Age-Appropriate Chores for Kids: The Complete List by Age

Ages 2–3: "I do it myself!"

Toddlers want to help; the goal is participation, not results.

• Put toys and books back in their spots
• Put dirty clothes in the hamper
• Help feed a pet (with supervision)
• Wipe up small spills with a cloth

Ages 4–5: routines begin

• Make their bed (imperfectly — that's fine)
• Set and clear their own place at the table
• Water plants, match socks from the laundry
• Tidy their room with a short, specific list

Ages 6–9: real contributors

• Make the bed daily and change pillowcases
• Dust nightstands and shelves, tidy up shelves
• Empty small trash bins, sort recycling
• Help with dishes, feed pets independently
• Sweep floors and wipe down dressers

Ages 10–13: independent operators

• Vacuum the floor and mop
• Load, run, and empty the dishwasher without help
• Do their own laundry with guidance
• Clean the bathroom sink and polish mirrors
• Prepare simple meals and pack their own lunch

Ages 14–18: household-level skills

• Deep-clean the bath and kitchen
• Full laundry cycles, including sheets and towels
• Cook family meals once a week
• Yard work, taking bins out, minor household maintenance
• Run their own weekly room reset without prompting

Assigning age-appropriate chores in Popi

1. Give each child a profile — even the four-year-old, who will be extremely proud of their avatar.
2. Set complexity to match age. A toddler's toy pickup might be complexity 1; a teen's bathroom deep-clean a 9. Points stay fair across wildly different abilities.
3. Schedule tasks at the right rhythm — daily beds, weekly dusting — so routines actually form.
4. Let reminders build the habit. Each child gets their own notifications; you're coaching, not policing.
5. Grow the list with the child. Raise complexity and add tasks each birthday — the chart matures with them.