How to use it

1. The chart opens on the chore preset with six everyday jobs. Change the list to fit your home: rename jobs, add more or remove any you don’t need. A picture appears beside each chore, matched to the words you type.
2. Choose seven days or Monday to Friday.
3. Type the name and the reward. Use the notes line for the rule for earning a check.
4. Pick boxes to check or stars, hearts, dots or smiles to color. Then choose a color and a picture for the top corner.
5. Print on US Letter or A4. Stick it on the fridge at your child’s height. Laminate it if you want to wipe it clean and reuse it.

Why teachers and parents use it

• A picture beside each chore helps a three year old see what the job is before they can read.
• You choose the chores to suit your house, whether that’s feeding the cat or putting shoes by the door. Watering the plant counts too.
• The chart is one page. It fits on a fridge, and a child can take it in at a glance.
• Print one chart per child, or use the whole class preset for a family chart with a row per person.
• The chart saves itself in your browser. Next week is one click.

Chores by age

Under three, chores are copying. A child might put a toy in the basket or carry a spoon to the table. Dropping clothes in the hamper counts too. Do it together and let the child do the last step. Three year olds can put toys away with a reminder, put dirty clothes in the hamper, carry their plate to the counter, feed a pet with help, and wipe up a spill with a cloth. Four year olds can make a bed by pulling up the blanket. They can also set the table with plates and cups, water plants, match socks, put away groceries on low shelves, and clear their own place after a meal. Five year olds can make a simple bed properly, feed a pet without help, sort laundry by color, and tidy their room to a standard you agree on. They can also help pack their own bag for school and put away clean clothes in drawers. For a preschooler, start with three to five chores. Every chore should be one the child can already do on a good day. Add the next chore once the current ones are habit.

Should chores be paid?

Two rules work for many families. Family jobs, the things everyone does because they live here, aren’t paid. That includes setting the table and tidying up. Feeding the pet is a family job too. The reward on the chart is the reward. Extra jobs, such as washing the car or sorting the recycling, can earn pocket money if you want to teach money. Keep them off the daily chart so the two don’t get mixed up. Whichever way you go, say it once and stick to it. A chart that changes its rules mid-week stops meaning anything.

Making a chore chart stick

Check the box together when the chore is done. Don’t leave it until bedtime and rely on memory. Let the child do the checking or add the sticker. Keep the reward small and soon: a trip to the park on Saturday, not a toy at the end of the month. Never take a check away. If a chore is being skipped every day, it’s the wrong chore for this age or the wrong time of day. Move it or swap it. And do the chart for a few weeks, then let it go.

FAQ

Is the chore chart free to print?

Yes. The chart is free to make and print, with no signup and no account.

Can I make a chore chart with pictures?

Yes. Turn on the picture beside each row, and the chart matches a picture to the words in each chore. Make my bed gets a bed; set the table gets a plate. Feed the pet gets a dog. The pictures suit children who are not reading yet, including three year olds.

What chores can a 4 year old do?

Make a bed by pulling up the blanket, set the table with plates and cups, water plants, match socks, put away groceries on low shelves, and clear their own place after a meal.

What chores can a 3 year old do?

Put toys away with a reminder, put dirty clothes in the hamper, carry a plate to the counter, feed a pet with help, and wipe up a spill.

Can I make one chart for the whole family?

Yes. Pick the whole class preset and type a name per row. Each person gets a row with a box for every day. A big family spreads across two pages.

How many chores should be on the chart?

Three to five for a preschooler. Every chore on the chart should be one the child can already manage on a good day. Add the next one once the current ones are habit.