10 Fun and Age-Appropriate Chores for 9-Year-Olds to Help Out Around the House

Research shows that kids who do household chores can be more responsible and may exhibit better self-esteem. Among other advantages, chores can help kids become more independent and resilient to things like frustration or delayed gratification, according to the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (AACAP).

That said, ensuring that chores are age-appropriate is integral. Complex tasks, for example, might not be the best fit for a young child. As you can imagine, the best chores to assign a nine-year-old differ from the ones you'd give a child who is significantly older or younger. So, if you have a child who is, or is about to turn, nine, what are some ideal chores for their age group? 

First, let's discuss why chores are important for nine-year-olds and go over ten examples of chores suitable for their age group. Then, we'll reveal some extra benefits and tips for encouraging your child to complete or help out with chores. 

Why Chores are Important for 9-Year-Olds

Why are chores important for nine-year-olds, specifically? While chores can support kids at nearly any age, here are three notable advantages based on the developmental stage most nine-year-olds are at.

Developing independence and self-reliance

Children aged 9-11 often start to develop more independence, specifically relating to their sense of self and independent thought. Since chores can promote healthy independence, responsibility, and self-esteem, age nine (and following years) is an important time to ensure that kids have chores appropriate for their age group. For example, a child around age nine might pack their own lunch. Tasks like this can support autonomy and help a child feel self-reliant.

Teaching valuable life skills

When parenting a child, always remember that you’re raising a future adult. Household tasks are essential life skills that kids can start learning early on. A nine-year-old can learn new skills appropriate to their age group through chores they may not have been ready for when they were younger.

Instilling a sense of pride and accomplishment

Self-esteem is possibly one of the most notable benefits linked to chores for kids. It's particularly important that kids moving toward adolescence strengthen their self-esteem. Finishing age-appropriate tasks – some of which may be new to your child at or around this age – is a great way to promote a sense of pride, accomplishment, and responsibility. Pairing chores with positive reinforcement can help.

10 Fun and Age-Appropriate Chores for 9-Year-Olds

Now that you know why chores are important for your nine-year-old child, what are some fun chores they can participate in? Chores don't have to be boring, and they shouldn't feel like a punishment. Pick and choose from the following examples of fun and age-appropriate chores for a nine-year-old.

Setting the table for meals 

Although younger kids can set the table, this is a task you could add to your nine-year-old's chore chart or list, too. It's a responsibility, but it isn't time-consuming, and it should be easy for most children ages 9+ to understand.

Clearing the table

What if your child has younger siblings? You might assign a younger child to set out cutlery, napkins, and plates, but assign your nine-year-old the task of clearing the table when the meal is done.

Sorting and folding laundry

Knowing how to do laundry is an example of an essential life skill that kids will need to know later. Your child will need to know this when they go to college; ideally, they should know how to do it as a teenager. So, while younger kids might be able to do things like sort colors, nine-year-olds can start to fold laundry effectively and neatly. You can guide them along the way if they aren't sure how to fold specific items, where to store them, and so on.

Putting clean clothes away

Putting clean clothes away is another example of a simple task for kids that doesn't take up too much time. On laundry day, your child's weekly chore chart or task list may include putting their clean clothes away. If this is a new task, it can help to explain where to put certain items (e.g., socks in a specific dresser drawer, shirts hung up in the closet).

Watering plants and gardening

Watering plants can be a fun task for kids. It's very important to have some responsibilities or chores as a kid; what those chores are could vary depending on several factors. Gardening can aid mental and physical health, and it's a possible example of a family task where each person might have a unique role in taking care of the garden.

Organizing and cleaning their own room

Organizing and cleaning one's room is a multi-step process. You can help your nine-year-old learn to organize and follow through with multi-step tasks like this by breaking down each task (e.g., picking up clothes off the floor, taking dirty clothes to the laundry room) rather than simply instructing a child to "clean their room." If your child uses the Joon app, each step toward cleaning their room can be added independently, which may be helpful and can promote motivation along the way. 

Your child probably started learning some tasks required to clean their room at a younger age. For example, kids can start making their bed, even if not perfectly, at a significantly younger age. In making your child's room their responsibility, you can combine old skills with new ones. 

Taking out the trash

Taking out the trash is an age-appropriate, simple task for a nine-year-old. It doesn't take much time, but it's still a responsibility, leaving time for other important activities like homework and hobbies or play.

