Having your little ones help out with household tasks is an essential part of raising them to be responsible, self-sufficient people.
It’s also an important part of raising kids who are grateful, support their family members, who know the value of hard work.
And, you can start building these basic life skills at an early age!
Five year olds are absolutely read for age-appropriate daily responsibilities and a basic chore system. Exactly what those chores are will depend on the individual child (we listed some possibilities at the bottom of this post).
A well-designed weekly chore chart is the best way to keep you both on top of what you expect of them. There’s no need to purchase a fancy option – a DIY chore chart will work just fine.
It’s not especially fun or sustainable to tell your five year old over and over what you’d like them to do. It can be so much easier to track their household chores with a simple responsibility chart hung in a central location like your kitchen, refrigerator or entryway.
A visual chore chart is especially helpful at this age. They help set clear expectations for young kids who can’t read yet. Search for clip art illustrations that you can print out and paste to your chart chart.
We found 11 printable chore charts that will do the trick. These free printables offer several different designs and are a simple way to get started in a new chore routine.
A good chore chart for a five year old has a few simple components:
- A space for the child’s name
- A space for a brief list of chores they are responsible for (with illustrations!)
- Optional: A place to check off completed chores
If you need a family chore chart for multiple kids, here are some options for you. For a digital chore chart, try chorepad.com.
Without further ado, here are our favorite chore chart ideas for this age group:
Free Printable Chore Charts
1. Colorful Chore Chart
This basic chore chart is perfect for younger children because of it’s tie-dye rainbow theme and simple layout. You can either write a few simple chores on the blue lines, or print out and paste on simple illustrations of the things you want them to do each day.
Pro Tip: Laminate your chore chart, or put it in a plastic page protector and use dry erase markers so that you can reuse it week after week.
2. Sunshine & Clouds Morning Chore Chart
When very young kids are ready for their own chore chart, sometimes it helps to focus on morning responsibilities like brushing their teeth, getting dressed, and picking up their toys. This adorable chore chart focuses just on the morning. It’s a great way to introduce “chores” to very young kids.
Pro Tip: Laminate your chore chart, or put it in a plastic page protector and use dry erase markers so that you can reuse it week after week.
3. Blue & White To-Do List
This free kids chore chart can be used from a young age because there is room to print out and paste on clip art illustrations that represent each chore or responsibility. Your little one will have such a sense of accomplishment after checking off their to-do’s for the day.
You could even print out a small photo of their face and paste or tape it over the illustration to personalize it even further and help your child take even more ownership over their weekly chores.
Pro Tip: Laminate your chore chart, or put it in a plastic page protector and use dry erase markers so that you can reuse it week after week.
4. Yellow Chore Chart with Flags
This printable chore chart template has room for four main household duties and space to check them off throughout the week.
The colors are fun and bold, but if they’re too much for your printer, you can customize the colors on Canva.
Pro Tip: Laminate your chore chart, or put it in a plastic page protector and use dry erase markers so that you can reuse it week after week.
5. Green Robot Chore Chart
This fun chore chart has a robot theme and organizes the chores by time of day – morning chores and nighttime chores. It’s perfect for young children who are beginning to conceptualize time and when things typically happen.
Pro Tip: Laminate your chore chart, or put it in a plastic page protector and use dry erase markers so that you can reuse it week after week.
6. Yellow and Red Preschool Checklist
This colorful chore chart will be hard for your little one to ignore with its bright colors and X’s marking the spot! It’s a great chore chart for little kids because of the vibrant color scheme and simplicity of use.
Pro Tip: Laminate your chore chart, or put it in a plastic page protector and use dry erase markers so that you can reuse it week after week.
7. Colorful Rainbow Chore Chart
This colorful rainbow chore chart has a reward system built in to let your child know when they are doing a good job. You and your child can choose reward together that they will be able to earn if they successfully complete all of their chores for the week. A small allowance can be a good way for a child to begin to learn the value of money and how to manage it. If you don’t want to pay your kids money for chores, extra screen time or ice cream is a reward most kids love!
