33 age-appropriate chores for kindergartners, room by room
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Key takeaways
A kindergartner can't fold a fitted sheet, but they can put a fork at every place setting and walk away convinced they made dinner happen.
Around age five, two things come together. Kids can hold a multi-step instruction in their head long enough to finish it, and they want to be given a real job.
Telling a five-year-old twice is part of the job. It just doesn't all have to come from you. The best reminder could be a shared display like , which puts the chore list where a five-year-old can actually see it, on the kitchen wall instead of your phone.
Here's what kindergartners can realistically do, room by room, plus how to hand over a job so it stays handed over.
33 chores kindergartners can do
These are grouped by where the job happens, since that's how kids remember them. Patience matters here, because they may take a few tries before they stick.
Their personal space
Start here. These tasks have the shortest gap between doing the job and seeing the result, and they're the ones a kid can own without you in the room. They also cluster into two routines, one at wake-up, one at bedtime, and a job inside a routine runs on the routine instead of on your reminders.
1. Make the bed, covers up, pillow at the top
2. Get dressed, shoes included
3. Put pajamas back under the pillow
4. Put dirty clothes in the hamper
5. Pack their own backpack from a short list
6. Put toys away before bed
Kitchen
7. Set the table
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8. Put out napkins and cups
9. Clear their plate to the counter
10. Wipe the table after
11. Unload plastics and silverware from the dishwasher
12. Tear lettuce, stir batter, mash, sprinkle
13. Pour from a small pitcher
Laundry
14. Match socks
15. Sort lights and darks
16. Move clothes from the dryer to the basket
17. Fold washcloths, towels, and their own pajamas
18. Put their folded clothes in their own drawers
Pets and plants
19. Feed a pet from a pre-measured scoop
20. Refill the water bowl
21. Water plants with a small can
22. Brush the dog
The rest of the house
23. Dust low surfaces with a sock over one hand
24. Carry recycling out to the bin
25. Bring in light grocery bags and put away what they can reach
26. Work a small broom, or hold the dustpan
27. Wipe door handles and light switches
Outside
28. Pull weeds
29. Rake a small pile
30. Pick up sticks before someone mows
31. Wipe down patio furniture
32. Fill the bird feeder
33. Help wash the car. The tires are a great place to start!
Plenty of these chores need an adult in the room, especially anything with water, the dishwasher, or the yard, but some don't, like getting dressed, the hamper, the backpack, toys at bedtime, and feeding the pet. Those are worth protecting, because they're the ones that turn into habits a kid does as second nature.
Why chores matter for kindergartners
"Teaching them to contribute with effort teaches them that life is a participation sport, and the more you give, the more you are likely to get," says Tim McCarthy, author of “Raising 4 Dimensional Children in a 2 Dimensional World.” "Doing everything for them gives them an expectation of entitlement," McCarthy says.
Doing a job every day makes a kid part of running the house instead of a guest in it. That's the shift. The chore is real, so their contribution is too.
Chores teach the unglamorous skills like finishing what you started and deciding what to do when the hamper's already full.
Your house gets marginally cleaner. Maybe small, but it's not nothing.
Introducing an allowance: the first financial lessons
Not every chore needs to be paid. "Some tasks are just the price of doing things, like putting away your toys after using them, or setting the table to be able to eat," McCarthy says. "No external reward is necessary."
An allowance eventually earns its place: "An allowance not only teaches them to work for their money, but also can teach them how to manage their money," explains McCarthy.
Some families split that allowance three ways, into spend, save, and share, into separate jars and let the kid decide what each one means. At five, the decision is the lesson.
How to manage kindergarten chores on a family display
A kindergartner can't check a chore app if they don't have a phone. Greenlight Family Hub solves this practical problem. It's a shared touchscreen display for your kitchen or mudroom that shows the family calendar, chores, lists, and photos in one place. Chores are seen at a child's eye level, so your child can tap jobs to check them off.
With Greenlight, you can connect a chore to allowance, so what your child earns lands on their own Greenlight debit card. Not ready to tie chores to money? Leave allowance off and let visible rewards do the motivating, the way a star chart on a family calendar does.
Setting up chores on your Greenlight Family Hub
Give your kindergartner their own profile and their own color on Family Hub or whatever method you choose. At this age, color is how they find their list.
Assign three to five daily chores from the list above; for example, bed, toys, pet bowl, table.
Set the reward: stars that add up to something they chose or allowance if you think they're ready for it.
Change the list from the app on your phone when the week turns over. Their view stays on the wall, and the editing happens on your phone.
Family Hub's free plan includes the shared calendar, chores and task management, lists, photos, and star rewards. Family Hub+ adds the "Hey Greenlight" family AI assistant, smart scheduling, and family safety features. Hubs come in 15.6" and 10.1" sizes — see sizes and pricing.
Making chores fun: A game-changer for kids
A five-year-old will work harder at something that feels like being included than at something that feels assigned.
"Children naturally want to be like their parents," McCarthy says. "While doing chores yourself, simply ask, 'Would you like to help?' Chances are you will get a positive response, and you can gently guide the child to do it the proper way."
He also suggests using their instincts against them: "Kindergartners love rules, so present the 'right' way to do the chore and they will probably strive to do it the right way." Do it wrong on purpose and they'll correct you, and then you can ask them to show you how it's done.
A few more chore motivations that work at this age:
Race a timer, or clean to one song
Work alongside them on your own chore instead of standing over theirs
Name what they did rather than how well they did it: "you set the whole table" beats "good job"
Let them tap the chore off on the family display and watch their stars add up in real time
Our parents' guide for chores and allowances offers more inspiration, and the Greenlight chores and allowance app for kids can help you create chore lists, manage allowances, and more.
Chore safety tips for kindergartners
Everything in the list above is safe for a five-year-old with an adult nearby. A few rules keep it that way.
Use only non-toxic, kid-safe cleaning supplies
Run the chore together a few times before they do it alone
Say what's off-limits, not just what to do, such as the knife drawer, the stove, and the shed
Add harder chores one at a time
Greenlight: Helping families raise money-smart kids
Introducing your kids to chores is a great first step on the road to raising responsible, self-sufficient adults. Chores help build personal responsibility and confidence, but also offer a great introduction to money management and fiscal responsibility. Plus, you'll get some much-needed help around the house.
With the Greenlight app, you can get the resources you need to continue supporting your kids' financial literacy and even manage their chore lists. Want the whole routine out of your head and onto a screen the family shares? Shop Greenlight Family Hub.
FAQs
What chores can a kindergartner do?
A kindergartner can make their bed, pick up toys, set and clear the table, feed a pet, water plants, sort laundry by color, dust low surfaces, and help put away groceries. Save anything involving the stove, sharp tools, or heavy lifting for later ages.
How do I track chores for a child who can't read well yet?
Use a visual chart or a shared display. On Greenlight Family Hub, each family member has their own color and profile, and chores sit on a touchscreen at kid height. Your child taps to check one off and watches stars add up toward a reward, without needing a phone of their own.
Can I manage my kindergartner's chores from my phone?
Yes. Every family member gets the Greenlight companion app, so you can add, edit, or reassign chores from anywhere, and the hub updates for the whole family.
Should a kindergartner be paid for chores?
Many families pay a small allowance to make the link between work and earning concrete. With Greenlight you can tie allowance to chore progress, pay only when everything is done, or keep chores and allowance separate.
¹The Greenlight® prepaid card is issued by Community Federal Savings Bank, member FDIC, pursuant to license by Mastercard International.
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.
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