Chores for 3 and 4 year olds
Are you considering what is appropriate in terms of chores for 3 and 4 year olds? Are you wondering if a 3 or 4 year old should even be doing chores? While I can’t tell you what is right for you and your family, I can give you ideas based on what we do in my family!
Yes my 4 year old has chores and all of these she also did when she was 3! No, they aren’t tedious or super intensive. No, I don’t expect her to do every single chore on this list every single day, but she is capable of doing any of them!
Why I think chores are important for children
I personally believe that my children should learn to contribute to the family starting pretty young. This will hopefully help my children learn to contribute positively to society when they’re older. I hope to teach them that a little effort goes a long way. I’m sure most of us have witnessed those who refuse to pick up a piece of garbage that’s fallen out of their car, or those who won’t return their shopping cart to the cart corral, or maybe someone who has seen someone else in need of a hand but chose not to help. I’m hoping to instill values in my children that teach them to do better than that.
I also think it’s beneficial for children to learn to do mundane everyday tasks while they’re young so that when they get older it isn’t a shock to their system when mom and dad aren’t around to do everything for them.
Beyond my main reasons listed above for incorporating chores in my children’s every-day lives. I think chores help children grow in independence, accountability, good work-ethic, responsibility, sense of pride, self awareness, integrity and more.
So let’s explore some chores that I personally think are appropriate for my 4 year old.
Chores for 3 and 4 year olds
#1 – Wiping things down
Time it takes: About 5 minutes
There is just something my kids absolutely love about wiping things down! It could be wiping the appliances, the kitchen chairs, shelves or even the door knobs in the house!
#2 Organize the bookshelf
Time it takes: about 3 minutes
With 4 kids in the house, and one of them being a destructive toddler, our bookshelf becomes disorderly quite often.
My 4 year old is responsible for organizing and straightening up the bookshelf every once in a while.
I taught her how the spine faces outward and how the books should be standing vertically.
#3 – Unloading the dishwasher
Time it takes: about 3 minutes
Technically my 5 year old unloads the dishwasher, but my 4 year old helps out by putting away the silverware. She loves sorting and organizing the silverware drawer as she puts away the spoons, forks and butter knives.
*Don’t forget to check for and remove any sharp objects before your kids begin this chore!
You can tell by her demeanor that she becomes quite proud and accomplished within herself!
#4 – Tidying her bedroom
Time it takes: about 5 minutes
On occasion I will help her clean her bedroom, but most of the time she is responsible for cleaning it herself.
She is to pick up and put away her toys, shoes, books, and dirty laundry. She is also responsible for making her bed each day.
This is usually all that is needed to tidy the whole room!
Once a child learns to do this everyday, it becomes habit and really doesn’t take long to do at all!
#5 Folding laundry
Time it takes: About 10 minutes
Did my daughter do a very good job folding her laundry when she was 3? Defiantly not! And still at 4 years old her folding isn’t perfect, but she has gotten quite good at it!
We will usually sit together as a family and fold our laundry together. Often I will fold everyones laundry for them and they are responsible for putting it away in their dressers. Even my 4 year old does a great job at this!
#6 Starting a load of laundry
Time it takes: About 3 minutes
This chore is completely supervised for safety reasons!
My daughter will gather her dirty clothes, put them in the washer with some soap and even press the start button!
I typically switch the load for her and start the dryer. Though she is totally capable of this step too!
#7 Clean up after a meal
Time it takes: about 1 or 2 minutes
My 4 year old is responsible for returning her dishes to the sink after she is finished eating. Many times she will even offer to take her siblings dishes as well.
In addition to this, she typically wipes down the area that she sat at when dining.
Chores for 3 and 4 year olds
These are some of the chores that my 4 year old daughter is fully capable of doing! She has grown in her independence and self-confidence from accomplishing her chores every day! She also often finds joy, rather than dread, in doing mundane tasks such as these.
What are some of your 3 or 4 year olds chores? Let me know in the comments below!
Other related articles –> chores for 5 and 6 year olds
