8 Chore Ideas for Elementary School Age Kids
As toddlers, kids are usually willing to help out, to the point that they practically begged me to sweep or do dishes with me!
However, once they hit elementary school, that seemed to unfortunately change a bit. Chores turned into a cause for complaints, grumpiness, and so on. Let’s talk about some of the best chores for elementary school age kids, to keep everyone happy!
Why Are Chores Important?
You may very well find yourself asking this after battling with your kids over doing their chores. Is it even worth it? Is it wrong to make your kids do chores? No, it’s definitely not wrong. In fact, you’d probably be doing them an injustice if you didn’t make them do chores. They’re never going to believe that, of course, but when they’re adults, they may very well thank you.
Assigning chores and holding children to them creates responsible members of your household (and later, society). Of course, chores aren’t meant as a way to punish or “rule” over your kids. This is all about participation and contributing towards a common goal, and everyone has to do it.
Assign Chores with Family Daily.
If your child is complaining about chores, it may not be the helping out that bothers them. Rather, it may be the chore, itself. It wouldn’t hurt to get a little feedback from them in some cases. For example, if one of your children despises vacuuming but another loves it, give the vacuuming task to the one who actually enjoys it. Again, chores don’t have to be (and really shouldn’t be) a negative thing.
Best Chores for Elementary School Age Children
We know that the best age to start giving kids chores is 2-3 years old, but it’s important to keep that momentum going. Many kids at this age love displaying their independence, and this can be used well in this case. Let’s jump into which chores are ideal for older kids:
Setting and Clearing the Table: Your child can count out how many sets of silverware, glasses, and dishes needed for every member of the household and any guests you may have. They can help clear the table after the meal - just make sure they aren’t carrying more dishes than they can handle.
Helping Prepare Meals: This is a chore that many kids enjoy, as they get the satisfaction of helping to create a delicious (ideally) meal that everyone can try! There are also plenty of different activities to help out with, like shucking corn, draining beans, washing vegetables and fruit, and so on.
Tidying Up: As you already know, there’s a never ending supply of things to pick up when you have a home. You have some options, then, when it comes to arranging chores regarding picking up and putting away: games, toys, or simply random things around the house.
Taking Care of Pets: Depending on the pets you have, you’ll also have some different chores surrounding their care. If you have a hamster, perhaps they’ll be responsible for cleaning out their cage or refilling their water bottle. If you have cats and dogs, maybe they’ll clean the litter box, be in charge of feeding the dog, and so on.
Laundry: The great thing about laundry is that just about any age of child can help out with it. Younger children can match socks up, while older children can properly fold clothing like shirts, shorts, and pants. Even older kids can sort out colors to put in the washing machine, switch clothing to the dryer, etcetera.
Dusting/Wiping Down: This is an easy task that makes a big difference in keeping a home clean. Your kids may already have experience with wiping down surfaces as a toddler, but now, they should be able to dust and wipe down with skill. Make sure they can safely reach the surfaces that they’re cleaning.
Gardening: This is a skill that I’m really grateful I learned from a young age, thanks to the chores I did. Gardening never felt like a chore, as it was so fun and rewarding! Planting flowers and plants literally show you the reward of maintenance and care. While things like pulling weeds or raking leaves are more demanding, you still get to see the benefit of your hard work, with a clean planter or yard.
Cleaning Rooms: Ah, yes, the OG of all chores. Cleaning their room should always be on the list, as it is theirs. Making their bed, putting away their toys and books, putting away clean clothes, picking up dirty clothes and putting them into the hamper - there are many little chores involved.
Need some more inspiration? Check out our Ultimate Guide to Chores for Kids
Keep Your Kids Accountable for Their Chores
Make sure to track your child’s chores in some way. While stickers on poster board or magnets on the fridge worked in the past, keeping kids’ attention is much more challenging these days. Technology is a great way to keep them accountable, and we recommend the Family Daily app to ensure your child is doing their chores on time.
This all-in-one family organization app is really a game-changer. You’ll be able to create and share calendars and to-do lists with everyone or specific members of the family. Your child can access them from their own device, and you can see updates in real time. This makes it seamless when organizing chores and family outings around soccer practice, work, and homework.
