Chores for 10 Year Olds

A list of age appropriate chores for 10 year olds with free printable chore chart templates

Chore List for 10-Year-Old

What are appropriate chores for a 10-year-old?

Ten is the age where chores stop being a novelty and start becoming a routine. A ten-year-old is physically capable of most household jobs and can follow a few steps without being walked through them. What they usually still need is the reminder. The job itself is rarely the problem at this age, remembering it is.

That is why the list below is organised around the rhythm of the day rather than around rooms. A chore attached to a fixed moment, like emptying the lunchbox the second they walk in, sticks far faster than a chore that floats loose and has to be nagged into existence.

Morning Chores

• Make their bed before they leave the room
• Put pajamas away rather than dropping them on the floor
• Rinse their breakfast bowl and load it into the dishwasher
• Fill the pet’s food and water bowls
• Check their school bag against the day’s timetable
• Hang up their coat and line their shoes up by the door

After-School Chores

• Unpack the lunchbox and rinse it out
• Empty their bag and put homework out on the desk
• Bring in the mail and any parcels
• Water the houseplants
• Sweep up whatever they tracked in on their shoes
• Put away anything they left lying around that morning

Chores Around Dinner

• Set the table with plates, cutlery, and glasses
• Chop soft vegetables with a child-safe knife
• Measure and stir ingredients while you cook
• Use the microwave and the toaster on their own
• Clear the table and wipe it down afterwards
• Rinse the plates and stack the dishwasher
• Put the leftovers into containers and into the fridge
• Take out the kitchen trash and put in a fresh bag

Weekly Chores

• Vacuum the living room and the hallway
• Sweep or mop a hard floor
• Dust the shelves and the baseboards
• Wipe fingerprints off doors, light switches, and mirrors
• Sort the laundry into piles and load the washing machine
• Move a wash over to the dryer and fold what comes out
• Strip their bed and help remake it with clean sheets
• Wipe out the bathroom sink and mirror
• Tidy the shoe rack and the coat hooks
• Sort the recycling and wheel the bin out to the curb

Outdoor and Weekend Chores

• Rake leaves into a pile and hold the bag open
• Pull weeds out of the flower beds
• Water the garden or the vegetable patch
• Sweep the porch, the deck, or the driveway
• Help wash the car and dry it off
• Fill the bird feeder
• Bring the bins back in and put away the outdoor toys
• Shovel a path through fresh snow

Pet Chores

• Walk the dog alongside an adult or an older sibling
• Brush the dog or the cat
• Scoop the litter tray or clean out a small animal’s cage
• Top up the water bowl whenever it runs low
• Gather up the toys and bedding the pet has dragged around

Chores to Hand Over This Year

• Remembering a chore without being reminded
• Running a full load of laundry from start to finish
• Making themselves a simple lunch at the weekend
• Getting up on their own alarm
• Keeping track of their own homework deadlines
• Owning one job outright for a whole month

A ten-year-old does not need chores from every group above. Two or three anchored to fixed moments in the day will do more for them than a long list they need chasing on. Once a chore has been running for a month without a reminder, that is the signal they are ready to take on another one.

Jobs for 10-Year-Olds

Some people believe in paid chores and therefore are looking for work for 10-year-olds that they can get paid for. I personally believe in paid chores but I do think that kids should also have responsibilities and chores that they are not paid for. In my opinion, paid chores should be over and above what they should do each day. They should be able to choose paid chores and if they do them well then they get paid for them.

If you are looking for work for 10-year-olds then choose additional chores from the list above.

Customizable Chore Chart for 10-Year-Old

Each child develops at a different pace. Some kids might not be ready for some of these chores. If not, don’t push them. Check out our list of age-appropriate chores to find daily chores for kids that are more relevant.

Sample Chore Charts

Customize & Print

See chore chart for kids

How to Make a Chore Chart

1. Open the chore chart generator by clicking on the button above. Select any chore chart template to start (you can change all elements in the next steps).

2. Select any background or border.

3. Select any chore chart layout. There are daily and weekly chore chart templates. Some charts track an allowance and some offer paid chores. Some have options for multiple children. Choose the chore sheet that works best for you.

4. Edit the text. If you want to add the chore list then click on add text. Type each chore and drag it to the relevant place.

5. Add chore clipart if you wish.

6. Download your printable chore chart (image or PDF).

Here are some sample chore charts made with the app. These are only samples and the possibilities are endless.

See chore chart and family chore chart