Chores for 7-Year-Olds: A Chore List and Chart for Ages 6–8

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Quick answer: A 7-year-old can make their bed, set and clear the table, sort laundry by color, put away clean clothes, empty small wastebaskets, water plants, and feed a pet. Most children aged 6–8 can follow a short written or picture checklist with a quick check from you. Choose three or four daily jobs plus one weekly job, and define what “done” looks like.

What changes between 6 and 8

Somewhere in this stretch, many children move from helping you to doing a job themselves. They can read or recognize a short checklist, remember a sequence of two or three steps, and notice when something is unfinished. They also start caring about fairness, which makes clear rules more important than ever.

The American Academy of Pediatrics’ chores list suggests that children aged 5–7 can make beds, set and clear the table, put toys away, sort laundry, water plants, wash plastic dishes, fill a pet’s food dish, and empty wastebaskets. For ages 8–10 it adds vacuuming, helping make dinner, making their own snacks, walking a pet, and putting away their own laundry and groceries. An 8-year-old is often ready to start on the second list.

If your kindergartner has turned six

Kindergartners are usually five or six. If your child is still five, the chore chart for a 5-year-old keeps jobs smaller. Once they turn six, the main change is independence: instead of doing the job alongside you, they do it while you are in the room and check it together at the end. A US study of 9,971 children found that kindergartners who did chores more often went on to rate their own social and academic competence higher in third grade. The link held after adjusting for family income and parent education, though it does not prove that chores were the cause.

Chores for 6- to 8-year-olds

Use these as a menu of examples. Pick the jobs that fit your home, and add one at a time.

Daily jobs

• Make the bed: cover pulled up, pillow at the top.
• Set the table with cutlery, napkins, and unbreakable cups.
• Clear their own plate, cup, and cutlery after meals.
• Put dirty clothes in the hamper and pajamas under the pillow.
• Feed a pet from a measured scoop, with a quick check from you.
• Pack their school bag from a short list by the door.

Weekly jobs

• Sort a laundry pile into lights and darks.
• Put away their own folded clothes in the right drawers.
• Empty small bins into the main trash.
• Water indoor plants.
• Dust low shelves with a dry cloth.
• Sweep crumbs under the kitchen table with a small brush and pan.

With help

• Wash plastic dishes at the sink while you handle sharp knives and glass.
• Help prepare a meal: wash vegetables, crack eggs, measure dry ingredients.
• Vacuum one rug while you move furniture and cords (often from age 8).
• Carry light recycling to the bin while you handle glass and heavy bags.
• Rake leaves into a pile in a small area of the yard.

University of Illinois Extension notes that children aged 5–7 can try harder cooking techniques, and that parents should consider their skill level before letting them use scissors or sharp knives. Keep cleaning sprays, the stove, and anything heavy under adult control.

Skills a 7-year-old is building

• Reading a checklist. A written list turns reminders into something the child checks for themselves.
• Sequencing. Setting the table in order (plates, then cutlery, then cups) practices planning.
• Checking their own work. Comparing the bed to a photo of “done” builds self-assessment.
• Time awareness. Finishing a job before a set moment, such as before breakfast, starts time management.
• Contribution. Jobs that help everyone, like setting the table, teach that the home runs on shared work.

A sample chore chart for a 7-year-old (illustrative)

This example shows one way to spread jobs across a week. Your list may be shorter, especially at the start.

Write the chart in words with a small picture beside each job for early readers. Our printable chore chart has room for this kind of list. A practical rule of thumb is to keep the daily jobs to around 10–15 minutes in total, then adjust for your child and your schedule.

Motivation and rewards

At 6–8, visible progress matters. A star or check mark straight after each job gives your child proof that they did it, and a small weekly goal gives them something to save toward. Agree in advance what earns a star and what the stars can be spent on, and never take away stars already earned. Our reward chart guide covers the setup.

Rewards do not need to be toys. Choosing the family film, an extra bedtime chapter, or a trip to the park all work; the non-toy reward ideas list has 50 ideas. Some families use Star Chart for this age, because the chart resets every morning, weekly jobs appear only on their day, and each child can see their own stars. Others are happy with paper. Either way, keep some jobs simply part of family life, without a reward attached.

Common sticking points

“Done” means half done. Take a photo of the finished job and stick it next to the chart. Compare together rather than redoing it yourself.

“It’s not fair!” Children this age watch siblings closely. Give each child their own list and compare effort, not totals. Our guide to chore charts for multiple kids explains how.

Forgetting. Attach jobs to routines that already happen: bed before breakfast, bag before bath. A list by the door does more than a reminder from you.

Rushing to get the reward. If quality drops, check the job before the star rather than after, and keep the standard small and clear.

Tired after school. Move weekday jobs to the morning or to weekends. The after-school routine guide has ideas for a calmer afternoon.

Chores at other ages

For younger siblings, see chores for preschoolers. When your child is ready for multi-step jobs, move on to chores for 10-year-olds, which covers ages 9–11. The full chores by age chart shows every age from 2 to 17.

Frequently asked questions