RoutineKit

Chores for kids by age

Pick your child’s age to see daily and weekly jobs most children that age can manage, then turn the list into a printable picture chore chart in one tap.

Five-year-olds can own a few daily jobs and start to manage their own things.

Daily jobs

  • Make the bed (roughly)
  • Set the table
  • Feed pets
  • Unpack school bag

Weekly jobs

  • Put clean clothes in drawers
  • Empty small bins
  • Wipe the table after meals

Tip: Praise the effort, not the result. A lumpy duvet is still a made bed.

More on chores for 5-year-olds →

General suggestions drawn from common child-development guidance, such as the AAP’s HealthyChildren.org advice on chores. Every child is different; pick what fits yours.

Your chore chart

Tasks (6)
Look & print settings
My jobs this week
TaskMonTueWedThuFriSatSun
Make bed
Tidy toys
Clothes in basket
Set the table
Feed the dog
Water plants

Reward: Pick the Saturday movie

✎ Edit

In the print dialog choose Save as PDF for a file, and turn on Background graphics to keep the colours. Your chart saves automatically in this browser.

Age-appropriate chores at a glance

AgeDaily jobsWeekly jobs
2 yearsPut toys in the basket, Dirty clothes in the hamper, Hand you their plate, Books back on the shelfPour pet food with help, Wipe a spill with a cloth
3 yearsTidy toys into labelled bins, Clothes in the hamper, Carry plate to the counter, Put shoes by the doorWater plants with a small can, Feed the fish (you measure), Wipe the low table
4 yearsPull up the duvet, Set out napkins and spoons, Clear their plate, Tidy toys before dinnerMatch socks, Water plants, Put away shopping on low shelves
5 yearsMake the bed (roughly), Set the table, Feed pets, Unpack school bagPut clean clothes in drawers, Empty small bins, Wipe the table after meals
6 yearsMake the bed, Set and clear the table, Feed and water pets, Tidy bedroom floorSweep a small area, Fold towels, Sort recycling
7 yearsMake the bed, Pack own school bag, Clear and scrape plates, Feed pets on their ownPut away own laundry, Sweep the kitchen, Take out the recycling, Water the garden
8 yearsHelp pack own lunch, Set and clear the table, Keep bedroom tidy, Feed and walk the dog with an adultFold and put away laundry, Clean bathroom sink, Sweep or vacuum one room, Help cook one meal
9 yearsMake own packed lunch, Load the dishwasher, Tidy bedroom, Look after petsStart a wash with help, Vacuum a room, Take bins out, Make a simple meal with an adult
10 yearsPack lunch and bag, Load or unload the dishwasher, Make bed and tidy room, Feed and care for petsDo own laundry with help, Clean the bathroom sink and mirror, Vacuum and sweep, Cook a simple meal

Each age assumes the jobs from younger ages are still going. These are general suggestions drawn from common child-development guidance (for example HealthyChildren.org, the AAP’s parenting site), not milestones. Children with additional needs may do jobs in a different order.

How to make chores stick

  1. Teach before you chart. Show the job, do it together, then watch them do it. Only then does it go on the chart.
  2. Keep the list short. Two or three daily jobs for preschoolers and three to five for school-age children get done; long lists get ignored.
  3. Tie each job to a moment. “Feed the cat before breakfast” works better than “sometime today”.
  4. Review weekly. Count the ticks together and swap out jobs that have become easy.

Want stars for behaviour instead of jobs? Use the reward chart. For a weekly grid with your own jobs, open the chore chart maker.

Questions parents ask

What chores should kids do by age?

Toddlers (2–3) help with one-step jobs such as putting toys in a basket. Preschoolers (4–5) can make their bed roughly, set out spoons and feed pets. Children of 6–8 can set and clear the table, sweep and put away laundry. By 9–10 many can load the dishwasher, vacuum a room and help cook. The table above lists daily and weekly ideas for each age.

How to create a chore list for kids?

Pick two to four daily jobs and one to three weekly jobs your child can already do with a little help, give each job a picture and a set time, then hang the list where the job happens. The “Make a chart with these jobs” button builds a printable picture chart from any age’s list.

What is a good chore chart for kids?

One with a few jobs your child can actually finish, pictures for children who cannot read yet, a box per day to tick, and a small reward line if you use one. It should be reviewed every week or two and changed as jobs become easy.

At what age should a child start doing chores?

Many families start around age two with “helping” jobs done side by side. The aim at that age is the habit of joining in, not a tidy result.

More free charts