How to make a chore chart
- Add each child and their age. The chart maker suggests a few everyday chores and one to three weekly ones that suit that age. Start small: four daily jobs are plenty for a young child.
- Change the chores if you like. Untick anything that doesn't fit your home, add your own, and pick the day for each weekly chore so they don't all land on Saturday.
- Choose a reward. An allowance, stars toward a goal, or no reward at all. With an allowance, the chart shows what each tick is worth and how the money splits into save, spend and give jars.
- Print one chart per child. Put it somewhere they'll see it every day, like the fridge or their bedroom door.
Age-appropriate chores
Every child is different, so use this as a starting point. Younger children can help with most of these long before they can do them alone.
| Age | Chores they can usually manage |
|---|---|
| 2–3 | Put toys away, dirty clothes in the hamper, brush teeth with help, water a plant with help |
| 4–5 | Make the bed, get dressed, clear their plate, feed the pet, match socks, water the plants |
| 6–7 | Tidy their room, set the table, pack their school bag, wipe the table, sort the recycling, dust low shelves |
| 8–9 | Load or unload the dishwasher, fold and put away laundry, vacuum their room, take out the trash, sweep, clean the bathroom sink |
| 10–12 | Pack their own lunch, wash the dishes, walk the dog, change their sheets, clean the litter box, start helping with dinner |
| 13 and up | Do their own laundry, clean a bathroom, cook a simple family meal, wash the car, mow the lawn |
Should chores be tied to allowance?
Families do it both ways. Some pay for chores so children learn that money comes from work. Others give a set allowance to learn money skills and expect everyday chores anyway, because everyone helps at home. A common middle ground is to expect the daily basics for free and pay for the bigger weekly jobs.
A popular rule of thumb is $1 a week for each year of age, so a 7-year-old gets $7 a week. Plenty of families give half that, or a set amount for every child. Our free allowance calculator shows the amount by age for any rule, a yearly total and the save, spend and give split.
Making the chart stick
- Keep it short. A chart with four or five boxes a day gets finished; one with twelve gets ignored.
- Use pictures for children who can't read yet, so they can check their own chart.
- Tick boxes together at the same time every day, for example before dinner.
- Add a harder chore on a birthday, so getting older comes with a bit more responsibility and a bit more allowance.
Questions
What chores can a 5-year-old do?
Most 5-year-olds can make their bed, get dressed, put toys away, clear their plate, feed a pet, match socks and water the plants. Pick four or five so the chart stays easy to finish.
How many chores should a child have?
Three or four daily chores for young children and four or five, plus a couple of weekly jobs, for older ones. A short chart that gets done every day teaches more than a long one that gets ignored.
Should kids get paid for chores?
Families do it both ways. A common middle ground is to expect the everyday basics and pay for the bigger weekly jobs. Choose "Allowance" as the reward and the chart shows what each tick is worth.
How much allowance should I give?
A popular rule of thumb is $1 a week for each year of age, so a 7-year-old gets $7. Many families give half that. You can change the amount in the settings, or use the allowance calculator to compare.
Is my chart saved?
Your children, chores and settings are saved in this browser on this device only. Nothing is sent to us. Print the charts or copy them as text to keep a copy.