Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Activities

The best chores for kindergartners: Teach responsibility in an age-appropriate way

Kindergarteners aren't too young for chores — give them responsibility with these tasks

Dawn Miller
By
Young boy helping unload the dryer
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Are kindergarteners too young for chores? Absolutely not. If you haven’t already started giving your 5-year-old simple chores around the house, now is the perfect time to start. Having chores for kids to do is more than just giving busy parents a hand.

Chores go a long way toward teaching children important life skills. Doing chores actually has a lot of benefits for kids. These household chores teach children responsibility and give them a sense of belonging. Helping with simple tasks around the house also works to improve a child’s confidence and self-esteem. Getting kids used to completing those everyday tasks like making the bed and doing laundry will most certainly be prudent when they’re ready to head off to college or get out on their own. So, what are the best chores for kindergarteners and young children?

Recommended Videos

Chores for kindergarteners

Kindergarten is a wonderfully fun age. At the ages of 4, 5, and 6, kids are curious about everything and love to spend time with their parents. Kindergarteners also want to do the things they see their parents doing, which is why it’s the ideal time to introduce them to chores.

Related

When deciding on chores for your kindergartener or young child, remember to keep the tasks simple. Be sure to give clear and uncomplicated directions. Remember, it’s OK to add an element of fun, too. Music is a great way to inject enthusiasm into chores for kids and adults as well. Now, let’s get to work.

Young boy setting table for lunch

Best chores for kindergarteners

When you’re making up the to-do list around the house, these are the top chores for young children and kindergarteners to get busy with.

Cleaning up books and toys

If your child has been to preschool, they’re already familiar with cleanup time. Cleaning up in school is an all-hands-on-deck chore. It also works well in a classroom because all the shelves are accessible to kids. If your child isn’t already pitching in to clean up the toy room or their bedroom, it’s time. Make sure the toys and books have a place your little one can reach with containers they can carry and put away.

Helping in the garden

Watering plants in the house and outside is a perfect chore for kindergarteners. They, of course, love water. The key to caring for plants is giving kids a watering can they can carry. Show them how to fill the watering can, being careful not to overfill. Then, be sure to demonstrate how much water is enough. Kids can also help with weeding. Just be nearby to ensure they’re not pulling plants out. Another kid-friendly outdoor chore is helping with the planting. Kids enjoy digging holes and putting seeds in the ground. Gardening is a fun chore you and your kindergartener can do together.

Emptying the dryer

Parents never have enough hands to do all the chores around the house, which is why it’s wonderful to have kindergarten helpers. Emptying the dryer can be a pain if you’re in the middle of dinner, but it’s an easy one for 5- and 6-year-olds.

Setting the table

Another simple chore when you’re trying to get a meal ready is setting the table. Kindergarteners can put out placemats and napkins. They can even do the plates and silverware if you get them down from the cabinet and within reach to put out. Remember to teach kids to wash their hands first and to put plates out one at a time. If your youngster isn’t ready for dishes yet, that’s fine. Start with placemats and napkins. Even something small will give them a sense of accomplishment.

Picking up dirty clothes

Save yourself the headache when the kids hit the teen years and get little ones in the habit of picking up dirty clothes and putting them in the hamper. Kindergarteners can also lend a hand when sorting clothes for the laundry.

Making the bed

Another chore that will go a long way in later years is learning how to make the bed in the morning. In the beginning, kids will definitely need a hand, but it won’t be long before they can straighten their bed out in the morning and sit up all their stuffed animals on their own.

Putting away groceries

This is a chore a lot of adults dread, but kindergarteners won’t. Young children can help bring light grocery bags in from the car and put away the non-breakables. Kids can also help wash the produce with supervision.

Dusting

What adult doesn’t hate this chore? Put a pair of old socks on your kindergartener and show them where to dust. They will enjoy seeing how much dirt they’re pickup up on the socks and you’re getting a tedious chore done.

Parent and child with piggy bank

Should you give an allowance?

Some parents use an allowance as an incentive to encourage kids to complete chores. Earning an allowance has benefits very similar to chores. Kids learn responsibility and get a taste of independence. They can use allowance money for extra things they want, which teaches children money management skills. Kindergarten is not too young to begin giving kids an allowance for completing chores. How much is up to you, though a good rule of thumb is a dollar for each year of your child’s age. You can give them their allowance weekly, biweekly, or monthly.

