Kitchen Chores for Kids by Age
I spend a lot of time in the kitchen and my kids started kitchen chores early on! Read below to find a printable chart with kitchen chores for kids by age.
What age can my kids start doing chores?
Sometimes as parents, I think we underestimate what our kids are capable of doing! I’ve been surprised by how many times I’ve given my kids a ‘busy’ chore and seen how they rise to the occasion! I’ve embraced the philosophy of independence and let it overflow into my home. I’m teaching them important life skills and, most of the time, they are making my life easier. Also, if your kids have the right type of tools, sometimes it helps them get excited to be involved!
It’s not difficult to involve your kids with kitchen chores. Set the expectation and follow through every day. Soon, they’ll know exactly what they are supposed to do and will do it without you even having to ask. All right, maybe that won’t happen all the time. Let’s be real. You’ll have to remind them. But rest assured, your kids can do chores in the kitchen, so set the bar high!
What chores are good for kids?
Here’s a chart that acts as a general guideline to what kitchen chores kids can do at different ages. Keep in mind that every child is different. Some children will follow this guideline to a T, while others will be slightly ahead of or slightly below the curve. That’s normal, but you can use this to help you see at about what age your child can start helping with certain tasks.
Click Here for this chart in printable form.
Show Them How
Before I require my children to do any of the tasks described, I demonstrate exactly what I expect of them. They don’t get it right the first time. It takes practice and consistency on my part. But the effort is worth the result, I promise!
Natalie Monson
I'm a registered dietitian, mom of 4, avid lover of food and strong promoter of healthy habits. Here you will find lots of delicious recipes full of fruits and veggies, tips for getting your kids to eat better and become intuitive eaters and lots of resources for feeding your family.
Learn More about Natalie
Good idea’s, but be careful if letting a child use a handheld vacuum. I knew a grown adult who had a big section of hair torn off her head when it got too sucked in. Those things are strong!
What 2-3 year old can fill water glasses? How would they do that exactly? They can’t even reach the sink or refrigerator dispenser. It would require so much supervision and effort by the parent that there is no point to it. It doesn’t save me time and may cost me more to clean up the mess. No thanks.
My 2 1/2 year old LOVES to fill water glasses. He just has a little stool to reach and he feels so big when he does it. Every kid is different and so you will have to be the judge of what your child is capable of. Good luck!
My daughter turned 2 in March and she currently empty her plate into the garbage and then sets it on the counter. She goes and gets her step stool and rinses all of the dinner dishes while I or my husband load them into the dishwasher. She dusts the furniture, washes windows, and washes mirrors….well pretty much anything I can spray and she can wipe she does. She’s been washing windows and dusting since she could walk. Every chore is done to music and done as a family. I love this chart because there are simple tasks that I overlooked but I do think it could be expanded some.