What Chores Can a Preschooler Do?
While teaching Primary, I once told a class of preschoolers that they were all old enough to clean their own rooms with help. One boy was quite indignant and after church, he told his mother what a “dumb” thing I’d said in class. His mother was amused, and told him he was always supposed to obey his Primary teacher, so on Monday, she would teach him how to clean a room. The first week he was mad at me. The second week he didn’t mention it. The third week, he told me with surprise that he liked cleaning his room. It seems he was a rare child who likes everything neat and clean, and now that he knew how to clean it himself, he could keep it that way all the time.
While most of us won’t have the pleasure of raising a child who loves cleaning (until they leave home, when it no longer benefits you), we can still assign chores to children at a much younger age than most parents realize. Even a toddler can help pick up toys and put them away. If a child can walk and hold a toy at the same time, he can pick up.
The nice thing about teaching toddlers to clean is that they like to do it. They love imitating their parents and being helpful. To them, it’s nothing more than a fun game. Make up a song about cleaning and sing it as you work. Put lots of energy into your instructions: “Oh no! There’s a pink bunny on the floor! Who can pick it up? Can Emily pick it up and put it on the shelf?” Then, when Emily does as you ask, clap and cheer. “Yay! Emily put the bunny on the shelf! What a good helper!” While you won’t want to keep this up forever it’s very effective in training toddlers. Toddlers should always work with parental supervision and may try doing unassigned chores when you aren’t watching—like putting away your keys in the flower pot.
Toddlers can:
Pick up toys and put them away with guidance. (They won’t stay at it very long, but it’s a start.)
Dust, using a feather duster or slightly damp rag (no chemicals)
Use toy cleaning tools like child-sized brooms—not effectively, of course, but they can practice.
Fold washcloths or socks badly, which keeps them busy while you fold other things
Help set a table with plastic dishes
Preschoolers can do very basic cleaning with less supervision if there isn’t too much to do. Make a picture chart of categories of items found in his room. Let him start at the top and put away toys and clothes by category. Put the largest items first, so they’re out of the way. You might draw a line under every second category and print each group in different colors. Tell him to do the red group by himself. It may take time before he can do it without having you in the room, but eventually, he will be able to do three or four groups at a time.
A preschooler can:
Pick up his own toys and return them to his room.
Fold washcloths
Sort socks
Set the table with plastic dishes
Entertain a baby (when an adult is very nearby, naturally)
Learn to make very simple meals or snacks with help. (Don’t let a child use a stove until he can reach it without standing on anything. He should prepare and a parent should put things in and out of the oven or do the cooking.)
Assist in room cleaning and do a few categories alone.
Dust/wipe counters, table legs, or anything else he can reach without climbing—no chemicals.
Choose his own clothing from his closet and dress himself (with parental veto power for important occasions.)
Help with simple yardwork.
Help put away groceries.
Complete about fifteen minutes at a time, perhaps twice a day, of tasks assigned by parent.