17 helpful chores for 6-year-olds to build real-life skills
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Key takeaways
Chores are household tasks, but they can also be early lessons in commitment, responsibility, and routine. At age 6, many kids are ready to take on more than you might think. They’re developing motor skills, memory, and an eagerness to help, which makes this the perfect age to start building habits they’ll need to do their chores at age 7, chores at age 8, and throughout their lives.
Our list of 17 child-friendly chores can help your children learn real-world skills. We also cover how to put the whole routine on a shared screen with , so the list belongs to your 6-year-old instead of living in your head. Whether wiping counters, feeding the pets, or helping with meals, every task is a chance for your child to feel accomplished, proud of what they can do, and part of a team.
Here’s a quick preview of the chores, which we cover in further detail below:
Make the bed
Set the table
Clear the table
Put away toys
Help with meals
Feed the pets
Put away groceries
Pack their backpack
Dust low surfaces
Load the dishwasher
Empty small trash cans
Wipe down bathroom counters
Water plants
Pull weeds
Rake leaves
Vacuum small areas
Mopping
Indoor chores
Simple everyday tasks to help kids take care of their home space.
1. Make the bed
What it involves: Straightening sheets and pillows and arranging stuffed animals or blankets.
How often: Daily
Why it’s great for 6-year-olds: Promotes independence and begins to develop a reliable morning routine.
Tips for parents: Focus on consistency, not neatness. Consider adding a fun stuffed animal arrangement challenge.
2. Set the table
What it involves: Placing napkins, plates, cups, and utensils at each place setting before meals.
How often: Daily or as needed
Why it’s great for 6-year-olds: Encourages sequencing, responsibility, and contributes to mealtime preparation.
Tips for parents: Use non-breakable dishes and let children personalize each place setting with flair.
3. Clear the table
What it involves: Carrying used plates, cups, and utensils to the sink or dishwasher after meals.
How often: Daily
Why it’s great for 6-year-olds: Reinforces shared responsibility and helps them see a task through from start to finish.
Tips for parents: Break it into steps and show them how to safely carry items.
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4. Put away toys
What it involves: Returning toys, games, or books to bins, shelves, or designated storage spots.
How often: Daily
Why it’s great for 6-year-olds: Builds organizational habits and a sense of ownership.
Tips for parents: Use labeled bins or pictures to help with sorting. Turn it into a game or a beat-the-clock race.
5. Help with meals
What it involves: Simple prep like washing fruits, stirring batter, or placing food on serving dishes.
How often: A few times a week
Why it’s great for 6-year-olds: Builds fine motor skills and introduces early lessons about food and nutrition.
Tips for parents: Keep tasks safe and simple. Kids love feeling like a sous chef with their own job title.
6. Feed the pets
What it involves: Filling pet bowls with pre-measured food or clean water.
How often: Daily
Why it’s great for 6-year-olds: Encourages empathy, responsibility, and consistent caregiving.
Tips for parents: Supervise to prevent overfeeding and make cleanup supplies accessible if needed.
7. Put away groceries
What it involves: Helping sort and store food into the fridge, pantry, or shelves after a shopping trip.
How often: Weekly
Why it’s great for 6-year-olds: Teaches sorting, memory, and practical responsibility.
Tips for parents: Let them handle the light, safe items first. Assign a section like "fruit manager" or "snack sorter."
8. Pack their backpack
What it involves: Putting homework, lunch, and supplies into their school bag.
How often: Daily (school days)
Why it’s great for 6-year-olds: Encourages independence and helps children prepare for their day.
Tips for parents: Use a checklist until it becomes a habit. Do a quick final check together.
Cleaning chores
Teaches care for shared spaces and builds practical cleaning skills.
9. Dust low surfaces
What it involves: Wiping shelves, baseboards, or furniture legs with a microfiber cloth.
How often: Weekly
Why it’s great for 6-year-olds: Encourages attention to detail and pride in a clean space.
Tips for parents: Avoid sprays, just use a damp cloth. Play music to make it feel fun.
10. Load the dishwasher
What it involves: Placing safe, non-breakable dishes and utensils into the dishwasher.
How often: Weekly or as needed
Why it’s great for 6-year-olds: Builds step-by-step thinking and contributes to family meals.
Tips for parents: Avoid glass or knives. Let them do one section at a time to build confidence.
11. Empty small trash cans
What it involves: Taking bathroom or bedroom trash to the main garbage bin and replacing liners.
How often: Weekly
Why it’s great for 6-year-olds: Builds consistency and a sense of contribution to home upkeep.
Tips for parents: Keep bags small and light. Offer help tying them at first.
