Here's a Complete List of Age-Appropriate Chores, Broken Down by Age

Maybe, your kids are just getting old enough to start helping out around the home, or perhaps, your children have aged up recently, and you're wondering what kind of chores are most appropriate for their current age group. Regardless, if you're a parent who wants to know how to get kids to complete household tasks, you're in the right place. First, we will talk about the dos and don'ts of making a chore list for your children. Then, we'll go over an extensive list of age-appropriate chores, broken down by age group. Finally, we'll talk about how to make chores fun for kids and reduce potential stress surrounding chores in your family.

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Making a Chore List: Dos and Don'ts

Every family's different, but there are some dos and don'ts parents may want to keep in mind while creating a chore list for their children. When you add new tasks to your child's day, adjusting to the changed routine will take time and patience. Here are some things to consider. 

Do:

• Maintain reasonable expectations.
• Give clear, specific instructions on how to complete each chore. 
• Act as a role model by completing your own chores at home.
• Keep chores age-appropriate.
• Make chores fun. 

Don't:

• Assign too many new chores at the same time. 
• Raise your voice or criticize children. 
• Complain about your own chores.
• Use money as a reward for chores.

How do you ensure that the chores you choose for kids are age-appropriate? Let's talk about it. 

Age-Appropriate Kids Chores And Household Tasks

Assigning chores to kids can be tough. You may wonder where to star if you're hoping to build an age-appropriate chore list. What makes chores age-appropriate depends mainly on the stages of childhood development.

Of course, not all kids are the same. If your child's developmental trajectory differs from other kids, it's okay! You know your child best, so you can adjust the chores below to suit your child's ability.

With all that said, here are age-appropriate chore ideas for kids aged 2-18.

For 2-3-Year-Olds

There's something special about this age group regarding household chores, toddlers are often enthusiastic about helping out around the home. Kids this age want to participate in and mirror what their parents and older children do. Furthermore, giving children tasks at an early age means they'll get used to responsibility, and the transition to more complex tasks later on will feel more natural since they'll already be used to doing chores. Here are a few examples of age-appropriate chores for toddlers aged 2-3: 

• Dust surfaces with a rag or feather duster.
• Put toys, books, or other small objects away.
• Take dirty clothes to the hamper.
• Clean up small spills or messes.
• Match socks while parents fold laundry.
• Line up shoes after coming indoors.

Kids this age can follow basic instructions like, "please hand me that towel," "please hand me the flour," or "please give me the leash so that we can take the dog on a walk." Even if they aren't necessarily formal chores, this can help a child learn in addition to routine tasks.

For 4-5-Year-Olds

Kids aged 4-5 carry enthusiasm similar to kids in the 2-3 age range, but they're typically more advanced than a younger child would be in certain areas. For example, preschool-aged kids are more independent and have greater hand-eye coordination than toddlers. Here are some ideal chores for kids aged 4-5:

• Water indoor or outdoor plants with supervision.
• Learn to wash the windows.
• Sweep the floor.
• Clear silverware and plates after meals.
• Put clean dishes away.
• Fill food and water dishes for pets.
• Help parents (or older kids) set the table.
• Use a hand-held vacuum.

At this age, kids can also often wash plastic dishes and engage in other similar tasks, though you want to supervise children while they complete chores like these, just in case.

For 6-8-Year-Olds

School-aged children from 6-8 don't need as much supervision as younger children do and will be able to complete an increasing range of tasks successfully. This is an excellent age to start teaching kids somewhat more complex life skills. Here are some appropriate chores for kids aged 6-8:

• Water indoor and outdoor plants independently.
• Make their bed in the morning.
• Take used bed sheets off the bed for washing.
• Sanitizing surfaces in the home.
• Rake leaves into a pile.
• Help make dinner.
• Put clean clothes away

Children ages 6-8 may rebel or push back, so prepare for this and understand that some level of rebellion is normal. Keep calm and respond in a steady manner.

For 9-12-Year-Olds

Kids aged 9-12 go through a lot of changes, including social, emotional, and physical changes, though these changes occur at different rates for every child. Especially once they reach middle school, kids develop a stronger sense of self, and independence becomes increasingly important. Here are some ideas for new chores to assign your children aged 9-12:

• Recycle and take the trash out.
• Take garbage cans to the curb for pickup.
• Cook simple meals without supervision.
• Load the dishwasher or wash dishes by hand.
• Wash the car.
• Vacuum the car interior.
• Do laundry using the washer and dryer.
• Clean animal cages.
• Use the vacuum cleaner.

