Pocket Money Chores List – A Parent’s Guide

What are some good chores for my kids to earn pocket money? It’s the second most common question we get from parents, right behind ‘how much pocket money should I give my kids’. As a sidenote, if you want to find out the going pocket money rate for kids, check out our ‘how much pocket money should I give?’ article to decide on the right pocket money amount for your family.

Every household takes a different approach to chores, and that’s fine. But there are pitfalls you can avoid and some surprisingly lucrative earning opportunities you might not have considered. For example, this year’s Pocket Money Index shows that the best-paid chores for children aren’t the ones kids do most often, they’re the outdoor ones, such as mowing the lawn, washing the car, and walking the dog, which all pay significantly more than everyday indoor tasks.

In this guide we cover the big debate around paying for chores, share a practical chore list for kids by age, and include the latest data on what kids are actually earning. If you’re interested in finding out how much kids earn from chores, you can also find the full chore pay rates on our Pocket Money Index hub.

The main advantage of paying for chores is teaching kids that you have to earn money. It’s a great lesson to prepare children for the real world and can help instil a sense of pride and confidence if they manage to save a lot of money by working for it.

We hear tons of stories of how children appreciate their new toys more, and look after them better, when they feel they’ve really earned them through weeks and weeks of dishwashing or raking leaves in the garden; it’s great to see that sense of accomplishment. Ultimately, if you can make that connection between earning, saving and then spending, that’s a really powerful lesson.

There’s also the undeniable truth that kids respond pretty well to incentives, so dangling the carrot of cash can genuinely help you get the chores done around the house a lot more quickly, and sometimes with a lot less nagging!

The key argument against paying for chores is that kids should do their chores around the house regardless. We as adults don’t get paid to hoover the house, so why should our kids, and it sets unrealistic expectations for later in life. Children should grow up knowing that wherever they live, they need to ‘pull their weight’ and do their bit for the upkeep of the house.

Some people reject the idea of giving children work, almost on principle – we respect that position. With chores, there’s also the potential side effect of instilling the idea that you only need to work if you’re being paid. We have heard stories of kids politely declining to take the bins out because they’ve already got enough money and don’t need to earn any more, thank you very much. That’s something you might want to avoid.

Also, some believe that the main purpose of pocket money is to give your children experience of managing their own funds. You’re giving your child money each week to offer them hands-on experience of controlling it, learning lessons about not spending it all at once, saving it up for a goal etc. You might want to avoid adding in chores here, just to keep things simpler.

In our experience, these are the main ways families handle chores and pocket money:

Approach A – ‘Children need to earn their money’

• Pay-per-chore – set a price per task and pay when it’s done.
• Chores unlock allowance – completing a set of tasks unlocks the week’s allowance.

Approach B – ‘I shouldn’t have to pay my children to do their chores’

• Citizen of the household – kids contribute as part of family life. They may get pocket money on the side, but it’s not tied to chores, it exists separately so they can practice managing money themselves.

Approach C – Somewhere in the middle

• Core jobs and paid extras – the idea that kids do certain jobs as part of their responsibility within the household, and have the opportunity to earn extra money via agreed extra jobs.

We believe in starting young, so children and parents can start building those habits early. Kids can start receiving pocket money between 4 and 7 years old, but it’s really up to the parents. Families with more than one child will often find the younger siblings wanting to catch up with their older brothers and sisters early, so you may see things change when one child starts earning pocket money.

Remember, it doesn’t always have to be with money, even the younger kids can start with star charts to earn stars that they can put towards rewards.

Our latest Pocket Money Index shows that £9.74 is the average overall weekly pocket money kids are earning in the UK. However, at Rooster Money we are firm believers in the idea that it’s not how much you give, it’s the act of giving it regularly that’s important. Whether it’s 20p or £10 a week, the lessons the children will learn are the same.

There is also the other approach of ‘paying-per-chore’, in which case you can sit down with your kids and agree a price for each job, enabling them to earn different amounts each week depending on which chores they complete. It’s important they feel involved in the initial process so that they understand why they’re doing what they’re doing and why the value is different.

