21 helpful chores for 11-year-olds: A guide for parents
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Highlights
These 21 organized chore ideas across indoor, outdoor, and helper tasks can teach your 11-year-old important life skills.
Rotate responsibilities like sweeping, dish duty, or pet care to keep routines fresh and graduate to more advanced tasks like basic meal prep or washing the car with support and supervision.
Use checklists or apps like Greenlight to help kids track their progress, stay motivated, and build good habits.
By 11, many kids are ready to move beyond basic chores. They’re gaining confidence, showing more independence, and can take on multi-step tasks. It’s the perfect age to start expanding their responsibilities both inside and outside the home.
Whether your child is already doing chores or just getting started, this guide includes practical ideas to help you find chores that align with where they are developmentally. Plus, if you use an app like Greenlight, you can assign chores, track progress, and automate rewards in one easy-to-use app, helping your child learn accountability and earning power.
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21 practical chores for 11-year-olds
Make the bed
Put away laundry
Clean their bedroom
Set the table
Clear the table
Load and unload the dishwasher
Wipe counters and tables
Sweep or vacuum
Take out the trash
Sort and fold laundry
Put away groceries
Water plants
Pull weeds
Rake leaves
Wash the car
Wash windows
Help cook meals
Pack lunch or snack
Feed and care for pets
Restock household supplies
Help with recycling
Chores. Allowance. They’re different for every family. That’s why we let you call the shots. Want to tie allowance to chores? Pay a percentage based on chore progress — or only if they’re all done. Prefer not to? Your house. Your rules.
Indoor chores 🏠
1. Make the bed
What it involves: Straightening the sheets, pulling up the blanket, and arranging pillows each morning.
Why it’s helpful: It starts the day with structure and gives kids an easy win they can take pride in.
How often: Daily
Tip for parents: Focus on the routine, not perfection, even a slightly messy bed is still progress.
2. Put away laundry
What it involves: Folding, hanging, and organizing clean clothes in the proper drawers or closet.
Why it’s helpful: Teaches responsibility for their belongings and helps keep shared spaces tidy.
How often: Weekly
Tip for parents: Create a laundry routine your child can manage from start to finish.
3. Clean their bedroom
What it involves: Picking up clutter, dusting surfaces, vacuuming or sweeping, and making sure everything is in its place.
Why it’s helpful: Reinforces ownership of their space and builds good habits for keeping it clean.
How often: Weekly
Tip for parents: Break the task into smaller parts so it doesn’t feel overwhelming.
4. Set the table
What it involves: Placing plates, utensils, napkins, and cups before each meal.
Why it’s helpful: Encourages participation in family routines and helps with organization skills.
How often: Daily or as needed
Tip for parents: Rotate with other meal prep tasks to keep things fair and balanced.
5. Clear the table
What it involves: Removing dishes, wiping the table, and cleaning up crumbs or spills after a meal.
Why it’s helpful: Reinforces responsibility and shows that cleanup is part of any shared activity.
How often: Daily
Tip for parents: Play music or use a timer to keep the mood light and focused.
6. Load and unload the dishwasher
What it involves: Placing dirty dishes in the dishwasher properly or putting away clean ones.
Why it’s helpful: Teaches organization, attention to detail, and responsibility in shared spaces.
How often: A few times per week
Tip for parents: Let them start with silverware and plastic items before moving to breakables.
7. Wipe counters and tables
What it involves: Using a cloth or spray to clean surfaces after meals or activities.
Why it’s helpful: Builds awareness of shared spaces and cleanliness.
How often: Daily or as needed
Tip for parents: Keep safe cleaning supplies within reach so they can take initiative.
8. Sweep or vacuum
What it involves: Cleaning floors in bedrooms, kitchens, or entryways.
Why it’s helpful: Teaches attention to detail and consistency in keeping spaces clean.
How often: Weekly or more often in high-traffic areas
Tip for parents: Assign a different area each week to keep things interesting.
9. Take out the trash
What it involves: Emptying small trash cans and replacing liners.
Why it’s helpful: Builds a sense of responsibility and contributes to the household.
How often: Weekly
Tip for parents: Show them how to tie bags and where to bring them to complete the task independently.
10. Sort and fold laundry
What it involves: Sorting clothes by color or type, folding clean items, and pairing socks.
Why it’s helpful: Reinforces life skills and attention to detail.
How often: Weekly
Tip for parents: Turn it into a routine with music or a small reward when it’s done well.
