Chores for a 4 Year Old

A 4-year-old wants to help. The trick is to give jobs with one step and a clear end, and to accept that "done" will not look like adult work.

Updated October 9, 2026 · by Riccardo Lapi

What a 4-year-old can do

By age 4, most children can serve themselves food or pour water with an adult nearby, and many can unbutton some buttons (CDC milestones). Their hands and attention are ready for short jobs with one step.

These chores fit most 4-year-olds. They come from the University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension list for ages 4 and up (source), adjusted for a child who is just starting:

1. Put toys back in the bin
2. Put dirty clothes in the hamper
3. Feed the pet (you measure, they pour)
4. Put shoes on the rack
5. Help set the table with napkins and spoons
6. Clear their own plate (plastic is fine)
7. Wipe up their own spills with a cloth
8. Water plants with a small watering can
9. Put books back on a low shelf
10. Match socks from the clean laundry
11. Carry the small trash bag to the bin
12. Make the bed by pulling up the blanket

How to teach chores at 4

• One step at a time. Say "Put the cars in the red bin", not "Clean your room".
• Show, then do it together, then let them try. Most chores need a few rounds together first.
• Use child-sized tools. A small broom, a small watering can and a low hook for the coat make a 4-year-old independent. This idea is at the center of Montessori "practical life" activities.
• Accept the result. A blanket pulled up is a made bed at this age. If you redo it in front of them, they learn that their work does not count.
• Connect chores to the routine. Toys away before the bath, plate to the sink after dinner. The routine reminds them, so you do not have to.

A chart for a child who cannot read

Most 4-year-olds cannot read the words on a chart. Two solutions:

• Print the chart above and draw a small picture next to each chore together. Kids remember the chores they drew.
• Let them check the box themselves. The act of checking is the reward at this age.

When there is an older sibling

A 4-year-old with a 7- or 8-year-old sibling will see that the older child does "bigger" chores. Make that a good thing: the older child can teach one chore to the younger one. It builds the relationship and the younger child copies more willingly from a sibling than from a parent.

Keep one or two chores that both kids do, like setting the table, and rotate them. The chore chart maker can rotate those shared chores automatically. Read more in our guide to fair chore rotation for siblings.

Next age: chores for a 5 year old.