kids chores

21 Age Appropriate Chores for 2-5 Yr Olds

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If you are looking for some age appropriate chores for your little ones then you’ve come to the right spot. By age two, most children are able to adhere to simple one or two step instructions. I’m not saying that kids should be scrubbing floors and washing windows but, if your children are old enough to listen and adhere to instructions then they are old enough to help out don’t you think? Here are some easy child-tested chores that will not only help teach your children responsibility but, will also help them feel like one of the team.

kids chores

  1. Hand dry dishes

  2. Plastic dishes and utensils can easily be wiped using a soft cloth. Make sure to leave drying knives and glassware to the grown-ups.

  3. Load washer/dryer

  4. It may take a bit longer to load than doing it yourself but this is a task that even a 2 year old can get involved in.

  5. Fold clothes

  6. Everything will not be perfect but it’s great idea to start practicing now.

  7. Wipe eating surfaces

  8. Minimally by age three, have your child start wiping his table mat and the area that he has eaten.

  9. Put away toys

  10. Having children pick up after themselves is a great rule to start implementing now. You won’t regret when they get older.

  11. Set table

  12. I am not saying set the table for a six course meal but, a small child is capable of at least placing his mat, cup and spoon/fork at his setting. Once they get the hang of that, have them do the same for the rest of the table too!

  13. Water Plants

  14. Place water in a small plastic cup or mini watering can so that it is easy to carry.

  15. Help prepare meals and snacks

  16. Kids love helping out in the kitchen. Tasks like washing produce, mixing batters and rolling dough are easy to do and lots of fun. Not to mention, helping out in the kitchen is a great way to teach simple arithmetic skills.

  17. Put away trash

  18. Kids love throwing things into the trash…even items that are not supposed to be there. You should have no problem with this one.

  19. Sort recyclables

  20. Teach kids to care for the environment by having them help you sort items for recycling.

  21. Help load/unload dishwasher

  22. Same as drying dishes, leave loading and uploading of knives, glass and sharp objects for the adults.

  23. Open windows in morning

  24. Let the sunshine in! Little hands and arms tire easily so make sure you are around to help if needed.

  25. Close windows at night

  26. Closing the windows can be a great cue to get ready for the bedtime routine.

  27. Help feed family pet

  28. As always, never leave your child alone or unattended with the family pet or any pet for that matter.

  29. Rinse produce

  30. This a fun way for kids to help out. Hopefully your floors don’t get wet in the process.

  31. Pull weeds

  32. When the weather is nice, the more hands to pull the weeds, the merrier…even if those hands are small.

  33. Help pick produce from family garden

  34. Having kids help in the family garden is a great way to teach lessons in science, health and sustainability.

  35. Check the mailbox

  36. This task has to be done with adult supervision of course.

  37. Pick up newspaper

  38. If you have a local paper delivered, go outside with your child but have them pick it up.

  39. Start dishwasher

  40. Starting the dishwasher requires the simple pressing of a button and let’s face it…kids are naturally good at “pressing buttons”.

  41. Clean up spills

  42. A small spill can be easily cleaned with a few paper towels in small hands. Of course, mom or dad should observe the size of the spill and be available to help too as spills can get really messy and sometimes sticky quickly.

    So the next time your little one says, “Can I help?”, reference this list because there is lots and lots to do.

    Linky Love

  • Comments ( 7 )

  • avatar
    Robin

    My boys used to help me pick weeds in the garden all the time as long as they could haul them away in tonka trucks. These are all great ideas, thanks for sharing!

    • avatar
      LisaDLS

      I love that! Kids are so creative. I think a Tonka truck will make a debut in our garden this spring. 🙂

  • avatar
    LisaDLS

    I appreciate you stopping by Kathryn.

  • avatar
    swathi

    Thanks for the list, I have a 3 year and 5 1/2 year old. My 5 1/2 year old Daughter helps me. son occasionally helps with keeping washed dishes. Thanks for sharing with Hearth and soul blog hop.

  • avatar
    Sonya Morris

    Great ideas! I love (sometimes not so much) how eager kids are to help. My four year old rushes outside each morning to feed the chickens and check for eggs.

  • avatar
    Jordan

    These are some awesome ideas! I’ve been wondering what are some things I could do to make chores more fun for a toddler so they won’t complain when they’re older… (like I did, lol…) so this is perfect. Thanks!

  • avatar
    Brielle

    I love these ideas! We have two little girls and every other minute they’re finding a way to make a mess. The oldest one is two and if you say the “C” word (clean) she comes up with a million of excuses from her belly hurting to shes sad lol. Considering we have a house cleaning service in Boston, http://www.homepluscleaning.com you would think we could motivate her to clean more. We actually just started calling it Tidying now. We’re definitely going to use these ideas!

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