With a debit card of their own, kids and teens learn to spend wisely, keep an eye on balances, and track their spending. Big money dreams? Set savings goals and start investing with as little as $1 — with your approval on every trade.
Outdoor chores 🌿
11. Put away groceries
What it involves: Bringing in and storing groceries in the pantry, fridge, or freezer.
Why it’s helpful: Builds memory, organization, and teamwork.
How often: Weekly
Tip for parents: Assign them to handle certain categories, like snacks or cold items, for consistency.
12. Water plants
What it involves: Using a watering can or hose to hydrate indoor or outdoor plants.
Why it’s helpful: Fosters care and attention to living things.
How often: Two to three times per week
Tip for parents: Let them take ownership of one area or type of plant to build responsibility.
13. Pull weeds
What it involves: Identifying and removing weeds from flower beds or garden areas.
Why it’s helpful: Encourages patience, attention to detail, and pride in maintaining a space.
How often: Weekly (seasonal)
Tip for parents: Provide gloves and show them which weeds to pull so they feel confident doing it alone.
14. Rake leaves
What it involves: Gathering leaves into piles and bagging or composting them.
Why it’s helpful: Great physical activity that also teaches seasonal responsibility.
How often: Weekly in fall
Tip for parents: Make it fun, and let them jump in the piles before cleanup begins.
15. Wash the car
What it involves: Rinsing, scrubbing, and drying the family vehicle with help.
Why it’s helpful: Builds responsibility and gives a satisfying before-and-after payoff.
How often: Monthly
Tip for parents: Focus on lower sections and give clear instructions to keep it safe and fun.
16. Wash windows
What it involves: Cleaning smudges and dirt from interior or ground-level exterior windows.
Why it’s helpful: Reinforces attention to detail and adds to household care.
How often: Monthly
Tip for parents: Start with one or two windows and expand over time to avoid fatigue.
Life skills & helper tasks 🍽️
17. Help cook meals
What it involves: Prepping ingredients, following simple steps, and learning basic kitchen safety.
Why it’s helpful: Encourages independence, builds confidence, and introduces life-long skills.
How often: A few times per week
Tip for parents: Start with simple recipes and let them lead one meal a week.
18. Pack lunch or snacks
What it involves: Choosing and packing foods into containers for school or activities.
Why it’s helpful: Encourages planning, independence, and making balanced choices.
How often: Daily
Tip for parents: Keep healthy options in reach and let them pick from a few set choices.
19. Feed and care for pets
What it involves: Refilling food and water, brushing, and helping with walks or cleanup.
Why it’s helpful: Builds empathy and a sense of ongoing responsibility.
How often: Daily
Tip for parents: Use a printed checklist to keep pet tasks consistent.
20. Restock household supplies
What it involves: Refilling soap, paper towels, toilet paper, and similar items around the house.
Why it’s helpful: Encourages awareness of shared needs and how to be proactive at home.
How often: Weekly
Tip for parents: Give them a simple checklist to review once a week.
21. Help with recycling
What it involves: Sorting recyclables by material and placing them in the proper bins.
Why it’s helpful: Teaches environmental responsibility and categorizing skills.
How often: Weekly
Tip for parents: Color-code bins and review what goes where until it becomes second nature.
Both you and your kids download the Greenlight app — with tailored experiences. They check off chores, you automate allowance. They spend wisely, you set flexible controls. They build healthy financial habits, and you cheer them on.
How to choose chores for your 11-year-old
By 11, kids are ready to own tasks, build routines, and even troubleshoot a bit along the way. When assigning chores, think of it less as making a to-do list and more as helping your child grow life skills like planning, consistency, and follow-through. Let them step into more independence, but still offer guidance where needed.
Tips to make chores work for your 11-year-old:
Let them choose two to three recurring tasks they can manage each week
Use checklists or apps like Greenlight to keep things organized and consistent
Encourage them to take full ownership from start to finish
Rotate tasks monthly to keep it engaging
Reward follow-through — not perfection — with praise or allowance
With Greenlight, you can assign chores, set rewards, and give your child real-world earning experience. It’s a win-win for busy families and growing kids alike.
Teach money skills for life. Kids learn by doing — and Greenlight’s all-in-one family app helps you weave money management into daily life. Try Greenlight, one month, risk-free.†
This blog post is provided "as is" and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional advice. Some content in this post may have been created using artificial intelligence; however, every blog post is reviewed by at least two human editors.
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