A Huge List of Chores for Kids – Plus FREE Family Chore Chart Printable!

This post about chores for kids is sponsored by Bounty but all opinions are my own.

As parents, we have a tendency to do the majority of chores and tasks around the house, especially when your children are preteen ages. As the old saying goes, If you want something done right, you gotta do it yourself. I know I’ve fallen into this habit, but as I get older, I realize that isn’t always the best attitude on my part and it’s good to have chores for kids. (Plus it starts to free up my day!)

Yes, towels won’t be folded with exactness and windows might have streaks. You know what, though? Who cares! At least it gets done and at least they are learning and improving each time they complete a chore!

Janessa and I worked together to decide what age-appropriate chores to give each of our kiddos and we’re pretty happy with the results. The kids have been incredibly helpful and it’s reduced our burden around the house. In addition, they really seem to enjoy doing tasks that make them feel like grown-ups. Creating this chore list for kids has been a real win-win for all of us!

DIY – Kids Cleaning Caddy

As part of our new direction, we decided to give the kids their own cleaning supplies. In short, this was an assurance that they were only touching cleaning products that they could use safely. We decided that a cleaning caddy with all the items necessary for their particular chores would be the easiest and most convenient way to keep their supplies together. 

Our kid’s cleaning caddy includes:

• Bounty – It was important to me to get the best paper towels so that they absorb and hold the liquid from the cleaning spray well, plus Bounty won’t leave lint behind either. 
• Spray bottles with homemade cleaners
• Sponges
• Magic eraser
• Scrub brush
• Microfiber towels
• Gloves

Chores For Kids

In addition to putting together the cleaning caddy, we decided to do a family chore packet to help keep track of our responsibilities, goals, etc. This is a great quick reference because, if you’re anything like me, your memory is now completely shot! We’ve included the entire packet as a printable for your family to utilize as well!

After some discussion, these are some of the chores that we decided on for our kids:

• Gideon (Age 3)
  • Around The House
    • Mop in areas with help
    • Pour from a small pitcher with help
    • Put away clean utensils
    • Put books and magazines on a shelf
    • Put shoes/coat in proper place
    • Slightly more complicated errands (“Throw these clothes into the hamper,” “Put this dirty cup in the sink,” etc.)
    • Carry laundry to laundry room
    • Wash hands and face
    • Water plants
    • Help clean room
    • Help clean windows (With homemade glass cleaner and Bounty since the sheets soak up liquid quickly and won’t leave any cleaner behind.)
  • In The Yard
    • Collect trash or toys from the yard
    • Sweep sidewalk with child-sized broom
    • Help get the mail
    • Help clean out the car
    • Help wash the car (Cleaning windows with homemade glass cleaner and Bounty paper towels, etc.)
  • Groceries
    • Help put items in shopping cart
    • Help load items onto the check-our conveyor belt
    • Hand you items from shopping bags so that you can put them away
• Zellene (Age 4.5)
  • In Her Room
    • Choose clothes with assistance and get dressed/undressed
    • Make bed and clean room
    • Pick up toys and put in their proper place
    • Put dirty clothes into clothes hamper
  • Around The House
    • Brush hair
    • Brush teeth (let them attempt on their own first – you will want to supervise or at least check teeth afterward – especially back teeth)
    • Carrying in groceries from the car and helping to put them away
    • Clean table after meals
    • Clear and set the table
    • Dust the furniture 
    • Feed pets at scheduled times
    • Help fold laundry
    • Help do the dishes (rinse items or put dishes in the dishwasher)
    • Help set the table (put utensils, napkins, plates, glasses, and condiments from the fridge onto the table)
    • Help with grocery shopping and compiling a list
    • Help with more difficult meal preparation (making frozen juice, tearing lettuce for a salad, scrambling eggs, cutting with a blunt knife)
    • Help with younger siblings (bottle feeding, entertaining while mom is out of the room, feeding/dressing toddler siblings)
    • Mop in areas with help
    • Pour from a small pitcher with help (Cleaning any spills with the Bounty paper towels from their cleaning caddy)
    • Put away clean utensils
    • Put books and magazines on a shelf
    • Put shoes/coat in proper place
    • Wash hands and face
    • Water plants (Hack: Depending on the location of the planter, we also teach them to place a folded Bounty sheet underneath the pot to help catch any water that passes through the soil)
  • In The Yard
    • Collect trash or toys from the yard
    • Sweep sidewalk with a child-sized broom
    • Get the mail
    • Help clean out the car
    • Help wash the car (Cleaning windows with homemade glass cleaner and Bounty paper towels, etc.)
  • Groceries
    • Help put items in shopping cart
    • Help load items onto the check-out conveyor belt
    • Help put items away at home

• Jacob and Maggie (Ages 6.5 and 9)
  • In Their Rooms
    • Clean their room
    • Dress on their own and choose outfit for the day
    • Hang up own clothes in the closet
    • Make bed/change sheets (with help)
  • Around The House
    • Carry in the grocery bags
    • Clean bathrooms (sink and counters with homemade multisurface or glass cleaner and Bounty to do the job)
    • Fold and put away laundry
    • Help make breakfast and lunch 
    • Increased responsibilities for younger siblings (dressing infants/toddlers, changing diapers, entertaining them for longer periods by reading to them, playing games with them, etc.)
    • Wash out the trash can
    • Keep the bathroom tidy (Scrubbing bathtub with the scrub brush and homemade multisurface cleaner, cleaning mirror with homemade glass cleaner and Bounty sheets)
    • Make and pour their own drinks, get their own condiments, etc. 
    • Prepare simple foods (sandwiches, salad, peel vegetables, etc.)
    • Shake rugs
    • Straighten or clean our silverware drawer
    • Take care of pets
    • Take out trash
    • Train pets
    • Use the washer and dryer (sort clothes, measure detergent, fold clean clothes and put them away)
    • Vacuum, sweep, and mop
    • Wash the dishes
    • Give the dog a bath
    • Water plants and flowers
  • In The Yard
    • Clean out inside of car
    • Learn the purpose and begin to use tools (lawn mower, hand tools, etc) to help with home maintenance
    • Oil and care for bike
    • Pull weeds
    • Rake leaves
    • Shovel snow
    • Sweep patio/deck area or sidewalk
    • Take pet for a walk
    • Water the lawn

It’s a pretty expansive list and not every one of these needs done daily or even weekly. In reality, it’s a bigger help for me and Janessa so we can be reminded ourselves to prompt the kids regarding things that need to be done. It’s made life a lot easier and I regret being so particular in the past! I have to admit that I underestimated what the kids can accomplish!

If you don’t have your kids doing chores yet, you might be surprised to learn that many of them want to participate and help with the keeping of the household. Use our handy downloadable family chore packet as a starting point and adapt it for your specific needs and goals. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did!