Age-appropriate chores for kids
A chore list every 3-to-15-year-old can actually do — with typical pay rates and time estimates so the chart on the fridge matches the dollars in their jar.
Elementary (5-9)
Tween (10-12)
How to use these lists
- Pick 3-5 daily chores plus 1-2 weekly chores at any age. More than that and the routine collapses by Wednesday.
- Self-care items (make bed, brush teeth, hang up coat) are usually unpaid — they\'re part of being in the family.
- Family-help chores (set the table, take out trash, mow the lawn) are where allowance and chore-pay come from.
- Pay ranges are starting points — adjust to your local cost of living and your family\'s norms.
- The same chore is worth different amounts at different ages. A 6-year-old folding towels is real work; a 13-year-old folding towels is fast.