
Scroll to the bottom for all kids chore charts
Why Do Kids Need Chores?
Chores are something that most people do not get overly excited about, especially kids. The last thing that they want is to have someone tell them to stop in the middle of playing to finish a list of household tasks. Even as adults, we would rather do something that we enjoy over spending time crossing things off of our to do list. With this being said, chores is something that we all must do in some way or another, and is a life skill that we all must learn. Chores teach a child self discipline, teamwork, responsibility, and helps to build confidence in children when they complete a task on their own.
How To Get Kids To Do Chores?
So how do we get our kids to complete chores without all the fuss? One of the first motivators that most of us turn to is to “make a list!” If you’re like me, a list may be enough motivation to check things off one at a time and to feel accomplished for completing that task. If you need a little more inspiration to get started, you may turn on some fun music, or give yourself a reward when you’ve completed your to do’s. When your chores are done, you will surely feel accomplished, proud, and glad that you finished the tasks that before seemed so daunting.
Kids get the same feeling of feeling proud and accomplished when seeing the end result of hard work, even if they grumbled the whole way through. So how do we motivate our kids to do something that they have no interest in doing? We can first start by making chores a part of our everyday routine. Kids thrive on routine, and the more often that they are introduced to something, the more likely they are to accept it as a part of their normal day to day routine.
Another thing that we can do to so that our kids will be more accepting of doing chores is to provide clear expectations and explanations of what we want them to do. I have found that giving my kids a list of things to complete (and explaining how to complete them) makes doing the chores more enjoyable. They have an idea of what the mission is, and how to complete it. For older kids who can read, it is as simple as writing out a list, but for younger children and toddlers require pictures of items that they can relate to that task. For years I have drawn and written out pictures and words for my kids to complete their chore list. This “list” usually gets lost or drawn all over and eventually thrown out. So I have decided to make a printable for us to laminate and keep to use over and over until they move on to more difficult chores.
What Chores Can My Kid Do?
It is important to keep kid chores age appropriate adding in new tasks a few at a time as they build their skills of helping. Here is a list of age appropriate chores for kids ages 2-12+
Ages 2-5 Clean up toys, throw away trash, wipe counters or tables, feed pets, take dishes to sink, water plants, put dirty clothes in hamper, fold clothes, make beds.
Ages 6-8 All of the above plus, take out trash, sweep, vacuum, mop, prepare simple meals, load and unload dishwasher, wash and dry dishes.
Ages 9-11 All of the above plus, Wash laundry, take trash to road and back, clean bathrooms, bring in mail, clean windows and mirrors.
Ages 12+ All the above plus, cook simple meals, babysit, clean car, Iron, do yard work.
Kids Chores Chart Printable
This kids chore chart is super easy to follow, especially for little ones who can’t yet read, because of the adorable and easy to identify pictures. The “Do My Chores” checklist is great for children ages 2-5. Kids on the younger end of this range will be learning the skills needed to complete the task independently as they get older. Expect toddlers to make more messes and take up more time as they are doing these chores. We are mostly teaching the habit of being consistent and planting seeds of confidence and helpfulness in the early toddler years, so have some patience as they spill dog food, wipe food into the floor, or put dirty clothes into a dresser filled with clean clothes. As they grow older, their “helping” will actually begin to feel very helpful to you, and they will feel so accomplished for being a good helper.
I’ve also included a big kid chore chart for children ages 6+ You can change the difficulty level or meaning for each picture depending on your child’s age and abilities. For example: The trash picture can mean “throw away trash, collect all trash, take trash to big bin, or take trash bin to the road” whatever you see appropriate for your child’s individual abilities.
Chore Chart For Young Children

Chore Chart For Big Kids

These printables come in many different colors and designs to fit your child’s room colors and interests.
Leave a Reply