Pro Tip: Laminate your chore chart, or put it in a plastic page protector and use dry erase markers so that you can reuse it week after week.
8. Teddy Bear Chore Chart
This gender neutral teddy bear themed chore chart is perfect for little ones who love their stuffed animals. (Maybe “pick up stuffed animals off the floor” could be a chore!) Perhaps a new stuffed animal could be a reward for completing all of their household duties.
Pro Tip: Laminate your chore chart, or put it in a plastic page protector and use dry erase markers so that you can reuse it week after week.
9. Unicorn Chore Chart
If you have a child who loves unicorns, a bright and whimsical new chore chart might be the perfect way to motivate them!
Pro Tip: Laminate your chore chart, or put it in a plastic page protector and use dry erase markers so that you can reuse it week after week.
10. Grey and White Minimalist Chore Chart
This blank chore chart is as basic as they come, and will be easy on your printer!
Pro Tip: Laminate your chore chart, or put it in a plastic page protector and use dry erase markers so that you can reuse it week after week.
11. Farm Animal Chore Chart
There’s no better way to get mooo-ving on your chores than with a farm animal themed chore chart. This free chore chart puts a little wild fun into your child’s chore routine.
What Chores Should a Five Year Old Be Doing?
They may not be able to fold laundry yet (to your specifications), but even the youngest kids can begin to do basic chores in their room and around the house. The types of chores they do will be different from their older siblings, but they’ll still be reaping the benefits of chores.
A chore list with clear illustrations is the perfect solution for a child who can’t read yet to remind them of the simple tasks you want them to do each day. Start with just 2-3 chores per day, and grow from there, depending on your child.
For young kids, even personal hygiene activities can be considered daily chores as they learn to incorporate them into their daily routine.
Some responsibilities can be considered a “chore” until they have become a habit and your child no longer need a reminder. For example, brushing teeth, bringing their dishes to the sink when they are done with dinner, or taking their shoes off when they come inside.
Here are some age-appropriate chores younger kids ages 3-5 can begin to work on:
- Making the Bed (straightening out sheets and comforter)
- Pick Up Toys
- Put Clothes Away
- Pet/Brush the Dog
- Put dirty clothes in hamper
At this age, you can also choose to focus on “healthy habits” for your chore list Specific tasks could include:
- Brushing Teeth
- Brushing Hair
- Getting Dressed
- Eat Healthy Snack
- Read a book
Each of these to-do’s may seem like a “little thing”, but to a five-year-old they are serious tasks! The important thing is that your child is working on something that is a bit of a challenge for them, but still doable.
Older kids ages 6 and up can begin to take on more responsibility around the house. Here are some chores they might be ready for:
- Set the dinner table
- Empty the dishwasher
- Bring in the mail
- Sort the recycling
- Take out the garbage
- Clear the table
- Wipe down counters
- Vacuum
- Sweep the floors
- Walk the dog
- Feed the dog
- Make their bed
- Fold their laundry
We hope you loved these free printable chore charts! We customized them from templates available on canva.com. You can customize them further, but you’ll have to create a free account to do so.
If you’re looking for chore charts and chore ideas for older kids, check out “15 Best Chore Charts for Kids” for more options.
Happy house cleaning!
Related Posts:
15 Best Chore Charts for Kids
5 Best Chore Charts for Multiple Kids
7 Best Daily Calendars by the Hour
Calie Herbst
Calie Herbst, Editor-in-Chief of Milwaukee With Kids, has spent over a decade combining her experiences as a parent of three to create a hub for Milwaukee’s family adventures.
Her decade-long teaching career in Milwaukee Public Schools and academic background, including a Master’s in Teaching from Marquette University and dual B.A.s in Sociology and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, fuel her passion for inclusive and engaging family content.
Calie is also a recognized voice in local media, contributing to WISN Channel 12 News, WTMJ Wisconsin Morning News, Fox 6’s Real Milwaukee, and B93.3.
Discover more about Calie’s journey and editorial approach on her About Pageand Editorial Policy Page.