According to our latest Pocket Money Index, which is based on data from over half a million Rooster Card users, the best-paid chores for kids are consistently the outdoor ones. The top four paying chores all take kids outside, with mowing the lawn holding the number one spot for the third year running. If you’re interested in finding out more about top paying chores for kids, you can see the full breakdown on our Pocket Money Index hub.

This is one of the most common questions we get. Every family is different, we’ve seen kids doing everything from sweeping snow off the drive to waxing surfboards. Below is a practical chores for kids by age guide to help you find the right fit.

Age-appropriate chores for 4-5 year olds

• Putting toys away
• Putting clothes in the laundry bin
• Making the bed (with help)
• Tidying up their bedroom

Age-appropriate chores for 6-7 year olds

• Helping set and clear the table
• Watering plants
• Folding laundry and sorting socks
• Looking after or feeding pets

Age-appropriate chores 8-9 year olds

• Loading and emptying the dishwasher
• Helping with dinner (e.g. peeling vegetables)
• Hoovering
• Raking leaves

Age-appropriate chores for 10-11 years olds

• Taking the bins out
• Sweeping
• Cleaning the kitchen
• Cleaning the bathroom
• Walking the dog

Age-appropriate chores 12+ year olds

• Mowing the lawn 
• Washing the car 
• Cleaning the windows 
• Making dinner
• Ironing

Getting your kids into a chores routine can feel daunting at first, but it pays off quickly for the whole family. Whether you use an online pocket money tracker or a chart on the fridge, consistency is what makes it stick:

• Start simple – pick two or three regular tasks and build from there
• Make it clear – set clear expectations upfront so kids know exactly what jobs earns what
• Pay promptly – kids learn fastest when reward follows effort quickly
• Review and adjust – as kids grow, chores and rates should too

There are tools out there that can help with your chore routine (like, ahem, Rooster Money), but there’s no getting around the fact you will need to be organised to make the routine work. The good news is, once you’re in a routine, you won’t look back. If you’re looking to set up a chores routine for your family, have a look at the Rooster Money chores feature to get organised and help your kids understand the importance of earning with chores.

Chores is included with the Rooster Card subscription. Card for ages 6-17. Parent/Guardian must be 18+ and a UK resident. £19.99/yr or £1.99/mo. Other fees may apply. T&Cs apply.

Chore routines can genuinely be enjoyable, and as every parent knows, if it’s fun for the kids, it’s easier for everyone. If your current system isn’t working, don’t be afraid to change it. The best approach to how to get kids to do chores is one that evolves with your family. Try a different method, adjust the rewards, or let kids have more say in which tasks they take on each week.

Once the basics are in place, here are a few ideas to take things further:

• New ways to earn – encourage kids to suggest new jobs they could do. It gets the entrepreneurial spirit going and gives you a useful insight into what they value. Will they wash a neighbour’s car? Help with a garden clear-out? Mow more than one lawn?
• Entrepreneurship – encourage them to run small ventures of their own. A car boot sale, a lemonade stand, or selling old toys online are great ways to teach budgeting and value. If you’re looking for some tips to pass on the entrepreneurial spirit to your kids, check out our parents and kids guide to online reselling to help them get going
• Job auctions – if you have more than one child, lay out the week’s paid tasks and let them choose. You’ll quickly learn a lot about their priorities (and their competitive instincts!).

• Let them have a go – when you’re deciding what chores to give them, don’t assume they can’t do certain things; let them try, and see how they get on. You’ll often be pleasantly surprised at what they can achieve.
• Stay organised – when chores become part of the weekly routine, kids are more likely to take responsibility for their chores, helping family life to run a little more smoothly.
• Reward chart – if you want to start with a good old fashioned printable chart to stick on the fridge, we’ve got a reward chart template you can use right here.
• And last, but not least – have fun. We hope the pocket money chores list above and other snippets of advice have been useful.

The data in this article is from our 2025/26 Pocket Money Index.