
Here's a list of age appropriate chores for kids that will not only teach our children valuable life skills, but also invite the whole family to play a role in keeping the house neat and clean.
We include simple yet important responsibilities that kids can take on by themselves or with help, and suggest a general age range for introducing them so that everyone from toddler to teen can take part in keeping up the family home!
What chores do your kids help out with around the house? Please add them to our list, or comment on any favorites below.
Clean Bathroom
Elementary - Teen
Kristy Pepping: Although the entire house needs to be cleaned, bathrooms seem to get the dirtiest. A good chore for kids is to clean their bathroom. This includes clearing up any personal care products, wiping toothpaste from the countertops, replacing the toilet paper rolls and wiping down mirrors.
Clean Table After Supper
Elementary - Teen
Slaya Shamai Weinberger: Each person takes their own plate, but the serving plates need to be brought back into the kitchen and the table wiped down.
Put Away Groceries
Elementary - Teens
Shila: Kids can put away the groceries. It's exciting to have first dibs at all the new treats, too! If you have multiple children, someone can be in charge of sorting the refrigerated food and another can be in charge of the pantry items. Remember, too, there's also a job waiting for someone to unload the groceries from the trunk of the car!
Disinfect Door Handles
Preschool - Teen
Shila: Give your children a few disinfectant wipes (i.e., Lysol or other more natural alternatives) and have them walk around the house wiping down commonly-touched surfaces like door handles, faucets, and drawer knobs. Not only is this a simple weekly task for kids, it promotes the understanding of safe hygiene and germ awareness.
Pick Up Toys
Toddler - Elementary
Sarah Calamita: I have my 4 year old set the Alexa timer for as long as she wants (often she chooses a time longer than I would!) and then she has to pick up her toys for that amount of time.
Bring in the Mail or Newspaper
Elementary - Teen
Shila: Say goodbye to checking the mail everyday and assign this chore to a child. This is especially convenient for you. Your child can make this part of their routine when coming home from school, too. Older kids can even sort the mail into two piles, advertisements vs. direct envelopes.
Unload Dishwasher
Elementary - Teen
Shila: Kids can empty parts of the dishwasher so long as they can reach a drawer or the counter. Even if they can't reach the upper cupboards to put all the dishes away, they can still place and sort items on the counter for an adult to handle later.
If your kids are young, you can always put away the knives or any expensive glassware ahead of time, too.
Mow Lawn
Preteen - Teen
Shila: Older kids and teens can begin to learn a valuable life skill by learning to the mow the lawn. Younger kids can also help out in the yard by pulling weeds or picking up sticks - always a favorite toddler activity!
Dinner Helper
Preschool - Elementary
Nelbc: My son helps with dinner; he asks his siblings what they want to drink, writes it down, brings it to the kitchen. When dinner is over he cleans up his area for him and his little brother. He is such a great helper, he is called the dinner helper. He loves it.
Fold Laundry
Preschool - Elementary
Erika Garcia: Help fold their laundry and put it away.
Wash Dishes
Elementary - Teen
Maria Granados: Kids can help wash the dishes!
Set Table
Elementary - Teen
Kelly R.: Setting the table and pouring drinks while mom or dad makes the family dinner is a great way for kids to help out at mealtime.
Clean Windows
Preschool - Teen
Marcia Alvarez Delgado: Cleaning the windows is a great one for the younger ones to spray and wipe.
Wash Laundry
Toddler - Teen
Alexandra F.: Laundry is a wonderfully adaptable chore that kids of all ages can help with in some capacity. Toddlers and preschoolers can help put laundry into the washer and dryer and take it out again when it’s done, while elementary-school-aged kids can sort (if necessary), wash, dry and put away their clean clothes with varying degrees of help from you, depending on their age and capacity. Tweens and teens can probably handle everything on their own as long as you’ve shown them what to do beforehand.
Wash Car
Elementary - Teen
Danielle DeVose: Kids can help wash windows and clean seats inside car!
Vacuum Rugs
Tera Lee Culverwell: Since there are rugs in more than one room, we give whichever one that is vacuuming more stars on their chore chart for doing the vacuuming. It makes them want to vacuum more and also sweep and mop.
Help Care for the Family Pet
Preschool - Teen
Shila: Having a pet in your family, of course, requires many additional responsibilities to handling its care. Many of these tasks can be appropriate for kids to do on a daily or weekly basis. Young kids can easily be in charge of making sure the chew toys are picked up every night, simple grooming, dust vacuuming the couches, etc. While older kids and teens can be in charge of feeding, taking walks, emptying out litter boxes, etc.
Pick Up Sticks in Yard
Toddler - Elementary
Teresa Jackson: We have a lot of land so I have the kids, 6 and 8, pick up a certain amount of sticks as they race to get it done.
Room Leader
Elementary - Teen
Shila: A "room leader" can always be in charge of one particular shared room or area in your home. This person is responsible for its continual clean look and welcoming presence. Assign your children to be room leaders in any area of your home that's age appropriate for them to handle. For example, young children can handle the foyer; it's a small enough area that requires just putting shoes in a straight line. Older kids can be in charge of larger rooms like dining areas (i.e., pushing in chairs) or formal living rooms (i.e., fluffing pillows).
Simple Cooking
Elementary - Teen
Victoria Scott: My 10 year old has learned to cook simple things like scrambled eggs, cinnamon rolls, and brownies.
Make Lunch
Elementary - Teen
Whitney Chamberlain: My son is 12 and makes lunch for him and his sister daily.
Empty Trash Bins
Elementary - Teens
Shila: Provide one large garbage bag to your child and have them enter every room in your home emptying out the individual trash cans.
Swiffer
Preschool - Teen
Shannon Connerty: I let my daughter dust everything, its a good way to keep her moving.
Take Out Garbage and Recycling
Elementary- Teen
Alexandra F.: When the indoor garbage or recycling bins get full, bigger kids can help take them outside to await trash collection day. And, when the day comes, they can help take the outdoor bin or bags out to the curb, too!
Primary photo: The Creative Exchange on Unsplash
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