Family unloading groceries at home

Chores for kids

Sure, sometimes it’s easier and quicker to do the chores yourself. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the best idea when it comes to kids. Having children complete age-appropriate chores helps teach responsibility and important life skills. There are a lot of benefits to having chores for kindergarteners to do inside and outside of the house. These eight chores for kids are ideal to start with.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Dawn Miller
Dawn Miller
Contributor
Dawn Miller began her professional life as an elementary school teacher before returning to her first love, writing. In…
There are actually some helpful benefits of tongue twisters for kids
Tongue twisters are a laugh, but did you know they are also a useful learning tool?
teenagers getting twisted over tongue twisters

Ready to get twisted? With tongue twisters that is! November 12 is National Tongue Twister Day, but you don't need to put those pickled peppers Peter Piper picked in a pot nor do you need to save tongue twisters for the fall. Tongue twisters have been around for ages and are simply a phrase that's hard for people to say clearly, especially when spoken quickly. Of course, tongue twisters don't have meaning and they're always a laugh, but did you know tongue twisters for kids can actually be helpful?
Benefits of tongue twisters
Many people might think of tongue twisters as a silly thing to do at a party. The big laugh always comes when someone says a tongue twister incorrectly. Sure, tongue twisters are fun, but saying them does serve a purpose, especially for the kiddos. Don't worry! Our tongues won't get twisted talking about these surprising perks of tongue twisters.
Pronunciation
Since people try hard to say tongue twisters correctly, the practice actually helps speakers to articulate clearly and work on word pronunciation.
Developing speech muscles
Yes, people have speech muscles, and saying tongue twisters can help develop the muscles in the tongue used in pronouncing words. This's why tongue twisters are a great way to warm up those speech muscles before an oral presentation. Tongue twisters are also used to help kids and adults with stuttering.
Improve reading and language skills
Another added benefit of saying Sally sells seashells by the seashore is that tongue twisters for kids help improve fluency when speaking. Tongue twisters also expand vocabulary. Both of these perks translate into enhancing reading skills.
Learning English
Teachers often use tongue twisters in class with kids for the reasons previously mentioned. Tongue twisters are also a wonderful tool for kids and adults learning English.
Popular tongue twisters for kids
The key to saying tongue twisters is to try to say them three times fast. That's usually where tongue twisters trip up people, though some of us have difficulty saying them slowly. Here are a few popular tongue twisters to use in the car with kids, at a party, or just because.

Which witch is which?
He threw three free throws.
A snake sneaks to sneak a snack.
How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
If a dog chews shoes, whose shoes does he choose?
Nine nice night nurses nursing nicely.
Four fine fresh fish for you.
I saw a kitten eating chicken in the kitchen.
Six sleek swans swam swiftly southwards.
We surely shall see the sun shine soon.

Read more
Bring imagination back into your kid’s playroom with these ingenious DIY ideas
These DIY kid's playroom ideas are super easy to achieve and great for boosting imagination
Montessori shelf playroom

The kid’s playroom should be a space not just for fun and letting off some of a child’s youthful energy, but also an educational hub that encourages imagination. As you curate a space for your child to play and grow, you’ll want to include unique activities to help them express themselves. So, we’re giving you some incredible DIY playroom ideas that not only make the space look nice but add more room for imaginative play and learning.

Add a chalkboard wall
A chalkboard wall is a classic playroom addition, functioning as both a teaching opportunity and an art station. Not to mention; it also curbs that desire to draw on the walls!

Read more
Thinking about homeschooling your child? Here’s why it’s a bad idea
If you want to homeschool, consider these reasons not to homeschool first
Frustrated mom homeschooling her children

Homeschooling isn't necessarily a new educational concept. The process where children are educated at home by their parents has been around for ages. It wasn't until the 70s that the practice gained in popularity. The late 90s and early 2000s also saw a resurgence in the number of students being homeschooled. Numbers again increased during the pandemic after remaining at around 3% since 2012, according to the United States Census Bureau.

The reasons parents may choose homeschooling over conventional education usually involve safety concerns, flexibility, frequent moving, and wanting to create a more individualized learning environment. While the idea of homeschooling your child might be attractive, it's actually not as simple as you may think. Before removing your child from school, consider these reasons not to homeschool.
Legal requirements for homeschooling
Homeschooling isn't as easy as just not sending your child back to school. There are legal requirements for homeschooling children, and they differ in each state. Some states like New York and Pennsylvania have stricter guidelines, while others like Florida have few. Before making the decision to remove your child from school, take the time to review the homeschooling laws for the state you live in.
Commitments involved in homeschooling
Making the decision to homeschool means one parent is about to become your child's full-time teacher. The idea that school can now easily become a year-round activity is an attractive one, but for the parent doing the teaching, it's another full-time job. In addition to being a parent and all that responsibility it entails, you're about to become your child's teacher, tutor, and principal. You will also be in charge of creating multiple daily lesson plans and researching curriculum, as well as finding materials. If you have multiple children, you will be planning and teaching for different age groups.

Read more