By age
Age-appropriate chores from toddlers to teens
Age charts on the internet swing between “a toddler can cook dinner” and “wait until they move out.” Reality is in the middle: kids can do real work if the job is visible, short, and taught once with your hands over theirs.
Use this as a menu, not a mandate. Skip anything unsafe in your house. Add anything your child already loves (pets, watering, matching socks).
Ages 2–4
Think reset, not clean. Toys in a bin, clothes in a hamper, plate to the counter, shoes on a mat. Supervise wiping — they will paint the table with water and that is still practice.
Ages 5–7
Make a bed to “good enough,” set a simple table, unpack a backpack, feed a pet with a measured scoop, fold washcloths. Reading is not required if you use a picture chart.
Ages 8–10
Dishwasher loading, bathroom sink, trash to the curb with a buddy, packing lunch from a list, vacuuming their own room. This is the age charts often get too cute. Switch to a cleaner grid if they roll their eyes.
Ages 11–13
Full laundry cycles, simple meals, a bathroom, grocery list help, walking a dog. Tweens notice fairness. Put sibling jobs in writing so you are not negotiating from memory at 7:40pm.
Ages 14–16
Dinner once a week, yard work, car interiors, money logging, calendar ownership. A teen chart should look like a checklist, not a star board, unless they ask for stickers (some still want them; let them).
Questions parents ask
- My eight-year-old still can’t make a bed. Did we miss a window?
- No. Teach it as a two-minute job with a photo of “done” on the chart. Skill is practice, not age magic.
- Should chores differ for boys and girls?
- No. Rotate kitchen and laundry the same way you rotate yard work. Charts are a good place to make that visible.