    Reply

    • My 3 year old was really the only one that is difficult but he is doing great with this and love rewarding the others who always listen anyway!!

      Reply

  31. I absolutely love the reward jar idea, gives them something to visualize their progress for the week! The chart is amazing and the difference between habits and chores is a great distinction. Thank you!

    Reply

  32. Thanks for the great information. Stridepost knows that kids chores teach responsibility and skills needed for a lifetime of success. This fantastic app provides motivation and rewards, is easy to set-up and has so many great cool features that both parents and kids love to use. It can be downloaded on the App Store or iTunes!

    Reply

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