Chores for 8 year olds, with a points chore chart

Chores for 8 year olds

Here are 12 chores that fit an 8 year old. Each one has a points value. Keep the list short at first, then add jobs as the habit sticks.

Pick the chores that match your child's day. A chore done well matters more than a long list.

• Load the dishwasher (2 points)
• Vacuum one room (3 points)
• Take the trash out (1 point)
• Make breakfast for themselves (2 points)
• Clean their room (3 points)
• Walk the dog with a parent (2 points)
• Fold and put away own laundry (3 points)
• Wipe the bathroom sink (2 points)
• Set the table for dinner (1 point)
• Empty the lunchboxes (1 point)
• Water the plants (1 point)
• Sort recycling (2 points)

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.

You can also use the free printable templates to make your own list with different chores.

How the points column works

Each chore has a number next to it. On Sunday, the child adds the points from the week. The reward line says how many points it costs, so the child knows exactly what they are working toward.

Numbers work at 8 because stickers feel babiysh. An 8 year old wants to feel grown up, and adding points feels like a real job. Keep the values small so the math is easy: 2, 3, and 1 are enough.

The child does the adding, not you. That is the point. When they total the row themselves, they own the result. The reward is priced in points the child totals up themselves.

This is simple operant conditioning, but it also teaches a skill. The child learns that effort has a value, and that value adds up.

Setting up the points chart

Set up takes ten minutes tonight. Follow these steps, and you will have a chart ready for Monday morning.

1. Pick 5 chores together from the list above.
2. Agree on the points for each chore.
3. Agree on what 20 points buys (a movie, a trip to the park, extra screen time).
4. Print the chart in color or ink saving.
5. First total is next Sunday. Let the child count the points.

Write the child's name on the blank line. Post the chart where the child can see it, like the fridge or their door.

For more on making a chart that lasts, read our guide to making a chore chart.

Chores for 8 year olds to earn money

Family chores are unpaid. Those are the ones on the points chart, because everyone helps the house run. Paid chores are extras, above the regular list, and they go on the allowance chart.

Good paid extras for an 8 year old: washing the car, raking leaves, cleaning the baseboards, or organizing a closet. These are jobs you would do yourself but can hand over for a small fee.

Keep the two charts separate. The points chart builds responsibility. The allowance chart builds money sense. Mixing them confuses the message.

For more on the split, see our family chore chart and decide together what counts as a family job.

When the points stop mattering

Every chart goes stale. The signs are clear: the child forgets to add points, or they do a chore but skip the sticker. That is not failure, it is a signal.

Change the reward, not the chores. If 20 points no longer excites them, raise it to 30 or pick a new reward. Sometimes a week off is enough to reset the habit.

If the chart still feels flat, move to the 9 to 10 year old chart with more jobs and bigger responsibilities. The points system can grow with them.