Feeding pets and cleaning their bowls/cages

Feeding pets and cleaning an animal's living space are great chores for kids. Not only are these tasks age-appropriate for a nine-year-old, but they also teach the child how to take care of something or someone they love and care about. 

Vacuuming

Vacuuming or mopping the floor are great age-appropriate chores for a nine-year-old. Generally, parents should separate tasks that aren't daily chores so that kids aren't overwhelmed on any given day. Since a child won't likely need to vacuum their room or mop daily, these are two examples of possible weekly chores. 

Emptying the dishwasher

Unloading the dishwasher is an example of a task that requires sustained mental effort. Kids with ADHD or a related condition may need to learn to use specific techniques to succeed and empower themselves during tasks that require extensive concentration or focus. Break it down by instructing kids to unload or put items away in a specific order to make the task less overwhelming.

Extra Benefits of Age-Appropriate Chores for 9-Year-Olds

What are some other advantages of giving your nine-year-old chores? Whether it's cleaning windows, unloading or loading the dishwasher, feeding pets, taking out the trash, sorting recycling, or something else, here are some extra benefits kids may get from helping around the house.

Understanding the concept of time and schedules

Time management is a crucial life skill. Schedules can help kids in many ways, including but not limited to time management, knowing what to expect on any given day, and getting used to doing certain tasks or chores regularly, which they will have to do as adults. 

Practicing safe and proper cleaning techniques

Returning to the concept of essential life skills, learning to clean safely and properly is a critical life skill for all of us. Some of the tasks you assign to a child at around age nine may carry more responsibility, which could pertain to safety and technique.

Learning to follow instructions and complete tasks independently

We talked a little bit about how to guide kids through multi-step tasks. Teaching your child how to break tasks down explicitly and as a general concept can help them follow multi-step instructions on their own later on. Consider using one of their assigned age chores as an example of how to break things down step-by-step. 

Tips for Encouraging Children to Help with Chores

You know that you want your child to get the benefits of doing chores. Now, how do you encourage kids to complete chores? Follow these steps. 

Making chores a fun and rewarding experience

Making chores fun and rewarding is one of the #1 ways to encourage kids to help with chores. Again, chores shouldn't feel like a punishment – getting rewards for tasks can aid motivation, and many adults even use this technique for themselves. Doing chores helps kids form positive habits, so don't think that appropriate rewards will take away from this. In terms of making chores fun, involving others (e.g., family members) or making a game out of chores are two examples of what you can do. 

Using Joon

Joon was created for children ages 6-12+ with the ADHD brain in mind, but any child and family can use it. Here's how Joon works—and how it can make chores fun for your child:

Parents sign up first with the Joon Parent app and make a task list for their child. You can choose from 500+ pre-loaded tasks or input your own. When children finish tasks, parents approve them, and kids get in-app rewards that allow them to continue playing the game, take care of a virtual pet, and get additional special features (new ones are added all of the time for novelty)! 

Kids love playing Joon Pet Game, and parents love the benefits. Joon aids in time management, independence, and task completion. In fact, 90% of kids who use Joon finish all of their tasks. 

Click here to try Joon for free. 

Providing clear instructions and expectations

Clear instructions and expectations are vital. Ensure that your child understands when they should complete tasks and how to complete tasks. Enforce tasks and offer reminders if your child does not do them. 

Offering praise and positive reinforcement

Verbal praise can be valuable no matter how old a child is, even if the words you use differ. Other modes of positive reinforcement you use may change, too, but it's a healthy mode of behavior management and an ideal way to encourage kids to finish tasks. For example, while something like a sticker chart may work for younger kids, something like Joon or a token system that lets kids work toward a bigger desirable reward may be ideal for kids around age 9+.

Setting a good example by doing chores together as a family

Family chores are an awesome choice for kids of all ages, and this is true for more than one reason. First, it gives you the opportunity to set a good example for your child. Second, if your child hasn't done chores up until this point, assigning them a "job" in a greater family task and adding a few other small responsibilities is a great way to start. Even if your child has always had chores to do, an added benefit of family chores is that you get to bond or spend time with each other, and your child won't feel singled out.

Conclusion

Kids around age nine are often either in or approaching an age where new and significant developmental markers like increased independent thought occur. Assigning chores to kids is integral because it can promote essential life skills, self-esteem, and resilience to frustration. Whether you have a younger or older child, implementing age-appropriate chores makes a difference. Try the age-appropriate chores in this article to support your nine-year-old's growth and development. To encourage task completion, implement tips like creating family tasks and using positive reinforcement to reward kids for their hard work.