What chores can kids do at 2 to 3?
- Put toys back in their bin
- Put dirty clothes in the hamper
- Wipe up a small spill, with help
At dinner: Carry the napkins and their own cup to the table.
What chores can kids do at 4 to 5?
- Make their bed, roughly
- Feed a pet, with help
- Match socks from the laundry
At dinner: Set out the forks and spoons, and bring their own plate to the counter.
What chores can kids do at 6 to 7?
- Sort the laundry by color
- Water the plants
- Put away the groceries that go on low shelves
At dinner: Set the whole table, wash the vegetables, and clear and rinse their own plate.
What chores can kids do at 8 to 9?
- Load and empty the dishwasher
- Fold and put away their laundry
- Take out the trash and the recycling
At dinner: Measure and stir, peel vegetables, and make the salad.
What chores can kids do at 10 to 12?
- Wash dishes by hand
- Vacuum a room
- Clean the bathroom sink and mirror
At dinner: Follow a simple recipe with an adult nearby, and help pick a dinner for the week.
What chores can kids do at 13 and up?
- Do their own laundry
- Mow the lawn
- Shop from the grocery list
At dinner: Cook one dinner a week, from planning it to the dishes.
How do you make chores stick?
- Do it with them first. Show the job a few times before it’s theirs.
- Same day, same time. The trash on Tuesdays is easier to remember than “when it’s full”.
- Take turns. A rotation everyone can see ends “I did it last time”.
- One reminder, not ten. Then let them check it off themselves.
Every child is different. Go by what yours can do safely, and keep an adult nearby for anything with a knife or a stove.
Set them up in Foodoodle
Set a chore once: it takes turns, skips whoever’s out for dinner, and sends one reminder in the morning. Dishes after dinner only show up on nights there’s a dinner. Kids with their own login check off their own, and younger kids are profiles you check off for. There are no points: rewards, if any, are yours to decide. How the chore chart works.
