7 Easy Chores for Toddlers that Just Make Sense

Including your toddler in chores is a great way to help them develop important skills while completing necessary tasks around the house.

There are many benefits to including your toddler in chores, such as developing gross motor, fine motor, language, and cognitive skills.

In addition to these benefits, you will be able to teach your children the importance of being a responsible member of the household from early on.

This article will provide a list of seven easy chores for toddlers that are developmentally appropriate and can be completed with help or independently.

Benefits of Doing Household Chores with Younger Kids

There are so many benefits to starting toddler chores early on.

Some of the benefits include:

– Promoting social and emotional development by teaching responsibility

– Developing gross motor skills as toddlers help complete chores such as hanging up their coat or putting away toys

-Bonding as a family as you keep your house functional together instead of just part of the family doing all of the work!

Toddlers are the perfect age to help with simple chores because at that age they LOVE to help!

They also are very interested in what you are doing so instead of having them do child-centered activities on their own you can just include them in the household tasks that need to be done.

Daily Chores May Take a Bit Longer When Young Kids Help

Although chores may take a little longer than usual with young kids, toddlers are capable of completing chores.

They just need your supervision and guidance to ensure that they are safe and responsible when helping you around the house.

The chores will also help increase their independence and encourage self-help skills as they learn how to complete tasks on their own.

Also, if done correctly chores can be an excellent way for them to learn about responsibility which will come in handy as they grow older!

So I try to get out of the mindset that things need to be done right now, in a specific way, or FAST.

With the help of toddlers, it is very likely things will take longer but when we think long term it will pay off!

Something else to keep in mind is that when we try to keep our children busy with child-centered activities that also means we have to PLAN them which I am not a fan of!

If we modify what we do, then things get done and the little ones learn.

Best Chores for Toddlers

There are many chores that toddlers can do themselves or with some guidance from parents (or even other family members).

Here are some examples of ones that your children can start doing from a young age.

Helping with the Family Pet

We first got a dog when my son was about to turn three and my daughter was just 6 months old.

This was not planned but we had a cute little puppy that showed up at our door with no owner to be found!

While night training a puppy with a baby and toddler that woke up during the night was a bit exhausting…having a dog has taught us all a few things including both of my kiddos!

From an early age they both have loved feeding the dog. We always make sure that the dog is away from them when they feed her but they happily will fill both her food and water when asked.

Giving the dog treats is also a favorite activity!

We have also had fish and both of my kids loved watching and helping my husband clean the fish tank by dumping out water.

Even if they can’t actually do part of the task they enjoy watching which is the first step in learning any new skill!

Lots of Learning Through Laundry

Doing laundry with my children has actually been some of my favorite memories!

I included them right from the start.

We cloth diapered them so there was always so much laundry to do, yet it was a chore I really didn’t mind doing so much.

When my son was just a baby I would play peek-a-boo with towels and clothes while folding them.

I would show him the different colors and he would kick his legs excitedly!

Putting fabrics with different textures in his hands was a simple sensory activity that he loved to play.

As he started sitting up I would put him in the laundry basket and he would happily sit and toss laundry out of the basket in which I would then pick up to fold.

Once he started walking he would enjoy pushing a full laundry basket with clothes from one place to another.

As a toddler, I would give him simple tasks such as bringing clothes to the rooms they belonged to or having him help me match socks.

Include Them in Yard Work

Getting outside has benefits for the whole family!

It is a time to get fresh air, learn, and get things done.

When getting your little kids involved we want to make sure we pick appropriate chores for their age and development.

For example, if you are about to rake leaves but your child can’t hold the rake maybe they could just put leaves in a small bucket and dump them into the pile.

Now, if we are talking about planting flowers with an older toddler and preschooler this might be a great way for them to get in some digging time!

My kiddos have always enjoyed digging in the dirt so this can be a great way for them to get some sensory play in while they refine fine motor skills as well.

You could also have them water plants on a hot day using a bucket or small water can.

Get creative and modify the activity for your child.

Pick Up Toys Together

I highly recommend getting your child in to the routine of picking up toys early on.

This will look different depending on the age of your child.

As always make sure your expectations are developmentally appropriate!

For example, should we expect an 18-month-old to clean up all their toys on their own?

Probably not! It is ok to help our little ones with these daily tasks so that they see what helping looks like as well.

So start simple.

In the beginning, you can gather up a few toys together and pretend to be surprised that they are there!

You might tell your toddler that it is “time to clean up toys” or say something fun like, “all done!” as you pick up the toys.

This will help your child to feel a sense of accomplishment as well as build upon his language skills.

Once he has mastered picking up a few toys at a time start handing him one toy at a time until he can do this independently.

If chores become boring for either you or your child don’t give up! Find ways to make chores more enjoyable such as turning chores into games.

Here is an example of how you can do this at clean-up time.

Prep and Prepare Meals

Having your child help with prepping meals gets them interested in the foods they will be eating and teachings them important life skills.

Let them help with things like washing fruit, stirring batter, spreading butter on bread, and adding ingredients to dishes.

This will also help your child get more comfortable in the kitchen with you which is a fantastic way for you to spend quality time together!

Click here to see some examples of how my little ones help out with meal prep.

Washing Dishes Together

Get some water play in while you wash the dishes together!

Giving them a sponge to help scrub a few pots and pans can be an exciting experience for a toddler.

You will want to use a step stool and supervise closely.

Having them help unload the dishwasher can be an easy chore that allows your child to practice hand-eye coordination and is an opportunity to embed other skills as well.

Naming the different items as your child pulls them out can be helpful in increasing vocabulary.

They will also get practice with following simple directions as they put items away.

What toddler chores does your little one like to help with?

These are just some ideas to get you started on finding age-appropriate chores for your little one to help out with.

Every family has its own routine so see what works best for your day and modify the activity for your toddler and give them the support they need while learning new tasks.

Get Household Work Done Together!

As parents, we want to give our children the best possible start in life. One way to do this is by having them help with chores at home.

This teaches them important skills such as responsibility, teamwork, and cooperation.

It also helps them develop their gross motor skills and sensory exploration. In addition, it allows us to spend quality time with our children while they learn new tasks.

Get creative and come up with chores that are developmentally appropriate for your child’s age and abilities.

Chores can be turned into games to make them more enjoyable for both you and your child.

You can find more ways to inspire learning while doing daily routines here!

Child Chores: Frequently Asked Questions

When should toddlers start chores?

to just give them a small role in the chore and then work up to them doing some things independently. FOr example, maybe have them help you sort clothes when doing laundry and work up to having them put them into their own rooms when they are older.

Should I pay my child for chores?

I would stay away from paying young kids to do chores. Instead, I would try to show them that doing these chores is part of being a family. This will teach them the importance of being a responsible member of the household from early on.

What chores can a 1-year-old do?

Picking up toys can be a great first chore to start with. Having them gather their toys or stuffed animals and putting them into a toy box can be a simple functional way for them to get started.
Think of small ways to let them help during real-life chores like laundry, watering plants, doing dishes, or even prepping meals.