Chores can be a great way to teach your children how to take care of themselves and a good way to start teaching them responsibility. If you're wondering what kind of tasks would be suitable for a 5-year-old, here is a range of options and ways to encourage and reward chores. If you’re looking for more ideas, try our age-appropriate chore list for kids.
Age-appropriate chores for 5 year olds
- Make the bed
- Dust
- Set the table
- Hoover
- Hang out laundry
- Get out ingredients for cooking
- Get dressed and pick their outfit
- Help with groceries
- Watering plants
- Helping with pet care
- Sweeping with a small broom
- Wiping surfaces
What are the benefits of chores for 5-year-olds?
Lots of parents wonder about the benefits of giving kids chores. Yet, chores can be a great way to teach your child responsibility and give them a sense of independence. They are also a good way to encourage good habits about cleanliness. On top of this, being able to complete tasks can give your child a great sense of pride and accomplishment and boost their self-esteem.
What to expect when you’re giving chores to a 5-year-old
When you're giving your child chores, it's important to keep a few things in mind:
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Be patient: It's important to be patient when your child is doing their chores. They may not be able to do them as quickly or as perfectly as you would like, but that's okay. They're learning, and they'll get better with practice. If your child is struggling with a task, offer help and encouragement, but don't take over.
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Show your child how to do what you’re asking them to do: Once they've seen how it's done, they'll be more likely to be able to do it on their own. Go through the motions with them the first few times so that they know what's expected, and then let them try it on their own.
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Keep chores simple and attuned to their interests: If a task is too complicated or too boring, they may become frustrated and give up. Choose chores that are age-appropriate and in line with what your child likes doing.
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Give one chore to do at a time: Once they've mastered that task, you can start adding in additional chores.
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Praise your child for trying: When your child does a good job, be sure to praise them. This will encourage them to keep up the good work and do their best. You can also give them a small reward, such as a sticker or a special treat, to show them how proud you are of their efforts.
Related: Chore chart ideas for kids
How do you know which chores are for 5-year-olds
Five-year-olds are becoming more coordinated and physically capable and can play games that require more advanced motor skills. At the same time, children at this age begin thinking more logically and understanding basic cause-and-effect relationships. For this reason, they can probably do more than you think and, more importantly, want to help.
Talk to them about chores they’d like to do. The chances are it’s going to be ones they perceive as being fun, like feeding the dog, hoovering and dusting, putting their toys away and cleaning their teeth. Playing to their strengths and giving them the jobs they want to do tells them that you trust and believe in them, which in turn boosts their self-esteem and their desire to help out even more.
Chores for 5-year-olds
Here are our top chores for 5-year-olds. When choosing what to allocate to your child, include them in the conversation to help motivate them.
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Make the bed. This is a great daily chore to get your child to do. It's very simple, and they can directly see how it benefits them.
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Dust. This is another very simple job that kids like to do, especially if you give them a duster with a handle and spray polish on surfaces for them.
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Set the table. Helping with communal chores can give your child a feeling of responsibility within the family. It's important for kids to understand that everyone in the household works together to make the house run smoothly.
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Hoover. Kids tend to love any appliance they are usually not allowed to use, so with your help, show them how to hoover and let them give it a try.
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Hang out laundry. Again kids like to model what you do, so encourage them to help you hang up laundry and fold and put away clean clothes.
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Get out ingredients for cooking: If you’re doing some cooking, then this is a great opportunity to teach your 5-year-old about measuring. Let them help you get the right amount of ingredients out and explain why we need to be precise when we cook.
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Get dressed and pick their outfit: As kids get a little older, they should start to be more independent when it comes to getting dressed. This includes picking out their own clothes and getting dressed by themselves.
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Help with groceries. From finding items on shelves to looking for deal stickers and putting shopping away, kids love to help.
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Watering plants: If you have plants in your home or garden, your child can help you water them. This is great for motor skills and helps them look after things.
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Helping with pet care: If you have a pet, your child can help with tasks such as feeding, brushing or playtime. .
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Sweeping with a small broom: Your child can learn to use a small broom and dustpan to sweep up crumbs or other small messes.
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Wiping surfaces: Give your child a damp cloth and let them wipe down surfaces such as tables or countertops. This can be fun for them because they can see the results of their work.
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Cleaning out the bath. Another communal chore and easy to do after they get out of the bath.
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Cleaning up their toys at a certain time of day. This teaches responsibility and tidiness.
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Picking up towels from the bathroom floor and folding them. An easy chore for kids to grasp and learn to do.
How to make chores fun for 5-year-olds
Chores aren't usually much fun, but for five-year-olds, they are new and exciting, and many kids won’t believe their luck that they’ve been allowed to help. To maintain their enthusiasm, make sure you praise their work and keep the chores fresh and new. Having to do something every day is wearing for everyone, never mind a young child, so change chores up, mix them around and introduce something new every week.
You can make chores more fun by turning them into a game. For example, you can set a timer and see how much can be done before it goes off or make a race to see who can finish their tasks first. Or play some upbeat music to make chores more enjoyable. You can have a dance party while cleaning up or sing along to a favourite song while folding laundry.
Related: Making chores fun for kids
Chores that we don't recommend giving to 5-year-olds
As all parents know, not all chores are suitable for 5-year-olds, especially potentially dangerous ones. For instance, you might let your child use the hoover, but you wouldn’t let your five-year-old use the lawnmower. So look out for potential risk areas when your child is doing chores.
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Unloading the dishwasher: Unloading the dishwasher might seem like a simple task, but there are often sharp knives and other breakable items inside. Plus, items in the dishwasher may still be hot, which could present a scalding hazard.
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Help with the cooking: Helping with the cooking is a great way for kids to learn about food, but be clear about what they can’t do, from touching the stove and hot pans to using knives.
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Doing heavy lifting: Five-year-olds may not have the strength or coordination to handle heavy objects. Be careful that they don’t try to lift heavy items or carry something fragile from the car.
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Cleaning with harsh chemicals: Chemical cleaning products can be dangerous if ingested or if they come into contact with the skin or eyes. Five-year-olds should not handle these products or be exposed to them.
Related: Best apps to encourage your kids to do chores
Make paying your kid's pocket money for chores easy with GoHenry
GoHenry is a prepaid debit card for kids with a companion app that makes it easy for parents to give their children pocket money for doing chores. With GoHenry, parents can quickly and easily set up tasks and pay their child's pocket money when they are marked complete. This helps children learn responsibility and the value of work.
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