A List of Age-Appropriate Chores for Kids 2 to 18 (2024)

Assigning chores to children can be beneficial to their development. Children who regularly do chores tend to have higher self-esteem, be more patient, and be better equipped to handle frustration and responsibility. These skills can lead to greater success in various aspects of life, such as school, work, and relationships.

Ages 2 and 3

Toddlers love to help with chores, and while their assistance may not always be as effective as we would hope, it's worth it to keep up their excitement and helping habit. Many toddlers love seeing a visual reminder of their success, so making sticker charts is a great choice. Although chores may only be completed with your input each step of the way, you are creating positive habits for children to find chores and helping others a way of life.

• Helping make the bed
• Picking up toys and books
• Putting laundry in the hamper or in the laundry room
• Helping to feed pets
• Helping to wipe up messes
• Dusting with socks on their hands
• Putting small items in a dishwasher
• Dry mopping in small areas with help to maneuver the mop

Ages 4 and 5

The great thing about preschool-aged kids is that they are still reasonably motivated to help. Preschoolers also love individual time with adults. If you take some time to teach them new chores one-on-one, they usually love it.

Many kids at this age are ready to do chores without constant supervision. They also love rewards. Try using a daily chore chart with stickers that allow them to build up to bigger rewards. For some preschoolers, tying chores to an allowance is a great choice. This incentive can also foster independence by allowing them to choose a reward.

• Helping to clear and set the table
• Making bed independently
• Dusting
• Helping out to cook and prepare food
• Carrying and putting away groceries
• Sorting laundry whites and colors
• Watering plants using a small container
• Pulling garden weeds
• Washing small dishes at the sink
• Helping to clean their room
• Putting away groceries

Ages 6 to 8

Although enthusiasm for chores may diminish for school-aged kids, they have other redeeming qualities that work well for chores. Most school-aged children have an overwhelming desire to be independent. Parents and caregivers can guide children to become self-sufficient in their chores by using chore charts to keep track of their responsibilities. Note completed tasks, as this will help motivate children to continue working.

• Taking care of pets
• Vacuuming, sweeping, mopping, wiping down surfaces
• Empty indoor trash cans and taking it outside
• Folding and putting away laundry
• Making their snacks, breakfast, and bagged lunches
• Emptying and loading the dishwasher
• Walking the dog with pooper-scooper supervision
• Raking leaves
• Clean their bedroom
• Help put away groceries
• Assist with making dinner
  

Ages 9 to 12

Kids at this age will appreciate a set schedule and expectations. Throw a lot of unexpected work at them and watch them get upset. If you can create a schedule or system with a bit of input from them, you'll have a smooth transition. It's best to find a system that works for your family. Try not to change it without the input and support of the people it directly affects.

Part of this system should address rewards and negative consequences so that these results are laid out and understood in advance.

• Helping to wash the car
• Wash dishes or fill and empty the dishwasher
• Prepare simple meals
• Cleaning parts of the bathroom
• Raking leaves
• Doing laundry and operating the washer and dryer
• Taking out the garbage
• Babysitting younger siblings (ages 11 and 12)
• Walking the dog and full pooper-scooper responsibility

Ages 13 to 18

Most teenagers can handle nearly any chore in the home as long as they've been taught properly. One thing to be sensitive to is their cramped schedules. Just as we get overwhelmed when we have too much to do, teenagers can find themselves struggling to maintain an unmanageable workload. Monitor your teen's schedule and school commitments; adjust activities and chores accordingly.

• Replacing light bulbs
• Cleaning bathrooms, including toilets and showers
• Vacuuming, changing vacuum cleaner bags, or emptying the canister
• Doing their own (or the household's) laundry
• Washing windows
• Cleaning out​ therefrigerator and other kitchen appliances
• Preparing meals
• Preparing grocery lists or going food shopping
• Repairing clothes, such as sewing on missing buttons or fixing small tears
• Ironing clothes
• Mowing the lawn
• Caring for pets completely (feeding, walking, grooming)
• Setting and clearing the table

Remember that children mature at their own pace, and not all kids will be capable of advanced chores at the same age. Likewise, some children may be ready for more difficult tasks at a younger age. You are best positioned to supervise and evaluate your child's needs and abilities.

You can advance children through more challenging chores as they master the basic ones. It can be easy to let kids continue to perform the same chores because they're good at them, but introducing new chores at regular intervals will actually benefit them in the long term. Institute a "training period" with new chores while teaching them the ins and outs of new tasks.

What to Avoid When Making Chore Lists

The list of things to avoid when making chore lists can often be longer than the chore list itself. Consider the following when creating chore lists for kids of any age:

Do Not Start Too Late

Kids can start doing chores as early as two years old. At that point, kids love to help out parents and family members.

Do Not Make Chores Complicated

If you're in a rush, your chore list may not be clear to a child. Your handwriting may be messy, or the instructions may be confusing, causing a kid to zone out. The fix? Use easy-to-read picture chore cards. For example, if you post a vacuuming chore, print out a basic image of a vacuum and stick it on the chart.

Do Not Change Schedules Too Often

Kids thrive on consistency. They need to know what to expect from their daily lives. A consistent schedule of chores can help your child become an expert in handling that particular duty. It can allow your child to become good at a particular chore rather than trying to learn a new one every week.

Avoid Becoming a Perfectionist

No one is perfect, and that's the message you must instill in your child. If you insist on perfectionism, your child will rebel against doing chores. When a child finishes a chore that's less than acceptable in your eyes, turn it into a teaching moment and gently show them the correct way.

Do Not Use Lists to Control Kids

Chores are boring, but they are not meant to torture or control kids. The point of a chore list is to help kids learn to become accountable and responsible as they grow older. The fix? Help them become excited about chores by using small, simple rewards as an incentive to adhere to the chore chart.

Large and complicated rewards will confuse kids (and yourself), so keep it super easy with coins or small rewards, such as staying up a half hour later to complete a specific chore.

Do Not Forget to Say Thanks

Giving your child a genuine smile and a verbal thank you goes a long way. It shows how much you appreciate your child's efforts. By expressing thanks to them, your kids will feel more capable of accomplishing everyday tasks, and encourage them to be part of the family, a team, and the community.