12. Wipe down bathroom counters
What it involves: Cleaning toothpaste spills or water spots from bathroom sinks with a cloth.
How often: Weekly
Why it’s great for 6-year-olds: Encourages hygiene awareness and regular tidiness.
Tips for parents: Use non-toxic cleaners or water only. Teach them to wring out the cloth first.
Outdoor & active chores
Perfect for fresh air and movement-based learning.
13. Water plants
What it involves: Using a watering can to hydrate indoor or garden plants.
How often: 2–3x per week (seasonal)
Why it’s great for 6-year-olds: Promotes care, patience, and consistency.
Tips for parents: Assign one or two plants as their special responsibility.
14. Pull weeds
What it involves: Removing small weeds from flower beds or sidewalk cracks.
How often: Weekly (seasonal)
Why it’s great for 6-year-olds: Strengthens motor control and attention to outdoor tasks.
Tips for parents: Demonstrate safe weed types. Use gloves and make it a short task.
15. Rake leaves
What it involves: Gathering fallen leaves into piles using a child-sized rake.
How often: Weekly in fall
Why it’s great for 6-year-olds: Encourages physical coordination and teamwork.
Tips for parents: End with a fun leaf jump or let them help bag the piles.
16. Vacuum small areas
What it involves: Using a handheld or lightweight vacuum to clean rugs or small rooms.
How often: Weekly
Why it’s great for 6-year-olds: Teaches coordination and visual focus.
Tips for parents: Let them choose a rug or vacuum zone. Carpeted areas are easiest.
17. Mopping
What it involves: Using a damp mop or cloth to clean small sections of hard flooring.
How often: Weekly
Why it’s great for 6-year-olds: Boosts responsibility and motor planning.
Tips for parents: Use water only. Keep the mop light and the area small.
How to manage chores for children on Greenlight Family Hub
Six is the age when a child can read a short list and start owning it. is a shared touchscreen for the kitchen or mudroom that puts the family calendar, chores, and lists in one place, so “did you pack your backpack?” becomes something they check instead of something you ask.
Set up a school-year chore routine in four steps
Split the list by rhythm: two morning chores (bed, backpack) and two evening ones (clear the table, toys away).
Add one weekend chore from the cleaning or outdoor sections so the week has variety.
Let your six-year-old pick which weekend chore is theirs: Ownership beats assignment at this age.
Set a star reward you can deliver on Saturday, and let them watch the count grow all week.
Once chores are completed, what your child earns lands on their own Greenlight debit card¹. They see the money arrive, which is what turns a chore list into a habit they keep. Rather not link the two? Stars on their own keep children just as motivated and organized.
Tips for keeping your 6-year-old motivated
Start small: One or two simple chores a day are plenty to begin with.
Use checklists, stickers, or a visual chart to track progress.
Make chores fun by using timers, songs, or short dance breaks.
Give specific praise: “You did a great job folding the towels!”
Share the load: Do chores side by side to model teamwork.
Build routine: Tie tasks to regular parts of the day, like after school or before dinner.
Link allowance to effort if appropriate: Use tools like Greenlight to track tasks and rewards easily.
Put the list where they can reach it: A shared display takes you out of the reminder loop.
Turn household chores into life lessons
By age 6, kids begin to understand consistency, effort, and rewards. Chores offer a great way to reinforce all three. When paired with encouragement (and maybe even a small allowance), chores become more than to-dos. They become confidence-builders.
Let the hub do the reminding. Chores get done when kids can see what tasks belong to them. Assign tasks and set rewards with .
FAQs
What chores should a 6-year-old do?
A 6-year-old child can make their bed, set and clear the table, put away toys, help with simple meal prep, feed pets, put away groceries, pack their backpack, dust low surfaces, load the dishwasher, empty small trash cans, wipe bathroom counters, water plants, pull weeds, rake leaves, vacuum small areas, and mop small sections.
How many chores are reasonable for a 6-year-old?
Two daily chores plus one weekend task works for most families. Anchor the daily ones to the school-day routine so they become automatic.
How do you keep a 6-year-old on top of chores without nagging?
Put the list somewhere they can see it. Greenlight Family Hub is a shared touchscreen that shows each child's chores in their own color; your child taps to check one off and earns stars toward a reward, and you adjust the list from the companion app.
Should chores be tied to allowance at age 6?
It's a family call. Greenlight lets you pay allowance based on chore progress, pay only when everything is done, or keep the two separate entirely.
The Greenlight Family Hub requires WiFi connectivity and is available for use with all Greenlight plans. Some features require a subscription. See Terms for more details.
¹The Greenlight® prepaid card is issued by Community Federal Savings Bank, member FDIC, pursuant to license by Mastercard International.
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