Chore list
94 real household chores with a rough time and the age most children can do each one alone. Filter by room or age, then add chores straight to your chart.
94 chores
| Chore | Room | From age | Time | Effort | Add |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Put toys in bins | Bedroom | 2 | 10 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Put dirty clothes in hamper | Bedroom | 2 | 2 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Help make the bed | Bedroom | 3 | 5 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Make own bed | Bedroom | 5 | 5 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Tidy bookshelf | Bedroom | 4 | 10 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Put away clean clothes | Bedroom | 5 | 10 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Change bed sheets | Bedroom | 10 | 20 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Declutter closet and donate | Bedroom | 12 | 45 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Vacuum bedroom | Bedroom | 8 | 15 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Dust bedroom surfaces | Bedroom | 6 | 10 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Pick out tomorrow's clothes | Personal | 4 | 5 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Pack school bag | Personal | 6 | 5 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Pack own lunch | Personal | 8 | 10 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Set a morning alarm and get up | Personal | 10 | 2 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Brush teeth without reminders | Personal | 4 | 4 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Wipe up own spills | Kitchen | 3 | 3 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Carry plate to the sink | Kitchen | 3 | 2 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Set the table | Kitchen | 5 | 5 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Clear the table | Kitchen | 5 | 5 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Load the dishwasher | Kitchen | 7 | 10 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Unload the dishwasher | Kitchen | 6 | 10 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Hand-wash dishes | Kitchen | 9 | 20 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Wipe kitchen counters | Kitchen | 6 | 5 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Sweep kitchen floor | Kitchen | 7 | 10 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Mop kitchen floor | Kitchen | 10 | 20 min | ●●●3 of 3 | |
| Take out trash and recycling | Kitchen | 8 | 5 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Put groceries away | Kitchen | 5 | 10 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Wash fruit and vegetables | Kitchen | 4 | 5 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Make a simple breakfast | Kitchen | 8 | 15 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Cook a family dinner | Kitchen | 13 | 60 min | ●●●3 of 3 | |
| Clean out the fridge | Kitchen | 11 | 30 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Wipe microwave inside | Kitchen | 9 | 10 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Empty small wastebaskets | Living areas | 5 | 5 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Dust low shelves | Living areas | 4 | 10 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Fluff and straighten cushions | Living areas | 3 | 5 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Vacuum living room | Living areas | 8 | 20 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Wipe light switches and door handles | Living areas | 7 | 10 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Clean mirrors and glass doors | Living areas | 8 | 10 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Water houseplants | Living areas | 4 | 5 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Tidy shoes by the door | Living areas | 3 | 5 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Sort mail and paper clutter | Living areas | 12 | 15 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Vacuum stairs | Living areas | 10 | 15 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Wipe baseboards | Living areas | 9 | 25 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Wash windows inside | Living areas | 12 | 40 min | ●●●3 of 3 | |
| Clean the TV and screens | Living areas | 10 | 5 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Hang up bath towel | Bathroom | 4 | 2 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Wipe bathroom sink | Bathroom | 6 | 5 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Clean bathroom mirror | Bathroom | 7 | 5 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Refill toilet paper and soap | Bathroom | 5 | 3 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Scrub the toilet | Bathroom | 10 | 10 min | ●●●3 of 3 | |
| Clean shower or tub | Bathroom | 11 | 25 min | ●●●3 of 3 | |
| Mop bathroom floor | Bathroom | 10 | 10 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Wash bath mats | Bathroom | 10 | 5 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Sort laundry by colour | Laundry | 5 | 10 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Match socks | Laundry | 3 | 10 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Fold towels and washcloths | Laundry | 5 | 10 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Run the washing machine | Laundry | 10 | 10 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Move laundry to the dryer or line | Laundry | 8 | 10 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Fold and put away family laundry | Laundry | 10 | 25 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Iron or steam clothes | Laundry | 13 | 20 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Feed the pet | Pets | 4 | 5 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Refill pet water bowl | Pets | 3 | 2 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Brush the pet | Pets | 6 | 10 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Walk the dog | Pets | 10 | 30 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Clean the litter box | Pets | 9 | 10 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Clean the fish tank | Pets | 12 | 30 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Pick up dog poop in the yard | Pets | 9 | 10 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Water the garden | Outdoor | 5 | 15 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Pull weeds | Outdoor | 6 | 20 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Rake leaves | Outdoor | 8 | 30 min | ●●●3 of 3 | |
| Mow the lawn | Outdoor | 13 | 45 min | ●●●3 of 3 | |
| Sweep porch or balcony | Outdoor | 7 | 10 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Wash the car | Outdoor | 10 | 40 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Shovel snow | Outdoor | 11 | 30 min | ●●●3 of 3 | |
| Bring bins to the curb | Outdoor | 9 | 5 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Help a younger sibling get dressed | Family help | 8 | 10 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Read to a younger sibling | Family help | 7 | 15 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Make a grocery list | Family help | 9 | 10 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Plan one family meal | Family help | 11 | 20 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Babysit a sibling for an hour | Family help | 13 | 60 min | ●●●3 of 3 | |
| Pay a household bill online with a parent | Family help | 15 | 15 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Book own appointment | Personal | 15 | 10 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Do own laundry start to finish | Personal | 12 | 60 min | ●●2 of 3 | |
| Budget own allowance | Personal | 9 | 10 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Clean own bathroom weekly | Personal | 12 | 30 min | ●●●3 of 3 | |
| Change a light bulb | Family help | 12 | 5 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Replace vacuum bag or empty canister | Family help | 10 | 5 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Wipe kitchen cabinet fronts | Kitchen | 8 | 15 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Descale the kettle | Kitchen | 14 | 10 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Clean the oven | Kitchen | 14 | 45 min | ●●●3 of 3 | |
| Put books back on the shelf | Living areas | 2 | 5 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Help wipe the table with a cloth | Kitchen | 2 | 3 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Help carry light shopping bags | Family help | 3 | 5 min | ●1 of 3 | |
| Put shoes on the rack | Personal | 2 | 2 min | ●1 of 3 |
Ages are general suggestions for when most children can do a job without help, based on common guidance such as the AAP's HealthyChildren.org. Times are typical for an average home.
Chore list questions
What counts as a household chore?
Any recurring job that keeps a home running: cleaning, tidying, laundry, cooking and dishes, pet care, outdoor and garden work, plus "invisible" jobs like planning meals, sorting post and booking appointments.
What are the most time-consuming chores?
In our list, cooking a family dinner, washing and folding a full load of laundry, mowing and deep-cleaning the kitchen or bathroom take the longest. Time guides are rough averages for a typical home.
How do I split chores fairly?
Weigh chores by effort, not by count. Ten 2-minute jobs are not equal to one hour of cooking. The chart maker gives each chore 1–3 points and shows everyone's weekly total.