Summer Chores for Kids
Summer Chores for Kids
Summer is here, and that means that school is out! While you surely want to soak up the sun and do lots of fun summertime activities with your littles, there is still plenty to be done around the house during summer break. Luckily, there are lots of different chores that your kids can help out with, regardless of their age.
Our kiddos are much more capable than we sometimes give them credit for, and having them help with chores can not only be a big help to us but can be a learning experience for our children, too! Believe it or not, it can even be fun– for you and for your kids.
Take a look below for a quick roundup of lots of the summer chores ideas and ones I like to assign to my own kids during summer break, plus some great product recommendations like chore charts to help you stay organized when working on all of your chores around the home!
Why Should Your Kids Do Summer Chores?
It’s also important to realize that having your kids help out at home has some benefits for them, too. It is not selfish for you to ask the kiddos to help out with some of the summer chores. They can help teach responsibility and also practice goal setting.
Completing regular chores also helps to add structure and routine, which your kids might be lacking without school in session. Plus, the faster you get those done, the faster you and your family can move on to fun summer bonding activities like the beach or mini-golf!
Summer Chores for Kids
Now, when it comes to the different sorts of chores that our kids can handle, this will depend on our littles as individuals. There’s not necessarily a one size fits all list. However, when it comes to some easy, age-appropriate chores, look no further– I’ve got you covered! Below is a round-up of some of my favourite summer chores for my own kids.
Of course, you should still be sure to set aside plenty of time for fun, too– they are still kids, and we as parents want to make sure we give them the space to act like it!
Make Their Beds
Now, this one is not specifically a summertime chore– it’s one that your kids should be doing all year round! However, it may be wise to reiterate the importance of making your bed in the morning, especially because your kids surely want to jump out of bed and get the day started! After all, summertime gives your kiddos a different sort of routine, since they don’t have to get ready for school in the morning.
You should remind your kids of the importance of making their beds every morning, rather than making it a part of their routine when they are getting ready for school. Plus, even better, your kids will be able to start their day off right with a sense of accomplishment!
Wash the Car
This chore is one of the fun ones! It’s a great summer chore and can cool your kids off at the same time so that the chore feels less like a boring chore and more like a fun activity. There’s nothing better to a kid than getting into their bathing suit to wash the car in the front yard. It’s perfect for any summer day that is super hot and humid. Then, once they’re done, it’s easy to transition to a pool day or a day in the sprinkler in the backyard!
Weed or Water the Garden
Do you have a vegetable garden or even just a flower garden to give your home some extra pizzazz? Well, this is another great idea where your kids can contribute to outdoor chores! Weeding and watering are tasks that are very important for upkeep in the garden, and they need to be done frequently, too, so that your garden stays in tip-top shape.
Yard work can be tougher on the little ones, but watering the garden or weeding it are both easier tasks, so even your younger children should be able to help out and feel pride in making their home look good– or helping to grow the yummy veggies they’ll be snacking on later that summer! And even better, it gets the kids outdoors! It’s a win win!
Load and Unload the Dishwasher
This chore is another one that your kids can help with year-round, but it is true that it’s extra important in the summertime. First of all, if you have dishes sitting in the sink too long, they can start to get smelly faster in the summer heat. It can also easily attract bugs and pests– yuck!
Plus, with all of your kids home during the day, too, instead of off at school, the dishes pile up more quickly since they are getting used more often. It can feel overwhelming and hard to catch up on, especially when you have other things to do! Luckily, this is an easy, age-appropriate chore that you can hand off to the kiddos for a little extra help. You can also add to the chore list that They have to go around the house to make sure there are no dirty cups or dishes and bring them to the dishwasher.
Help Pack Lunches
Part of the fun of summer is getting to go on fun day trips with your family, from a day at the beach to a trip to the zoo or the park! Of course, you always want to be prepared for these sorts of trips, which usually require that you pack up a lot of stuff– sunscreen, diapers, and certainly snacks and lunches!
Some of your older kids can help you with packing up snacks or lunches in the morning or in the evening before your special field trip. They can either assist you, or can do it themselves, depending on their age!
This is also a good chore if you have kids who are going to day camp during the summer. Your camper could even learn to pack their own lunch for the day!
By having the kids assist with simple tasks around preparing food, it will also allow kids to learn about different foods and prepare them with new skills for cooking when they are old enough.
