What Chores Are Right For My Child?
Believe it or not, kids can start taking on household chores and small tasks as early as two years old! Age-appropriate chores can range from putting on pajamas to cleaning up toys. Keep in mind, your child won’t know how to do all of these chores right away, so a little guidance may be necessary. Having your child complete these tasks in their early years will help with their overall development in the long run!
Chores for Ages 2-3
Put the Toys in the Bin: Tell your child “I bet I can put these away faster than you” will make the chore more of a game and more fun for your child. Using a “clean up” song is also very helpful, this is a strategy many day cares/preschools use; use the same one your child hears in those settings.
- Helps with motor skills, because children will be walking up and down stairs and picking up toys. They also have the chance to identify where things belong.
Sort Clothes by Color : Ask your child to sort laundry by color. You can say something like: “Let’s put all the greys together, all the blues together, and all the white together.” Or you can focus on one color at a time “let’s get the red ones!”
- Helps with sensory development.
Follow the Leader: Give your child simple directions like: “Throw it in the trash,” or “Put it by the door, please.”
- Helps with communication skills and learning how to follow simple instructions.
Copycat (Housework Edition): From 2-3 years old, children love to do what mommy and daddy are doing. Let them be present as you do housework. If they have a small broom or toy vacuum, they can follow along and copy what you do.
- Helps with motor and executive function skills.
Chores for Ages 3-4
Switcharoo: If your child has a sibling or friend, invite them to do a chore together like putting away toys in a storage bin. Each child brings you one toy at a time and taking turns they put everything away.
- Helps with motor, sensory, and executive function skills.
Table Time: Set the table with your child! Say, “If I put down the napkins, you put the forks on top.” Show them how the fork goes on top of the napkin, or the water goes in the glass.
- Helps children understand the concept of in, on, and under.
Close What You Open: Reminding your child to put the top back on once they’re done will let them practice opening and closing containers whenever they play. Using small jars or storage containers for crayons, craft supplies and small toys is a good way to keep organized.
- Helps children work on sorting skills and fine motor skills.
Chores for Ages 4-5
Getting Ready: Use a visual checklist to help a child get ready in the morning. The pictures will help your child develop self-care routines like putting on pajamas, going to the bathroom, brushing teeth and getting ready for bed.
- Helps with developing routines and understanding time.
Cut Your Food: At this age, your child can cut their own food. Take it a step further and let them pour, cut, and mash food. For example, your child could help you mash bananas for banana bread or potatoes for mashed potatoes.
- Helps with fine motor skills.
Chores for Ages 5-6
Get a Snack: Your child can get their own snack from the fridge, get the correct silverware, eat and clean up their snack on their own.
- Helps with independence and executive functioning skills.
Daily Tasks: At this age, your child can be given more independent, but still supervised, chores. They are old enough to feed the dog or water the plants.
- Helps with executive functioning skills.
Who knew chores were so helpful?! Chores let your child practice executive functioning, motor, sensory, and communication skills. So have your child pick up their toys, unload the dishwasher, feed the dog; but don’t have them drive to the grocery store for milk just yet, we’ll work up to that!
