Giving your toddler chores can help them later in life! Here are 25 chore ideas that toddlers can help with.
Toddlers crave autonomy, and it’s a great thing to promote. Our goal as parents is to create children that turn into kind, responsible, and accomplished adults that can take care of themselves and contribute to society. Basic toddler chores are a great place to start.
The foundation for a healthy adult starts when they’re young, and you might think “there’s no way my toddler will want to do chores! What chores can they even do?”
I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how much your toddler can do (and WANTS to do!)
You might also be thinking, “NO WAY, it’s so much easier if I do it and they will just make a big mess!”
You may be right on this one — it would be easier to do it all ourselves, and sometimes their help turns into a bigger mess. But a study discussed here suggests that children who grew up in homes where they were expected to help without much reward will become intrinsically motivated to be a helpful person the rest of their lives.
Yeah, it’s THAT important!
When doing chores with your toddler, encourage them to try first by themselves, and show them the way when they get stuck. It may take one or two tries to learn how to do each chore, but eventually they will start doing things without asking!
That’s the case in my house. My daughter LOVES to be helpful, and at 26 months old she can do everything on this list!
She’s learned that when she spills food or drink, she can get a rag and clean it up herself. She noticed the dog’s food bowl getting low today and refilled it (with supervision) unprompted. I love how confident and independent she’s become – I can only imagine how it will grow the older she gets!
Most of all, she wants to be helpful. She must say the words, “I’ll help!” or “I’ll get it!” four hundred times a day. I try my very best not to get annoyed by the subsequent messes her help can make, but I’m only human…
Overall, I’m very proud of everything she can do! And everyday there’s new chores she wants to try.
The Don’ts of Toddler Chores
- Don’t offer too many rewards or bribery when it comes to chores. You don’t want this to become habit, and you don’t want your child to go through life thinking that when they do what’s expected of them they will get a prize. It’s not the way this adult world works, and it’s an easier realization as a child.
- Be careful not to scold for doing things incorrectly or making a bigger mess. This can hurt your child’s confidence in their ability to do things by themselves. Instead try to say things like:
-“let me show you a better way”
-“it works better if…”
-“I can see how hard you’re trying, let’s try to do it like _______ instead.”
The Do’s of Toddler Chores
- Offer verbal praise and lots of hi-fives! It’s good to model appreciative behavior, your child will be likely to repeat the same back to those who help him/her!
- Start small and give one chore at a time. It’s important not to overwhelm your child
- Make chores fun! Play some fun music and dance around while you clean dishes. This is an important life skill and it will translate to other more “boring” areas of their life. You can dry the dishes and feel sorry for yourself, or you can dry dishes while shaking your hips to your favorite band!
Toddler Chore Ideas
- Put dishes in the sink
- Pick up toys/books/etc.
- Retrieve things (“can you get mommy a towel?”)
- Wipe messes up on floor or table
- Put dirty clothes in the laundry bin
- Fluff pillows on the couch
- Make their bed
- Put groceries away
- Put silverware or plastic dishes away
- Dry dishes
- Dust
- Wipe cabinets with rag
- Wash low windows or glass doors
- Help move laundry from washer to drier (with supervision and assistance)
- Feed the dog/cat/pet
- Help with younger siblings (my daughter frequently helps wipe her sister’s face after meals!)
- Throw trash into the garbage
- Set the table for dinner (or at least silverware and napkins)
- Match socks from the laundry
- Push the chairs in after meals
- Water plants
- Brush animals fur/hair
- Put away coat and shoes when coming indoors AND retrieve coat and shoes when it’s time to go outside
- Help make meals
- Help get the mail (my daughter’s favorite!)
Don’t forget to download your FREE Chore Checklist Printable! Print a batch to keep on the refrigerator, or laminate and wipe away with erasable marker.
You’ll also love
What other chores does your toddler love? Leave me a comment and let me know how it goes!
Dusting
Sanitize light switches/door knobs
Put laundry away in dresser drawers
Take out bathroom trash
Swish toilet bowl brush around
“Mop” floor
Pull weeds(supervised)
Wash tub
Make their bed
Of course these chores take ages for them to do but they can do it. Doing chores and completing them will give them so much confidence
Absolutely! And creates lifelong habits. Thank you for your comment!