11/08/2026
Despite how they feel about them, chores are good for kids!
Doing chores helps children learn about caring for themselves, their home and their family. Not only do they learn life skills, but being involved in chores also teaches children relationship skills, like communicating clearly, negotiating, cooperating and teamwork.
While there's no magical way to get children doing chores, raisingchildren.net.au has some expert tips to get them feeling motivated to help, including:
✨ doing the chore together until your child can do it on their own
✨ being clear about each person’s chores for the day or week – write them down so they’re easy to remember
✨ talking about why it’s great that a particular job has been done
✨ showing an interest in how your child has done the job
✨ praising positive behaviour like doing chores without being asked
✨ using a reward chart when you introduce a new chore
💡 Below is a great list of age-appropriate chores for kids:
2-3 YEARS
▶️ Help to tidy up toys after playtime.
▶️ Help to put laundry in the washing machine.
▶️ Help to fill a pet’s water bowl.
4-5 YEARS
▶️ Set the table for meals.
▶️ Help to prepare meals, under supervision.
▶️ Help to put clean clothes into piles for each family member, ready to fold.
▶️ Help to do the grocery shopping and put away groceries.
6-11 YEARS
▶️ Water the garden and indoor plants.
▶️ Feed pets.
▶️ Help to hang out clothes and fold washing.
▶️ Take out rubbish.
▶️ Help to choose meals and do the shopping.
▶️ Help to prepare and serve meals, under supervision.
▶️ Vacuum or sweep floors.
▶️ Clean the bathroom sink, wipe down kitchen benches, or mop floors.
▶️ Empty the dishwasher.
TEENAGERS
Teenagers can do the chores they did when they were younger, but they can be responsible for doing them on their own. Teenagers can also take on more difficult chores, e.g:
▶️ do the washing
▶️ clean the bathroom and toilet
▶️ mow lawns
▶️ stack the dishwasher
▶️ do basic grocery shopping
▶️ cook a simple family meal once a week.
Read more at https://raisingchildren.net.au/preschoolers/family-life/routines-rituals-rules/chores-for-children
[Image description: Blue and white graphic displays the above lists of chores under the four age groups, with the title 'Age-appropriate chores for kids.']
