ChartKidEvery child is different, and a chore that's easy for one five-year-old is a stretch for another. Treat the ages below as the point where most children can start, with help at first. The best chore for a child is one slightly below what they could manage with effort, done regularly.
Ages 2–3
Helping alongside you. The aim is taking part.
- Put toys in the box
- Put dirty clothes in the basket
- Carry their plate or cup to the counter
- Wipe up a spill with a cloth
- Help feed a pet (you measure, they pour)
- Put books back on a low shelf
- Throw rubbish in the bin
Ages 4–5
Simple jobs with a clear finish, shown once.
- Everything above, more independently
- Make their bed (pull the duvet up)
- Get dressed
- Set the table with napkins and cutlery
- Water plants
- Match socks from the laundry
- Tidy their room with a checklist
- Help carry in light shopping
Ages 6–8
Responsibility for their own things, plus a family job.
- Make their bed properly
- Pack and unpack their school bag
- Feed and water a pet daily
- Clear and wipe the table
- Sort recycling
- Put away their clean laundry
- Sweep a small area
- Help prepare simple food (sandwiches, salad)
- Homework and reading as a routine
Ages 9–11
Real household jobs, done to a reasonable standard.
- Load and empty the dishwasher
- Vacuum their room and the hall
- Take bins and recycling out
- Fold and put away laundry
- Walk a well-behaved dog nearby
- Make a simple breakfast or packed lunch
- Clean a bathroom sink and mirror
- Change their bedding with help
- Rake leaves, water the garden
Ages 12–13
Jobs they'll need as adults, with a weekly deadline rather than daily checks.
- Their own laundry, start to finish
- Clean a whole bathroom
- Cook one simple meal a week
- Mow a lawn (with supervision at first)
- Wash the car
- Babysit a sibling for short periods
- Clean the kitchen after cooking
- Manage their own homework schedule
Ages 14–16
Full participation in running the house.
- Everything above, unprompted
- Plan and cook a family meal
- Grocery shopping from a list
- Deep-clean a room (kitchen, bathroom)
- Simple repairs and assembly
- Care for younger siblings for an evening
- Keep their own space and belongings in order
How to use this list
Pick from the row below their age first
Children should succeed at a chart in the first week. Start with chores from the age band below theirs, which they'll find easy, and add one from their own band. Confidence first, then stretch.
Teach it once, properly
Do the chore together the first time, talking through what "done" looks like. Then step back. A nine-year-old's folded laundry won't match yours; the standard to hold is "finished", not "perfect", and the standard rises on its own with practice.
Rotate every few months
Children get bored and also get better. Every couple of months, retire a chore that has become automatic and introduce one from the next band. A new chart with a new theme, which takes a minute to make, marks the change.
Paid or unpaid?
A common approach that works: a few core chores are unpaid because everyone contributes to the house, and extra jobs beyond those can earn pocket money. Whatever you decide, decide it before the chart goes up and write it on the reward line so it isn't renegotiated every Sunday.
Safety
Knives, the stove, chemicals, lawnmowers and anything involving height need supervision until you've seen the child do it safely several times. Many families keep the hazardous jobs off the chart entirely until the teens.