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Chore list by age
Every child develops differently. Treat these as starting points, not tests. The golden rule: a good chore is one your child can complete successfully without help most days.
Ages 3–4: helpers in training
- Put toys in a labelled bin
- Put dirty clothes in the hamper
- Feed a pet (with supervision)
- Carry their plate to the counter
- Brush teeth (with a parent finishing up)
Ages 5–6: routine builders
- Get dressed independently
- Make the bed (imperfectly is fine!)
- Water plants
- Set and clear the table
- Match clean socks from the laundry
- Pack their school bag from a checklist
Ages 7–9: real contributors
- Empty the dishwasher
- Take out the trash and recycling
- Fold and put away their own laundry
- Vacuum a room
- Make a simple breakfast
- Full pet care: food, water, brushing
Ages 10–12: junior adults
- Do a full load of laundry start to finish
- Cook a simple family meal with supervision
- Mow the lawn / rake leaves / shovel snow
- Clean the bathroom
- Help a younger sibling with their routine
How many stars is each chore worth?
Price chores by effort relative to the child, not by adult standards. A simple scheme that works:
| Effort | Examples | Stars |
|---|---|---|
| Quick daily habit | Brush teeth, hamper, get dressed | 1 |
| Takes real effort | Make bed, pack bag, set table | 2 |
| Big-kid job | Homework done, vacuum, laundry folded | 3 |
Keep prices stable so kids learn to plan and save. If everything is worth the same, effort stops mattering; if prices change weekly, trust erodes. Once values are set, a clear reward system does the rest.
Age-tuned chores in Star Chart
- Create each child with their own profile: a 5-year-old and a 10-year-old get completely independent charts.
- Start from a template (Morning, After-School, Bedtime) and swap tasks for age-appropriate ones from the lists above.
- Set star values per task using the effort scheme: 1 habits, 2 efforts, 3 big-kid jobs.
- Schedule weekly chores like trash day to appear only on the right weekdays: kids see only today's tasks, never an overwhelming master list.
- Add a parent check to chores you want to inspect ("clean your room"): the child sends it for approval and stars arrive when you confirm.
Frequently asked questions
What chores can a 4-year-old do?
Picking up toys, putting clothes in the hamper, feeding a pet with supervision, and carrying their plate to the counter. Keep each one single-step and celebrate every win.
Should chores get harder as kids get older?
Yes, graduate kids to bigger jobs as skills grow, and retire 'baby' chores. Rising responsibility with rising reward keeps the system feeling fair.
Should all my kids have the same chores?
No. Same-effort-for-age is fairer than same-chores-for-all. Each child having their own age-tuned list (as in Star Chart) prevents both overwhelm and resentment.