Six-year-olds are the first age where chore charts genuinely earn their keep. Kids this age can read a list, chain three or four steps, and remember a routine across the weekend. They can also tell — to the second — when their sibling is getting an easier deal than they are. So the system at age 6 has to be three things: visible (kids can check it themselves), fair (same chores, same days, no surprises), and short (five items, max).
TL;DR
- Three daily chores plus one or two weekly chores. Five items is the ceiling.
- Same chores every day. Rotate quarterly, not weekly.
- This is the age to start a small allowance — separate from chore completion.
- Write the chores down. Verbal lists at age 6 don’t survive a transition.
- Run a 5-minute Sunday review. The fairness arguments mostly stop.
Chores for 6- and 7-year-olds
The list below is the 6-7 band from the full age-by-age chore chart. Pick three to start, then add a fourth or fifth only after the first three are automatic.
Ages 6-7
Early-school kids can chain 3-4 steps and remember a checklist. They also start caring about fairness — this is when "but my brother didn't!" becomes the dominant sound in the house.
| Chore | Category | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Empty the dishwasher (with reachable shelves) | Kitchen | |
| Fold and put away their own laundry | Laundry | |
| Pack their school bag the night before | Self-care | |
| Take out the kitchen recycling | Cleaning | |
| Sweep a floor or porch | Cleaning |
What changes at age 6
Three big shifts happen between age 5 and age 6. First, working memory roughly doubles — a 6-year-old can hold a 4-step routine in their head where a 5-year-old needed each step prompted. Second, reading comprehension takes off, so a written chore list starts working. Third, fairness becomes a deeply held concept. This is the age where “but my brother got the easier one!” is the dominant household sound, and it’s not malice — it’s a neurological development that exists for good reasons.
The chore system needs to evolve with all three. Written list (not just verbal). Same chores for everyone in the same age band. A weekly checkpoint where the unfairness complaints get heard and addressed.
Allowance and pay at this age
Six is the right age to start a small weekly allowance. Two competing models work:
- Base allowance. A small weekly amount ($1-3 in the US, similar in local currency elsewhere) that’s tied to being a member of the family — not tied to chore completion. Chores still happen because they’re expected. This is the model recommended by the AAP and most parenting researchers.
- Earned allowance. Each chore is worth a small amount; the kid earns their allowance by completing chores. Simpler to track, but creates the bargaining dynamic (“what’s in it for me?”) by age 8 or 9.
A common hybrid: small base allowance for citizenship (you live here, you make your bed) plus optional paid jobs above and beyond the basics (mowing the lawn, washing the car). For families that want a real card to handle the money side, a kids debit product like Greenlight or GoHenry handles allowance and spending tracking, while a household app handles the chore side.
Handling the “but it’s not fair” phase
At age 6 fairness is hardwired, so arguing logically with a 6-year-old about whether their chore is fair is a losing battle. Three small system changes prevent most of it:
- Write everyone’s chores down somewhere visible. A wall chart or a shared family app counts. The thing that resolves “but my brother got the easier one” is the kid being able to see the brother’s actual list.
- Sunday review. Five minutes, every week. Each kid gets to say what felt unfair. They almost never want to actually swap; they want to be heard.
- Equal effort, not equal tasks. Older kids get harder chores. Make this explicit (“you’re older so you do the dishwasher; she’s younger so she does the napkins”) rather than letting them assume it’s arbitrary.
What changes at age 8
At age 8 kids can run a chore module without supervision. The shift is from “do this task” to “you’re responsible for this whole area.” Daily bedrooms, full laundry loads, and meal prep enter the picture. See chores for 8-year-olds for the next band, or jump back to the full age-by-age chore chart.
Frequently asked questions
How many chores per day for a 6-year-old?
Should a 6-year-old get an allowance?
What chores can my 6-year-old do without supervision?
My 6-year-old is great with chores at home but not at the after-school club. Why?
How do I get my 6-year-old to stop arguing about which chore they got?
Are chore charts effective for 6-year-olds with ADHD?
See also: chores for 4-year-olds, chores for 8-year-olds, the ADHD chore chart guide, or the full age-by-age chore chart.