Chores for 6 year olds, with a weekly chore chart

Chores for 6 year olds

These chores for a 6 year old are sized for small hands but real work. Each one has a standard your child can check alone. Write the standard on the chart and the chart does the reminding.

Pick two or three to start. Add more when the first ones feel routine.

If you want the reasoning behind the layout, start with The best chore chart for kids, by family and by age.

• Make the bed: pillow on top, comforter flat
• Sweep the kitchen floor: no crumbs under the table
• Pack the school bag the night before: homework and water bottle inside
• Match the socks: fold pairs into balls
• Feed the pet: bowl full, water fresh
• Put clean clothes in drawers: shirts with shirts, pants with pants
• Water plants: soil damp, not dripping
• Wipe the bathroom sink: no toothpaste spots
• Set the table for dinner: plate, fork, spoon at each seat
• Put toys away in bins: lids on, nothing on the floor
• Empty the small trash bins: tie the bag, put a new one in
• Sort laundry into piles: lights, darks, towels

Print the chart at 100 percent, not fit to page. The boxes fit a 1.5 inch round sticker or a 1/2 inch star sticker, so your child can mark each one.

Writing the standard on the chart

Arguments about done end when the standard is wrtiten down. A 6 year old can read "pillow on top, comforter flat" and check it without asking you. The chart becomes the place the standard lives, instead of your voice repeating it.

Phrase each standard in three to six words your child knows. Use the same words every time. If the bed means pillow on top, then that is the whole test.

Here are example rows for your chart:

Write the standard in the blank line under each chore name. Your child can read it out loud before starting. That simple act makes the job theirs, not yours. See more chore chart templates for blank versions.

A week on the chart

The weekly chart has five preset chores and one blank row. You fill the blank row with a job your family needs that week, like wiping the sink or sorting laundry. The child reads the chart each morning and checks off each box when the work is done.

The child checks the box. You check the work later, after the sticker is on. That delay teaches them to meet the standard, not just please you.

Sunday night, count the check marks together. If the week went well, the reward line gets a sticker or a small treat. If not, the week resets Monday with a clean chart. For reward ideas, see reward charts.

Chores that are still too much at 6

Some jobs need more strength, judgment, or safety awareness then a 6 year old has. Wait on cooking on the stove, anything with bleach, taking out heavy trash, and bathing a younger sibling. These are not failures, they are just not ready.

Give your child a piece of those jobs instead. They can stir cold ingredients, wipe the counter after you clean, carry a light bag to the bin, or hand you the towel for the baby. They get the feeling of helping without the risk.

Rewards, allowance and what to do with a bad week

A small weekly reward works best at 6. Think of a family movie night, a trip to the park, or picking the dinner menu. Keep it simple and consistent, not big or fancy. The reward is a thank you for the work, not a bribe.

Allowance can start at 6 for extras only, like a small toy or a treat at the store. Keep it separate from the chore chart. Chores are about being part of the family, not earning money. For more on this, see allowance charts.

A bad week is a reset, not a punishment. If the chart is empty by Sunday, talk about what got in the way. Then start fresh Monday. The goal is a habit, not perfection. For family-wide routines, check family chore charts.