Chores for 6 to 8 Year Olds

When talking to friends, I often heard that they don't know what chores their children should be doing so I put together a list of age appropriate chores for 6 to 8 year olds! For chores for younger children, check out my post on Chores for 4 Year Olds!

Chores are a requirement at our house, for everyone old enough to walk. For little ones, they are very basic tasks. As they get older, we gradually add new chores and they are split into several categories. Some are basics that are required as a member of our household. There is no reward for doing them, but there are consequences for not doing them. Then, we have daily chores that are required, but do have a reward. We also have bonus chores the boys can choose from.  When you first introduce chores, start small and praise often.  Be prepared to have to redo something while they are napping or playing later, but try not to say anything that would discourage them or make them feel like they aren't doing a great job!

Age Appropriate Chores for 6 to 8 year olds

Personal Kid's Chores:

• Make beds
• Brush teeth
• Get dressed
• Put dirty clothes in hamper
• Wash hands before meals
• Wash hands and face after meals
• Take a shower

Household Chores:

• Set table
• Clear table and help load dishwasher
• Wipe down table
• Wipe down counters
• Unload dishwasher
• Load dishwasher
• Sweep
• Swiffer floor
• Mop
• Clean walls (use magic erasers & they will ask you if they can scrub the walls!)
• Sort laundry (we do darks, brights, lights, whites, and jeans)
• Fold & hangup clothes (we hang almost everything so it's easier)
• Put laundry away
• Shake out rugs (carry small rugs outside & shake them)
• Wipe down bathroom (sink, outside of toilet, and tub)
• Clean the toilet (scrub the inside of the toilet)
• Take out trash & put a new bag in
• Dust (removing everything from a surface, wiping it down, and putting everything back)
• Wipe down doorhandles and light switches
• Declutter (give them a small box to put toys they would like to donate in)
• Organize the bookshelf (our 8yo likes to sort them by size and help find duplicates to donate)
• Water plants
• Feed & water pets
• Make breakfast (our 8yo makes pancakes on an electric griddle & the 6yo washes fruit and beats the eggs)
• Make lunch & dinner (simple things like assembling sandwiches, measuring, stirring, and setting the timer)

Outdoor Chores:

• Pull weeds
• Rake up leaves or grass clippings
• Bag up weeds and yard clippings
• Pick up sticks before an adult mows
• Pick up outdoor toys (before going in every time)
• Wash bikes
• Water plants

We only use natural cleaners (and most of them are our homemade cleaner recipes) so everything is safe for the kids to use too. If you use conventional cleaners and don't want to make the switch, make sure the kiddos wear gloves and don't use anything toxic.

For an easy reference, we created this nifty printable chore idea chart!  I keep a copy in my household binder for when one of the older boys says they are bored! Can you think of any chores for 6 to 8 year olds I missed?