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Age-appropriate chores for young children (and older children) are so important – with or without a chore chart!  They help raise children that work hard and are not spoiled.

It’s the reason that we use these Printable Chore Cards because they teach kids that they have to do their chores in order to have downtime.  they literally “swap chores for screentime.”

swap chores for screentime
  The picture above is our basket of Swap Chores for Screen Time Cards

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 at this moment.

If kids aren’t doing the dishes, it means someone else is doing that for them, and 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 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 or a chores app for kids).

Child doing chores with dad  standing in a kitchen

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

Do If you really want your kids to grow up to be successful, happy, and responsible adults?   Give them chores while they are young.  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 to this day.

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

1-  LOVE
2- GOOD WORK ETHIC

“And what’s the best way to develop a 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 20XX 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.

A research team at the University of Minnesota completed a 20-year span.  They were looking for the best predictor of adult success.

Their result?   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.

It’s never too late to start.

chores by age

Children need responsibility!  They want responsibility! These Age-Appropriate chores for kids by age are great because they are teaching responsibility & hard work.  It’s a win-win.

While I gave up on a chore chart for kids, I found a solution that is so much better – “swap chores for screentime cards.”

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.
  • It 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.

age appropriate chore list for kids

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 is 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.

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 screentime (and even if you don’t use the screen-time part, the chore cards alone are a life-changer!)    The jobs 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).  The Swap Chore for Screen Time Cards have been a game-changer.


Cards to swap chores for screen time by yourmodernfamily

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

The cards are cut up and placed in a basket or jar.   It is literally the easiest set-up because I didn’t want to add any more confusing systems to the mix.

Swap screentime for chores cards
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 children’s chores & to maintain a routine.

Chore Amount for each age group: 

This is 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

Chore Ideas for tween & teens:  Age Appropriate Chore List for 9 years to 12 years

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 these questions

  • 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.

CHORE IDEAS:

  • 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.)

Child doing chores with dad  standing in a kitchen

Does the 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.  They use these charts to keep up with them.  After using these responsibility charts every day, the kids memorize their responsibilities pretty quickly and they become a habit.

These are separate from their “swap for screentime” jobs.   These are more like habits that have to be done on a daily basis.

Daily Responsibility Charts for Kids
If our kids want screentime, they will also have to find the time to do the task on the card to earn the screentime minutes.

This usually means that our kids are doing extra tasks to earn screentime 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.

Daily Responsibilities Not Included

Remember, as I stated above there are many things that are considered to be daily responsibilities.  These are expected to be completed without reminding them or asking them to do them.
Examples include: 

  • “Make your bed”
  • “Clean your room”
  • “empty the dishwasher”

They are daily responsibilities.  They are not on the below list, because they are habits.  We do them daily & they just help to keep the house running smoothly.

Kid doing chores

Printable Chore Chart by Age:

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 is simply to let 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 with the best chores for kids by age.
Printable chore chart

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 them 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 it’s 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 the 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…
    I made this chart for you.

Age Appropriate Chore Ideas for young children

We often find that younger kids’ tasks and chores 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:

For a 3-year-old…   When our 3-year old would pull out a chore card, but 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 want to feel 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.

I hope that helped you to create some ideas for jobs 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.

Print The Chore List

Click on the image below to print this list (below) for kids, and I will e-mail you this free chart/list. ☺️
Printable chore chart

Similar Studies and Articles:

I know that it is as much work to get your kids to help you as it is to just do it yourself, but I want to encourage you to read this post – STOP doing that for your kids.   Try to remember that you are raising adults.

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!

Are your kids using electronics more & helping out LESS?  

It is time to try something new (and I promise this works): Swap a Chore for Screen Time.
Plus, you no longer have to feel guilty AT ALL about allowing your kids to have some screen-time… they are earning their downtime. 

Cards to swap chores for screen time by yourmodernfamily

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Hi there!

I’m Becky, a former elementary school teacher turned certified child development therapist and blogger. I work at home with my husband and together we are raising (and partially homeschooling) our four children in the Carolinas. I love diet coke, ice cream, and spending time with my family.

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92 Comments

      1. Hi I am going to bed in a couple of minutes and can you tell me some chores I can do before bed ?

      2. Hi I’m a kid and I go to bed I a couple of minutes.Canyou please tell me a few chores that I can do before bed?

    1. Me too, I like how she put all of these together. It’s amazing how industrious little children can be at a young age. In fact, my younger children are more motivated and seem to enjoy “helping” Mommy more often than my older children…When do they lose that helpfulness?

  1. 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

    1. 🙂 thanks!! I hope its helpful (I was laughing at your slacker comment!)

  2. 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:)

  3. 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?

  4. 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!

  5. 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 🙂

  6. 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?

    1. 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?

  7. 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)

    1. Of course not! If it is helpful to you, hopefully it will be helpful to others, as well. 🙂
      Ps- your autocorrect made me laugh. You should see some of mine!! 😉

  8. 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!

    1. I’m so glad that it helped!! 🙂 I”m the same way w/ the chore chart. 🙂

  9. 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!!

  10. 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

  11. 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.

    1. 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!

  12. Like the different perspective on chore charts. Thanks for sharing. Pinned.

  13. Great idea’s and tips. Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again. Have a great day!!