Free Printable Chore Charts for Kids

Kids doing chores is always a debate in the parenting world. And not just about if kids should do chores or not, but how often and which chores. If you decide on having your kids do chores, are some free printable chore charts for kids.

Chores for Kids

When our kids were younger, we had chores for our kiddos. Daily chores included picking up their toys at the end of the day, putting dirty clothes in the laundry basket, and brushing their teeth. I know brushing teeth isn’t technically a chore, but when my kids were younger it was a necessity to list it as one. Chores were also adjusted according to their age and capability.

To track their chores, we used a chore chart similar to the one further down in the post. Be sure to grab your free printable templates!

As they have grown older, the chores have adjusted accordingly. Now they are helping more in the kitchen such as unloading the clean dishes from the dishwasher, taking out the recycling to be sorted, and cleaning their bathroom.

I’ve also added in weekly chores they do every Thursday. On this day, each of them dusts and vacuum their rooms. They also take turns vacuuming the hallway upstairs, vacuuming the living room, and sweeping the front room each Thursday. This way the house is cleaned before the weekend because no chores are done on the weekends. (There are absolutely no chores on the weekends. I do not want to do chores on the weekend, so I don’t want them to do it either. So the weekends are freebies.)

Age Appropriate Chores

Here’s a fantastic guide for age-appropriate chores from the Kris and Larry website (it is available as a free download, too).

When Chores Should be Completed

Whether it’s during the school year or summer, I really don’t have a preference as to when chores are completed each day. As long as they are done before the end of the day, I’m okay with it. However, if chores are not completed by bedtime, they will not be allowed to have screen time the following day. It’s effective for our kids.

Location of Chore Charts

When the kids were younger, we posted their chore charts on the fridge where everyone could see it. It also served as a visual reminder for chores to be completed. Thanks to fibromyalgia, I struggle with remembering even with the daily tasks, so the kitchen was the best place to keep them.

We had a list of daily chores on their charts, but we also had ‘bonus’ chores. These were additional chores that were optional. I would think of the chores I needed help with and wrote down different ones on each child’s chart according to their age. If they didn’t do it, it was no big deal. If they did complete it, then at the end of the week they got a reward. Just a little extra incentive for helping out around the house.

Free Printable Chore Charts for Kids

Here is what my chore charts (roughly) looked like for our kids. I’ve updated since we used them, but it’s basically the same. I also opted to use a monthly template rather than a weekly one. I’ve got enough to do as it is, so updating it week to week can be a pain. Also, it’s easier for my fibro brain to do it once a month keeping it simple and easy!

To be able to reuse them: First, place the print out in an 8×10 frame from either Dollar Tree or get creative to match your decor with these frames. Next, use a dry erase marker to write in the name, month, and chores. Use a fine tip dry erase marker for smaller and more legible writing.

Grab your free printable chore charts for kids!