A complete list of chores for 9 year olds

Chores are a great way for parents to teach responsibility to their children and encourage them to help out around the house. A chore list should bear in mind your kids' ages, and we're here to help you build that list. Here, we break down appropriate chores for 9-year-olds to help you get started.

Our complete list of chores for 9-year-olds

Creating a chore list for 9-year-olds depends on your home and your child's capabilities, but this list should give you a good place to get started.

Household chores by area: Practical tasks for 9-year-olds

There's no hard and fast rule for how many chores a 9-year-old should have, but you can motivate them to help around the house for at least 20 minutes each day. Chores for kids will help them learn responsibility and improve motor skills, and it can be a good way to teach them about money and saving. There are some chores a 9-year-old shouldn't be doing. Avoid anything potentially dangerous — climbing a ladder or working with machinery or heavy tools. Let's break down the list.

Be a financially smart family!

Be a financially smart family!

From saving for the future to understanding credit, see how families are thriving with Greenlight.

Try Greenlight today

Bedroom and personal space: Age-appropriate chores for organization

• Making the bed

• Tidying up their room

• Putting away toys and dirty clothes

• Folding laundry

• Emptying wastebaskets

• Vacuuming and dusting

Kitchen chores: Simple meal tasks and table setting

• Loading and unloading the dishwasher

• Washing dishes

• Setting the table

• Clearing the table after meals

• Helping with basic meal preparation, including chopping, if you trust their ability

• Taking out the trash

• Putting away groceries

Living room and common areas: Fun chores to keep spaces tidy

• Vacuuming

• Dusting

• Sweeping

• Emptying wastebaskets

• Organizing remotes

• Cleaning up video game systems after use

Bathroom chores: Easy cleaning tasks

• Wiping down counters

• Cleaning toilet and sink

• Emptying wastebaskets

• Organizing linen closets

Caring for pets and nature: A fun learning experience

• Feeding pets

• Taking the dog for a walk

• Watering plants

• Raking leaves

Common mistakes to avoid with chores for 9-year-olds

When introducing your kid to chores, try to avoid these common mistakes:

• Unclear instructions: Kids need clear instructions and may need you to demonstrate how to do certain things. How can they learn if you don't show them?

• Irregular chores: Consistency is key when building a chore list. Kids should know what's expected of them and when. Don't spring chores randomly on them all the time or use chores as a punishment.

• Negative reinforcement: Kids are going to make mistakes, especially if they're doing a new chore for the first time. Rather than scold them for errors, praise their efforts and encourage participation.

• Making it work: Chores are work, of course, but if you can make it fun, do so. A fun chore like chopping veggies for dinner can help your kid feel good about contributing and forget that they're actually working.

Incentives: Smart tips to motivating your 9-year-old child

If you introduce chores to your child at a young age and make it a part of their routine, you may not need much more motivation than that. But there are times when kids need a little extra push.

Incentives can encourage your child to do their chores. These are some of the best:

• Monetary rewards: Using chores for 9-year-olds to earn money is a good way to teach them about work and introduce basic financial concepts like saving money. Chores may be a prerequisite for earning an allowance of $5 to $8 per week.

• Activity rewards: You can motivate your child to do their chores by offering to take them somewhere fun if they finish everything up.

• Treat rewards: When you have a lot of chores for kids, you can reward them with a special treat like ice cream or pizza.

• Toy rewards: Allowing kids to earn screen time or video game time by doing chores can motivate them to help out.

Smart chore management: Teach, track, and reward

Managing a household is hard, but your kids can be great contributors as long as they have a little management themselves. Whether you're looking for chores for 9-year-olds, chores for 10-year-olds, or any other age, stay on top of a chore list to make sure you establish a routine that works for your kids.

As they get older, introduce new chores to them and evolve your chore list to track when your kids are doing each chore so that you can properly reward them for their work. With Greenlight, you can track chores, pay allowances and help your kids learn the value of hard work.