Appropriate chores for younger children can certainly remain a part of your child's routine as they age up, but you want to make sure that older kids gain necessary life skills, so keep that in mind. If kids don't know how to do their own laundry by age 12 or so, it's a great idea to spend some time teaching them how to complete the task. Take a similar approach for other chores that double as necessary life skills in adulthood, like cooking staple foods and meals.

For 13-18-Year-Olds

Teenagers are able to complete the majority of typical household tasks independently. Once your kids are in the 13-18 age range, it is vital to help them learn how to care for a home (and themselves) so that they can transition into adult life smoothly. To achieve this, here are some chores you can assign to older children who have reached their teen years:

• Clean kitchen appliances (e.g., the refrigerator or freezer).
• Complete small shopping trips independently.
• Clean the shower, toilet, and/or sink.
• Take pets on walks without assistance. 
• Sew buttons on or repair clothes.
• Help with home repairs.
• Mow the lawn.
• Bathe dogs/cats/other pets.
• Shampoo the carpet.

Kids this age are often able to babysit younger kids for reasonable periods of time, too. Though teenagers need far less guidance than younger children do, kids continue to need guidance and care, so be willing to explain tasks in depth if your teen has questions, and maintain patience as your children grow. Remember that teenagers still do not have the level of judgment that a fully grown adult will. 

Additionally, make sure to factor in other responsibilities your teen might have when you build their chore list to keep it fair and reasonable, especially during the school year. During Summer vacation, kids of different ages, including teens, might be able to handle extra chores. However, you certainly want to ensure that your children have time for other parts of life. As with many things, it's all about balance.

Note: If your child has trouble completing daily household chores, Joon can help. With the Joon app, parents of children aged 6-12 with ADHD create a list of real-life tasks for their child to complete. After completing tasks in real life, kids get rewards that allow them to take care of a virtual pet in the game. The Joon app supports executive functioning and makes chores fun for kids. Click here to try Joon for free.

Why Should I Give My Child Chores?

Some parents wonder, "why are chores for kids so important? Does it really matter if my child has chores or not?" To put it lightly, yes - it definitely matters for kids.

Chores for children are about more than obedience or a clean house. With these tasks, kids learn responsibility and life skills that will help them become more independent and ultimately care for themselves as adults. For example, doing laundry, helping with dinner, or changing the bed sheets now means that they'll be able to do it later on in life. If you don't teach kids these important skills now, it will make things more complicated later on.

On the same note, getting used to daily responsibilities now means your child will expect to continue engaging in similar tasks as an adult. Even if there's a power struggle from time to time, folding laundry, washing the dishes, and cleaning the home properly are all things that you want to make sure your children learn.

How Can I Make It More Fun?

Now that you know of appropriate chores for kids based on their age and why it is so crucial to teach children to do them, how can you make responsibilities at home more fun? Many families make games out of chore time or use other tools and practices that make household tasks more enjoyable. Here are some things you can do to add some fun to your kid's assigned chores.

Use Joon

Joon is a unique chore app that makes it fun for children with ADHD to complete daily obligations, such as chores, homework, and other activities. In the app, parents customize a to-do list of age-appropriate tasks, also called quests, for their children. When kids complete real-life tasks on their quest list, the parent approves the task, and the child gets rewards. Using these rewards, children care for their virtual pet, called a Doter, in the game. You can input nearly any chore into the Joon app, or you can select recommended tasks that are already in the app.

Benefits of Joon include but aren't limited to a boost in independence, self-esteem, and motivation. 90% of kids who use Joon complete all of the tasks their parents set, and many parents say that Joon has improved their parent-child relationship. Currently, the Joon app has over 3.6k ratings and an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars. 

If you're ready to try Joon, click here to download the app.

Build A Chore Chart

Many kids benefit from having a written chore chart. For kids with ADHD especially, it can be hard to keep track of tasks without external tools like chore charts to help due to challenges with memory. Chore charts can also serve as a type of reward system in the case that they are given stickers, screen time, or other small and reasonable rewards upon fulfilling their responsibilities. Parents may put chore charts on the refrigerator so that kids can refer to chores listed when they need to.

Make Family Chores

In the "dos and don'ts" section, we briefly touched on making sure that you have chores, too, so that you can serve as a role model for kids. If you can think of chores that the whole family can work on together, this is a great way to increase children's willingness to participate and make it feel fair. Chores that involve other family members also teach kids teamwork, yet another skill they'll need to use throughout their lives.

Takeaway

Chores teach kids what they need to know in order to succeed later in life. Appropriate chores for kids will vary based on age, development, and skill set. Young kids can start with simple tasks, whereas older children can work up to more complex responsibilities. There are various ways to make chores more fun for your children, such as using Joon or building a chore chart.