Chore Chart by Age: Ideas for Toddlers to Teens, Plus a Simple Pocket Money System
A chore chart works best when the jobs fit the child. Too easy and they're bored. Too hard and they give up or you end up redoing them. This guide gives chore ideas by age, a way to set up a chart, and a simple points-to-pocket-money system with the maths worked out.
The age groups below are general suggestions, not milestones. Children develop at different rates. You know best what's safe and suitable for yours, especially for anything involving heat, sharp tools, chemicals or stairs.
Ages 2–3: helping alongside you
At this age a "chore" is really doing something together, and the goal is the habit, not a perfect result.
- Put toys back in a box or basket
- Put dirty clothes in the laundry basket
- Wipe up small spills with a cloth
- Help feed a pet (you measure, they pour)
- Carry light, unbreakable things to the table
Keep the chart visual: pictures rather than words, and a sticker when a job is done.
Ages 4–5: simple jobs on their own
- Make the bed (a pulled-up duvet counts)
- Set and clear their own place at the table
- Match socks from the clean laundry
- Water plants with a small watering can
- Tidy shoes and coats by the door
Short lists work better than long ones. Three or four daily jobs is plenty.
Ages 6–8: regular responsibilities
- Put clean clothes away in drawers
- Empty small bins around the house
- Sort recycling
- Help unload the dishwasher (cutlery and unbreakables first)
- Dust low surfaces
- Pack their own school bag the night before
This is often a good age to start linking jobs to points or pocket money, because children can now count and understand "if I do this, I get that".
Ages 9–12: bigger jobs with less checking
- Vacuum a room
- Load and run the dishwasher
- Help prepare simple meals with supervision
- Clean the bathroom sink and mirror
- Take bins out on collection day
- Change their own bed sheets with help
Clear standards help here. "Clean your room" is vague. "Floor clear, bed made, clothes in the basket" can be checked.
Ages 13+: running parts of the household
- Do a full load of laundry, from washing to putting away
- Cook a simple family meal once a week
- Mow the lawn or do garden jobs (with proper safety guidance)
- Clean the bathroom
- Do a small grocery shop from a list
Teenagers often respond better to owning an area ("you're in charge of the recycling") than to a long list of small tasks.
How to set up a chart that lasts
- Pick a small number of jobs. Start with three to five per child and add more once the routine sticks.
- Split "everyday" from "extra" jobs. Many families expect some jobs simply as part of living in the house (making the bed, clearing your plate) and only pay for extras. Decide which approach you want before you start.
- Make it visible. Put the chart on the fridge or near the door, where it's seen every day.
- Agree what "done" means. Show the job once together, then let them do it.
- Review weekly. A five-minute check on Sunday works for most families: count up, pay out, and adjust jobs that were too easy or too hard.
With more than one child, give each child their own row or column. That way it's clear who did what, and arguments about fairness are easier to settle.
A simple points and pocket money system
Points let you give bigger jobs more weight without inventing a different price for each one. Here's a worked example:
- Small jobs (make bed, feed the cat) = 1 point
- Medium jobs (unload dishwasher, vacuum a room) = 2 points
- Each point is worth 0.10 (10 cents, 10p or similar)
Over a week, a child earns 30 points. At 0.10 per point, that's 30 × 0.10 = 3.00 pocket money.
If you'd like to build saving and generosity habits, split the money into three jars: save, spend and give. With a 50 / 40 / 10 split:
| Jar | Share | Amount from 3.00 |
|---|---|---|
| Save | 50% | 1.50 |
| Spend | 40% | 1.20 |
| Give | 10% | 0.30 |
| Total | 100% | 3.00 |
Choose the point value to suit your household budget and your child's age. The numbers here are just an example. Some families prefer a fixed weekly amount with chores expected anyway, and that's a perfectly reasonable choice too.
Keeping it going
- Pay on the same day each week. Delayed payouts are the fastest way to kill motivation.
- Keep a record of what's owed. If you don't always have cash, a written tally avoids "you said you'd pay me".
- Rotate jobs every few weeks so nobody is stuck with the worst one forever.
- Praise effort, not perfection, especially for younger children.
- Expect the novelty to fade. A refresh after a month or two (new jobs, new chart) usually helps.
Ready-made charts
You can draw a chart on paper and it'll work fine. If you'd like something ready to print or a spreadsheet that does the adding up, my Chore Chart & Allowance Tracker for Kids handles up to 6 children and 30 chores. It adds up points and money automatically, with an optional save/spend/give split, and includes printable weekly charts and a list of chore ideas by age. The Family Home Bundle pairs it with a flexible cleaning planner for the adults.
Disclosure: the chore chart and bundle are my own products on Payhip. The chart is pay what you want ($1 minimum) and the bundle is $1.50. Chore suggestions are general. Always choose jobs that are safe for your child.