If you are the parent of a preteen, you may be wondering how can 12-year-olds make money? Earning their own money is a great way to teach children responsibility and the value of hard work. In the UK, children under the age of 13 aren't permitted to have a job. However, that doesn't mean 12-year-olds can't earn money. They just need a little creativity and persistence to find the best way to go about it.
Once their ideas are successful and they've started making some money, they'll need somewhere safe to put all that cash. So, think about setting up a GoHenry account. A GoHenry prepaid debit card is ideal for children and teenagers making their own money or even just earning pocket money. Children can use their prepaid debit card to spend their hard-earned money while at the same time developing good money management skills. Here's our guide to how 12-year-olds can make money.
Related: How to make money as a kid
Ways to earn money as a 12-year-old
- Household chores
- Walking the dog
- Helping younger sibbling
- Basic shopping
- Gardening in the summer
- Providing tech support
- Babysitting
- Selling old belongings
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Walking neighbours' dogs
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Washing neighbours' cars
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Doing paid online surveys
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Selling handmade items online
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Starting a blog
Looking for ideas for how to earn money at 12? Try these:
1. Household chores
Who would say no to having extra help around the house? There are many benefits of giving kids chores and they are an excellent way for them to earn extra pocket money. Work out which chores they can complete successfully on their own, and which would be most helpful to you.
You can then set up tasks in the GoHenry app that will pay out to your child’s account once the tasks are marked complete. Some of the household chores a 12-year-old may be able to do include:
- Basic shopping
- Walking the dog
- Cleaning up after dinner
- Helping younger siblings
- Folding and putting away laundry
- Taking out the rubbish
- Washing up
- Vacuuming and mopping floors
There are also many ways to make chores fun for kids in case your kids struggle with their tasks.
2. Gardening in the summer
Summer is the perfect time for a 12-year-old to get some paid gardening work, especially if they enjoy being outdoors. Whether mowing the lawns, pulling up weeds or cutting back hedges, they can start by helping you in the garden to get some practice and then ask neighbours to see if they can drum up some summer gardening work. If they are serious about earning money from gardening, you could always help them make some flyers to advertise their gardening services and put them through neighbours' doors.
Related: Ways for kids to make money in the summer
3. Tech support for your parents/grandparents
Not everyone is quite as tech-savvy as young people today. Providing tech support could be a great way for your 12-year-old to earn some money. Some older family members might need help with getting to grips with navigating the internet, sending emails, uploading photos and videos, or even just sending text messages. Your 12-year-old will probably be able to help with all of these things and much more. If they are very confident with all things tech, they could even broaden their customer base by asking any older neighbours if they need any help.
4. Babysitting
If your 12-year-old likes children and is used to looking after their younger siblings or relatives, then babysitting could be an easy and fun money-maker for them. They can start by babysitting one child to get experience and focus on school-age children rather than toddlers or babies who can be more challenging. Even if your friends and neighbours don't feel comfortable leaving a 12-year-old alone with young children, they can still help by keeping the children entertained while the parents work from home.
5. Selling old belongings
Your 12-year-old probably has a lot of items like games, DVDs, clothes and toys that they don't use anymore. If you don't have younger children to hand the items down to, your 12-year-old could clear some space and make some money by selling them. They could try selling their old belongings at local jumble sales or car boot sales, or you could help them sell the items on online auction sites.
Related: How old do you have to be to sell online?
6. Walking neighbours' dogs
If your 12-year-old loves animals, then what better way to earn some money than by walking friends' and neighbours' dogs? Encourage your child to spread the word that they are available to walk dogs and perhaps even contact local dog walking services to see if they need extra help. Your 12-year-old may also be able to make some money by feeding pets when their owners are away.
7. Washing neighbours' cars
A bucket of soapy water, some sponges and a bit of elbow grease is all your 12-year-old needs to earn some money from car washing – along with some paying customers, of course! Accompany your child as they knock on neighbours' doors to see if they'd like their car washed – and if your child does it well, they might find themselves with a regular job.
8. Doing paid online surveys
Some companies use paid online surveys to determine what young consumers think about their products and services. Paid online surveys aren't big money-makers, but it's quick and easy work that a 12-year-old can do from home. These companies tend to want to know people's opinions on various things, including preferred brands, food, TV shows, clothing, and travel.
9. Selling handmade items online
There's a huge market for handmade items online, so if your 12-year-old is good at crafts, it can be a great way to earn some extra money. They just need to use their imagination and make things that people would like to buy on sites like Etsy or eBay. For example, cards, scarves, jewellery, candles, soaps and confectionary items. If they are particularly good at graphic design, then your 12-year-old could make some good money selling their services as a logo designer on sites like Fiverr.
10. Starting a blog
Your 12-year-old can make money by blogging through sponsored posts, advertising and affiliate marketing. Blogging can be a fun way to make some money for older children. They just need to find their niche and make sure they post regular content. However responsible your child might be, you should keep a close eye on what they share online and remind them not to share personal information and photos.
Get a prepaid debit card with GoHenry to keep your money safe
When your 12-year-old starts making money, it's a good idea to set up a GoHenry account for them. With a GoHenry kids debit card, your child can access their hard-earned money to make purchases online and in-store. It's super convenient and ideal for older children and teenagers. You can also set up one-off or regular payments to top up their account, making it much easier for parents to give pocket money. Plus, there's the added peace of mind that the parental controls mean you can set limits on how much they spend and where they spend it. You will also receive notifications so you can keep a close eye on their spending habits in real-time.
There are plenty of ways your 12-year-old can make some extra money. And once you set them up with a GoHenry account, they have somewhere secure to put their hard-earned money while they decide what to spend it on.
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