Help With Laundry
Laundry is another one of those chores that seems like it’s never done– and it only gets worse during the summer! That’s because our kids are home and are playing outside, going to the beach, and in general, making a mess of their clothes while they explore. This means even more changes of clothes and more loads of laundry than normal!
Older kids may be taught to run a load of laundry on their own, but even our younger kiddos can help out with the laundry by unloading it, helping to fold, or putting clean laundry away.
Products That Can Help
Sometimes, even despite our best efforts, there is some foot-dragging and whining involved when we try to assign chores. It’s not always easy, and many of our kids just want to skip the chores entirely and skip to the fun parts of summer. Part of it is how you frame it– make it sound fun, rather than a punishment, for example! There are also some products out there that can help to make chore time more fun and engaging for your littles.
Take a look at my list of top suggestions below!
Chore Chart
I love our chore chart– it’s easy to read and straight to the point– sometimes simple is best! It is a dry-erase board, so you can add or change chores when needed.
The board is set up with a list of your daily chores on the left, and your weekly chores on the right. In the middle are checkboxes labelled with each day of the week, so that your kids can check off their chores once they’re all set. After all, there’s nothing like the feeling of crossing something off a list! It’s so satisfying.
The chore chart does come in two different styles– there is the single chore chart or the double chore chart. The double version has two grids of checkboxes for families who need a little extra space on their chart!
By having a summer chore chart that kids check off boxes as they are completed, excites them and also holds them accountable to complete the task.
You could even offer a small reward after completing their weekly summer chore chart. Examples could be screen time, stickers, a new set of markers for their summer chore chart.
Kid’s Calendar
Our children’s calendar is a great visual aide for your kiddos! It’s a dry-erase board, so different tasks or appointments can easily be written on the board and then erased later, and you can add the correct dates for the particular month you’re in, too.
On the left-hand side is an area for each day of the week, which can be a perfect spot for listing out chores or reminders for our kids. Plus, having a calendar that they need to check can help add another layer of responsibility to their tasks.
Below the calendar, itself is a section where your littles can write what they are thankful for, as well as acts of kindness they want to start doing, so you can encourage gratitude and positive attitudes every day. It comes with a dry erase marker, too, so you have everything you need to get started!
Dry Erase Markers
Both of the boards that I recommended above come with a black dry-erase marker. However, kids love to colour!
This set of dry erase markers comes in a bunch of bright colours, and they’re fine tips, so they are easy to write with and read. You could assign each of your kiddos a different colour marker to keep your calendar or chore chart organized. You could also use different colours when writing out your chores to make your chore chart look prettier!
They even have magnetic caps so that you can easily stick them to the fridge to avoid losing them.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should a 12-year-old do for chores?
A 12-year-old should be able to do some chores that are a bit more complex than the chores they were able to complete when they were younger.
Some age-appropriate chores include putting away their own laundry, light vacuuming (such as vacuuming the rugs), loading or emptying the dishwasher, and sweeping the kitchen, the garage, or the walkway.
Depending upon your child as an individual, you could also have them assist with mealtime by prepping food or helping with light cooking, or you could teach them to do their own laundry, as opposed to just putting it away!
What are good 10-year-old chores?
Once your kid gets to the “double digits”, it may be time for a step up when it comes to their chores and responsibilities! You should still keep chores light– after all, your child is not an adult– but at this age, your child may be ready for a bit more responsibility.
Some great chores for a 10-year-old include ironing clothes, washing the windows or washing the car, folding laundry, and cleaning the bathrooms. Of course, simpler chores such as making their beds in the morning and cleaning up after themselves at meals are important, too.
What should a 9-year-old do for chores?
Your 9-year-old may be able to do some more complicated chores now that they are a little bit older, but you should introduce some of the chores slowly, rather than all at once, so your kiddo doesn’t get overwhelmed!
Be sure to show them how to do these sorts of chores first, so that they have an example to follow. Some of the different chores that a 9-year-old could start doing are making their own snacks, putting away their dirty dishes, and cleaning up after themselves after a bath or shower. This includes putting their dirty linens in the laundry!
What are some chores for a 7-year-old?
If you have a 7-year-old, you should start introducing some chores to them so that they understand responsibility. However, your little is still young, so you should only give them a few chores and make sure that they are manageable and age-appropriate ones! For instance, you could try to put your child more in charge of their morning routine when getting ready or their nighttime routine when going to bed, so that they can start to try doing these things on their own.
Some other age-appropriate chores include setting or clearing the table and keeping their room clean and tidy.