Age-Appropriate Chores for Kids: A Simple List by Age

A small job, done for real, can make a child stand a little taller. Putting the blocks in their bin, feeding the cat, carrying a plate to the sink: each one is a tiny moment of "I can do this." This list of age-appropriate chores for kids gives you ideas for ages 2 to 13 and up, plus a simple way to teach each new job so it feels doable for both of you.

Why chores help kids feel capable

The American Academy of Pediatrics says that age-appropriate chores and responsibilities are an important part of a child's development, and that helping keep the home running smoothly boosts a child's self-esteem. Chores also teach life skills and how to cooperate with a group, which in this case is your family.

You don't need a big system to get there. One real job, done most days, is a great start. A preschooler who waters the plants every morning is learning that the plants need them, and that their help counts.

Using this list of age-appropriate chores for kids

Treat each age below as a menu, not a checklist. Every child is different. Some 4-year-olds love sorting socks; some 8-year-olds are still getting the hang of making a bed. Both are fine. As the AAP puts it, children differ in the personal traits and temperament they bring to tasks.

A few guidelines:

• Start smaller than you think. Pick one job your child can almost do already.
• Add one new job at a time. For a school-age child who is new to chores, the AAP suggests introducing one new task at a time, because a long list can be overwhelming.
• Match the job to your child, not the number. If a job is too hard, break off a smaller piece. If it's too easy, add a step.
• Keep safety first. Anything with knives, the stove or cleaning chemicals waits until an older child is working with an adult and you judge they're ready.

If you have questions about your child's development, talk to your child's pediatrician.

Chores for ages 2 to 3

Toddlers often want to do whatever you're doing. The AAP's tips on growing independence put it nicely: when young children copy everyday household tasks, they are really learning how to contribute. At this age, a chore is mostly helping alongside you.

Many children this age can:

• Put toys back in a bin or basket
• Drop dirty clothes in the hamper
• Carry napkins or a plastic cup to the table
• Pour pet food into the bowl after you measure it
• Wipe up a small spill with a cloth
• Hand you socks from the clean laundry or groceries from a low bag

Expect wobbly results. A crooked napkin is still a napkin on the table.

Chores for ages 4 to 5

Preschoolers can take on small jobs they do on their own, with you nearby. The CDC's positive parenting tips for preschoolers include letting your child help with simple chores.

Many children this age can:

• Set out napkins, spoons and cups for dinner
• Clear their own plate after a meal
• Match socks from the clean laundry
• Water plants with a small watering can
• Put books back on a low shelf
• Make their bed in a simple way: pull up the blanket, pillow on top
• Feed a pet with a little help

Choices help here. The CDC also suggests giving preschoolers a limited number of simple choices, so try "Do you want to set the spoons or the cups?" Your child gets a say, and the table still gets set.

Chores for ages 6 to 8

School-age kids can start to own a job from start to finish. The AAP's list for ages 5 to 7 includes making their own beds, setting and clearing the table, dusting, sorting laundry, emptying wastebaskets and watering flowers.

Many children this age can:

• Make their bed each morning
• Set and clear the table
• Sort laundry into lights and darks
• Empty small trash cans into the big one
• Pack part of their school lunch, like fruit and a water bottle
• Sweep a small area with a hand broom
• Bring in the mail

This is a good age for a checklist they can see, so the job has a clear finish line. Our guide to chore chart ideas has a few ways to set one up.

Chores for ages 9 to 12

Older kids can handle bigger jobs with more steps. The AAP's lists for ages 8 to 12 include vacuuming, helping make dinner, making their own snacks, putting away groceries and their own laundry, changing bedsheets, unloading the dishwasher, and doing and folding laundry. For ages 11 to 12, the AAP also lists cooking a simple meal with supervision.

Many children this age can:

• Vacuum a room
• Put away groceries
• Fold and put away their own laundry
• Unload the dishwasher
• Change their sheets
• Make a simple snack
• Help cook dinner with an adult: washing vegetables, measuring, stirring
• Walk the dog, with you or where you judge it's safe

Hand over the whole job when you can. "You're in charge of recycling this week" means more than "take this bag out."

Chores for ages 13 and up

Teens can run real parts of the household. Think of jobs that help the whole family, not only their own room.

Many teens can:

• Plan and cook a simple meal, with an adult nearby while they learn the stove and knives
• Do their own laundry from start to finish
• Clean a bathroom, with cleaners you have chosen and shown them how to use
• Write the grocery list and help with the shopping
• Weed or rake, and mow once you've shown them the mower
• Tidy shared spaces like the living room
• Help a younger sibling through a routine, with an adult at home

Teens often have opinions about which jobs they'd take on. Ask. Choosing the job is part of owning it.

Teaching a new chore: show, do, watch, step back

Kids rarely learn a job from one explanation. Try four steps over a week or two:

1. Show it. Do the job while your child watches. Say each step out loud: "First the pillow goes here, then the blanket comes up to the top."
2. Do it together. Split the steps. You pull one side of the blanket, they pull the other.
3. Watch. Your child does it while you stay close. Offer one tip at a time, not five.
4. Step back. Let them do it alone. Check in later, and notice what went well.

Be clear about what "done" looks like. "Clean your room" is big and fuzzy. "Books on the shelf, clothes in the hamper, toys in the bin" is something a child can picture and finish.

Keeping chores going after the first week

The hard part usually isn't starting. It's week three, when the newness wears off. A few things can help:

• Use a picture checklist. For younger kids, a photo or drawing of each step can be easier to follow than words. The AAP notes that a chore chart or checklist acts as a visual reminder for the whole family.
• Give one clear next step. "Shoes in the basket" is easier to act on than five things called down the hall.
• Pick a steady time. The AAP encourages kids to do their chores at the same time each day. For example, plates cleared right after dinner, the pet fed before school.
• Notice effort. The AAP suggests praising your child's effort, not the outcome. "You remembered the cat's water without a reminder" says more than "good job."
• Let it be imperfect. Redoing a child's job in front of them can make it feel like it didn't count. If something needs fixing, fix it together next time.

Grandparents, babysitters and other caregivers can use the same list and the same words, so the routine feels familiar wherever your child is.

How QEST helps

In QEST, you set up Qests (the jobs and routines) for each child, sized to what they can do now. When your child finishes one, you or another caregiver approves it and they earn Qs to save toward Rewards your family chooses together. Grandparents, nannies and babysitters can be invited to approve Qests too. On the Journey with Q the penguin, each Life Skill moves from Learning to Practicing to Mastered as your child practices at home, and practice opens collectible cards of Q's friends, like Lolo the dog, who sets the table, and Mika the cat, who practices making the bed. QEST works in English and Spanish.

Start your family's Qest

Pick one chore from your child's age list, add it as their first Qest, and celebrate the first time it's done.