Age-Appropriate Chores for Kids: The Complete List by Age
Updated July 12, 2026
Kids who do regular, age-appropriate chores show higher self-esteem, handle frustration better, and follow through more reliably — the research on this is remarkably consistent. The hard part is calibration: a chore that stretches a 4-year-old bores a 9-year-old. Here is the full list from toddlers to teens, with suggested point values if you run a points-based chore chart.
Free printable chore chart
A clean weekly chart with chore, points, and day columns — print one per kid.
Ages 2–3: Toddlers
Toddlers genuinely want to help — the goal at this age is participation, not results. Chores are done alongside you, praise is immediate, and "done" means "tried."
| Chore | Suggested points |
|---|---|
| Put toys in the toy bin | 5 |
| Put dirty clothes in the hamper | 5 |
| Help feed a pet (with supervision) | 5 |
| Put books back on the shelf | 5 |
| Wipe up small spills with help | 5 |
Tip: Keep point values flat and small — toddlers respond to the checkmark and the cheer, not the number.
Ages 4–5: Preschoolers
Preschoolers can own simple, repeatable tasks with a consistent routine. Expect supervision-quality results and resist the urge to redo their work in front of them.
| Chore | Suggested points |
|---|---|
| Make their bed (imperfectly is fine) | 10 |
| Clear their plate after meals | 5 |
| Water plants | 5 |
| Match socks from the laundry | 10 |
| Set napkins and utensils on the table | 10 |
| Feed a pet on schedule | 10 |
Tip: This is the age where a visible chart starts working — seeing their own row fill up with completed tasks is the reward loop forming.
Ages 6–7: Early elementary
Kids this age can complete short chores start-to-finish without you standing there. Verification matters now: check the result, then award the points.
| Chore | Suggested points |
|---|---|
| Wipe the table and counters | 10 |
| Sweep small areas | 15 |
| Put away their own laundry | 15 |
| Pack their school bag | 10 |
| Sort recycling | 10 |
| Rake leaves (small patches) | 15 |
Tip: Start differentiating point values by effort — a swept floor is worth more than a wiped table, and kids this age notice the difference.
Ages 8–9: Middle elementary
Multi-step chores become realistic: load, run, unload. Consistency beats intensity — a short daily routine builds the habit that sticks into the teen years.
| Chore | Suggested points |
|---|---|
| Load and unload the dishwasher | 20 |
| Help with simple meal prep | 20 |
| Pack their own lunch | 15 |
| Take out the trash | 15 |
| Vacuum a room | 20 |
| Walk the dog (familiar routes) | 20 |
Tip: Introduce recurring tasks now — daily and weekly rhythms teach time management better than one-off assignments.
Ages 10–12: Tweens
Tweens can own a domain, not just a task: their room, the bathroom, a weekly cooking slot. Bigger responsibility deserves visibly bigger point values.
| Chore | Suggested points |
|---|---|
| Clean the bathroom | 30 |
| Change their own sheets | 20 |
| Do a full load of laundry | 30 |
| Cook a simple meal | 35 |
| Mow the lawn (with instruction) | 40 |
| Babysit a sibling for short stretches | 40 |
Tip: This is peak leaderboard age. Weekly rankings reset the race often enough that a slow start never feels unrecoverable.
Ages 13+: Teenagers
Teens can do nearly anything you can — the chore system becomes practice for living independently. Points often convert to allowance, privileges, or driving time.
| Chore | Suggested points |
|---|---|
| Cook family dinner once a week | 50 |
| Full laundry cycle for the household | 40 |
| Grocery run from a list | 40 |
| Deep-clean the kitchen | 50 |
| Seasonal yard work | 50 |
| Simple home maintenance (filters, bulbs) | 30 |
Tip: Negotiate point values with teens instead of dictating them — buy-in at this age is worth more than any individual chore.
Making it stick
The list is the easy half. What separates families where chores happen from families where chores are a nightly negotiation is the system around the list: expectations that are visible, completion that is verified, and rewards that arrive predictably.
If the sticking point in your house is motivation rather than the list itself, start with our guide to getting kids to do chores without nagging; if it is the money question, see should kids get paid for chores?
That is exactly what the printable chart above gives you for one week at a time — and what a digital chore chart automates permanently: recurring chores reset themselves, points tally automatically, and the leaderboard keeps siblings racing each other instead of arguing with you. TidyDone is genuinely free with the point values from this guide ready to assign in a couple of taps.
Free printable chore chart
A clean weekly chart with chore, points, and day columns — print one per kid.
Common questions
At what age should kids start doing chores?
Around age 2–3, with participation-level tasks like putting toys away. Research consistently links early, age-appropriate chores to higher self-esteem, better frustration tolerance, and stronger follow-through later in life. Start small and keep it positive.
How many chores should a child have per day?
A useful rule of thumb: one or two quick daily tasks plus one or two bigger weekly chores, scaled up with age. A 5-year-old might make their bed and feed the pet daily; a 12-year-old adds a weekly bathroom clean and a laundry load. Consistency matters more than volume.
Should chores be tied to allowance?
Families split on this, and both models work. Some pay per chore, some give a base allowance plus paid extras, and some keep chores unpaid as family contribution while points buy privileges instead. A points system keeps the flexibility — you decide what points convert to.
What if my child refuses to do chores?
Shrink the task, not the expectation. Refusal usually means the chore feels too big, too vague, or too disconnected from anything the child cares about. Make it specific, make completion visible, and make points lead to a reward they actually chose.
Put the list to work tonight
Add your kids, pick their chores from this guide, set the points — done in under 10 minutes, free forever for founding members.