Guides · Chores

Chores for kids by age

What kids aged 4 to 13 can do around the house, how many jobs to start with, and how to make them stick.

The short version

Start with three small jobs

3 small

Start with three small jobs, at the same time each day.

+1

Add one new job at a time, once the last one is a habit.

4 to 7

Kids aged 4 to 7 can do more than you think, with a picture to follow.

11 to 13

By 11 to 13, give them whole jobs, start to finish.

Chores teach kids that a home runs because everyone pitches in. They also build the habits that make pocket money mean something. The hard part is picking jobs that fit their age: too easy and they're bored, too hard and you end up doing it for them.

The lists below start with the jobs from PocketPals' starter packs, marked Starter pack, which you can add for a child in one tap. The rest are ideas to grow into.

Chores for ages 4 to 7

Little kids love to help, so make the most of it. Keep jobs short and the same every day, and do each one with them the first few times. Three jobs is plenty to start.

  • Make my bedMorning, every dayStarter pack
  • Tidy toysBedtime, every dayStarter pack
  • Brush teethBedtime, every dayStarter pack
  • Put dirty clothes in the basketBedtime
  • Put shoes awayAfternoon
  • Help feed the petMorning
  • Water the plantsWeekend
  • Set out the forks and spoonsDinner time
  • Match the socksWashing day

Kids this age often can't read yet, so a picture of each job works better than a list of words. In PocketPals, jobs for this age show as big pictures they can tap.

Chores for ages 8 to 10

Now they can handle a routine: a few jobs before school, one or two after, and something bigger on the weekend. This is a good age to add a job that helps the whole family, not just their own room.

  • Make my bedMorning, school daysSmallStarter pack
  • Pack school bagMorning, school daysSmallStarter pack
  • HomeworkAfternoon, Monday to ThursdayMediumStarter pack
  • Set the tableDinner time, school daysSmallStarter pack
  • Feed the dogMorning, every daySmallStarter pack
  • Walk the dogAfternoonMediumStarter pack
  • Tidy roomSaturdaySmallStarter pack
  • Wash the carSaturdayBigStarter pack
  • Unpack the dishwasherAfternoonSmall
  • Hang out the washingWeekendMedium
  • Take out the recyclingBin nightSmall

Chores for ages 11 to 13

Older kids are ready for whole jobs, start to finish, without being reminded of each step. These are the jobs that build real independence, and they're the ones worth paying extra for.

  • Pack my own lunchEvening, school days · Small
  • Bins out and back inBin night · Small
  • Vacuum the lounge roomWeekend · Medium
  • Clean the bathroom sink and mirrorWeekend · Medium
  • Do my own washing, start to finishOnce a week · Big
  • Cook a simple dinnerOnce a week · Big
  • Mow the lawn, with a grown-up nearbyEvery 2 weeks · Big

For anything with a hot stove or a mower, stay nearby until you're sure they're safe on their own.

How many chores is enough?

Start with three jobs a day, and add one at a time once the last one happens without a reminder. Most families settle somewhere between 4 and 10 small jobs a day, spread across the morning, after school, dinner time and bedtime. More than that and checking them becomes a chore of its own.

An example day of small jobs, spread out.

It helps to think of jobs by size. A small job takes a few minutes, like making the bed. A medium one takes 10 to 20 minutes, like walking the dog. A big one takes half an hour or more, like washing the car. A good week has mostly small jobs, a few medium ones and one big one.

SmallA few minutes, like making the bed
Medium10 to 20 minutes, like walking the dog
BigHalf an hour or more, like washing the car

Sharing jobs between siblings

The jobs nobody wants, like bins or the dishwasher, are easiest when they take turns. Give the job to one child this week and the next one the week after. PocketPals can rotate a job between two or three kids for you, so nobody has to remember whose turn it is.

Paid or not paid?

Some families pay for every job, some pay pocket money no matter what, and many do a bit of both: everyday jobs are part of family life, and bigger special jobs earn a little extra. There's no wrong answer.

Everyday jobsPart of family life.
Special jobsEarn a little extra.

Our guide should pocket money be tied to chores? walks through the four ways to link the two, with examples.

Making chores stick

  • Same time, same place.A job tied to a time of day, like setting the table at dinner time, becomes a habit faster.
  • Show it once, then step back.Do it together the first time, then let them do it their way.
  • Check it, don't redo it.If it's not quite right, send it back with a note, like "Clothes off the floor too", rather than fixing it yourself.
  • Praise the effort."You set the table every night this week" means more than "Superstar".
  • Make missed days easy to come back from.A fresh start beats a lecture.

Try a whole pocket money week, free

PocketPals suggests pocket money and jobs for each child's age, keeps count of what's done, and splits payday into Spend, Save and Grow. You pay them your usual way, cash or bank.

Start free week

Founders pay A$3 a month or A$30 a year. Cancel any time.

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