Chores for Kids by Age: Lists and a Free Chore Chart

Kids can do more around the house than most of us expect, and helping out is good for them. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) describes age-appropriate chores as an important part of a child’s development: they teach life skills, show children how to cooperate as part of a group, and build self-esteem. The catch is that chores only work when the job fits the child and the routine is predictable.

This guide gives you age-by-age lists, a simple way to teach any new job, ideas for keeping it calm, and a free printable chore chart.

How to use the age lists

Each list is a menu, not a checklist. Pick one or two daily jobs and one weekly job to start. When those feel automatic, add one more. The AAP specifically suggests introducing new tasks one at a time, especially for a school-age child who hasn’t had responsibilities before, because a long list can be overwhelming.

Ages overlap on purpose. Children grow at different speeds, and siblings in the same house rarely line up neatly with any chart.

Chores for ages 2 to 3

These are KidInfo suggestions for toddlers, built around what most 2- and 3-year-olds can physically do: carry light things, follow one simple instruction, and copy what you do.

Daily jobs	Weekly or now-and-then jobs
Put toys in a bin (one bin, clearly labeled with a picture)	Help feed the pet by pouring pre-measured food into the bowl
Put dirty clothes in the hamper	Wipe a low table with a damp cloth
Carry their own plastic cup and bowl to the counter	Match socks from a small pile
Put shoes in a basket by the door	Water a plant with a small cup

At this age the job is really “do it with me.” Expect to do most of it together and keep each task to a minute or two. The goal is the habit, not a tidy room.

Chores for ages 4 to 5

Also KidInfo suggestions. Preschoolers can follow two- or three-step instructions and love being trusted with “real” jobs.

Daily jobs	Weekly jobs
Make the bed by pulling up the covers (no need for hospital corners)	Dust low shelves with a dry cloth or sock on a hand
Set out napkins and spoons	Help sort laundry into lights and darks
Clear their own unbreakable dishes	Bring in the mail with an adult
Put away toys before dinner	Help put away groceries that go on low shelves
Hang up a coat on a low hook	Wipe up their own spills

Chores for ages 5 to 7

The AAP’s own list for this age includes making their own beds, setting and clearing the table, weeding and raking leaves, making and packing school lunches, dusting, putting toys away, neatening bookshelves, putting dirty clothes in a hamper, filling a pet’s food dish, emptying wastebaskets, sweeping floors, sorting laundry, bringing in mail, watering flowers and washing plastic dishes in the sink.

Two practical tips for this age:

• Lunch packing works best with a “menu.” Post a short list of choices for each part of the lunch (a main, a fruit, a vegetable, a drink) and let your child choose and pack. You handle anything that needs a knife.
• Sweeping is about technique. Show how to sweep toward one spot, then use a dustpan held by a partner. It’s a great two-sibling job.

Chores for ages 8 to 10

Everything above, plus the AAP’s additions for this age: vacuuming, helping make dinner, making their own snacks, walking the pet, putting away their own laundry and putting away groceries.

Kids this age can start owning a job from start to finish. Instead of “help with dinner,” try “you’re in charge of the salad on Tuesdays.” Ownership tends to stick better than assisting.

Chores for ages 11 to 12

Everything above, plus the AAP’s list for preteens: cleaning the kitchen, changing bed sheets, unloading the dishwasher, doing and folding laundry, scrubbing toilets and cleaning the bathroom, washing the car, cooking a simple meal with supervision, and watching younger siblings with an adult present at home.

This is the age to teach skills they’ll need living on their own: how to read a laundry label, how to plan a simple meal, how to tell when a bathroom needs cleaning before someone asks.

How to teach any new chore in four steps

1. I do, you watch. Do the job slowly and talk through each step. “First I take everything off the table. Then I wipe from the far side toward me.”
2. We do it together. Split the job. You do half, they do half.
3. You do, I watch. Stay nearby and give one tip at most. Resist re-doing it.
4. You do it alone. Check in afterward with specific praise: “You remembered the crumbs under the chairs.”

The AAP’s advice is to praise effort, not the outcome, and not to expect perfection. A lumpy bed made by a 5-year-old is a success.

How to avoid battles over chores

These ideas come from the AAP’s guidance on chores and family routines, plus what tends to work in busy homes.

• Spell out exactly what “done” means. “Clean your room” is vague. “Books on the shelf, clothes in the hamper, toys in the bin” is clear. A chore chart or picture checklist makes expectations visible.
• Attach chores to routines. Doing the same job at the same time each day (“after breakfast I feed the cat”) means less remembering and fewer reminders.
• Hold short family meetings. Once a week, review how chores went and ask kids for ideas. Kids accept jobs they helped choose more readily.
• Use encouragement, not lectures. The AAP notes that badgering and scolding are not effective ways to build responsibility, while praise and rewarding success work better.
• Keep expectations realistic. Too many jobs at once, or criticizing how a job was done, can make kids resist all chores.
• Decide your approach to consequences calmly and in advance. Some families link chores to privileges like screen time. Whatever you choose, keep it predictable and low-drama.

Using a chore chart

A chart is a visual reminder that keeps everyone on task, and checking off a box gives a small, real sense of accomplishment. The AAP specifically mentions chore charts and checklists as helpful.

Our free printable chart has a row for each job and a box for each day of the week. To make it work:

• Write jobs in the child’s language (“Feed Biscuit” rather than “pet care”). For non-readers, draw a tiny picture next to each job.
• Post it where the job happens, such as on the fridge for kitchen jobs or the bedroom door for room jobs.
• Keep it short. Three to five rows per child is plenty.
• Review it on the same day each week and start a fresh sheet.

If you use stickers or an allowance, link them to finished jobs and keep the system simple enough that you’ll actually keep it going.

Chores with siblings

Siblings can share jobs in ways that build teamwork instead of competition. Pair an older child as “crew leader” with a younger “assistant” for one job a week, then swap who leads. Rotate the less popular jobs on a posted schedule so nobody feels singled out. For more ideas, see our sibling bonding activities.

When chores don’t seem to stick

Every child goes through phases of forgetting or pushing back. That’s normal. If you notice your child consistently struggles to follow multi-step instructions, gets very distressed by transitions, or has trouble with tasks most kids their age manage, it’s worth mentioning at their next checkup. The goal is to understand what support would help, not to label them.