Chores for a 7 Year Old
Seven-year-olds can take real jobs off your list. They also notice every difference between their chores and their siblings' chores. Here is how to handle both.
Chores for a 7-year-old
The American Academy of Pediatrics lists these chores for children aged 5 to 7 (AAP). At 7, most kids can do them alone:
- Make the bed
- Make or pack their school lunch
- Set and clear the table
- Empty wastebaskets
- Sweep the floor
- Sort laundry
- Bring in the mail
- Wash plastic dishes
- Weed and rake leaves
- Water flowers
Seven is also a good age to add one chore from the next level, with help: loading the dishwasher or putting groceries away.
Paid chores and unpaid chores
Seven-year-olds understand money better and often ask to earn it. A simple split works for many families:
| Unpaid (part of the family) | Paid (extra jobs) |
|---|---|
| Make the bed | Wash the car with a parent |
| Clear own plate | Rake the whole yard |
| Put away own laundry | Clean out the garage shelf |
| Feed the pet | Help sort old toys for donation |
The average weekly allowance at 7 was $6.79 in 2025 (Greenlight). See our allowance by age guide for the full table.
"It's not fair!"
Seven-year-olds compare. If their sibling cleared one plate and they cleared three, you will hear about it. Research shows that kids care less about equal treatment than about treatment they see as fair. When children understood why a sibling was treated differently, they had fewer emotional problems (Kowal, Kramer, Krull and Crick, 2002).
Three things help:
- A visible rotation. The chart above rotates chores between two kids every day. Nobody owns the worst chore.
- A neutral judge for the leftover jobs. A chore wheel decides who takes the extra chore, not you.
- Reasons, out loud. "Leo does fewer chores because he is 4. When he is 7, he will do the same as you."
Our full guide explains three rotation systems for siblings.
Previous age: chores for a 6 year old. Next age: chores for an 8 year old.
Frequently asked questions
What chores should a 7-year-old do?
Make the bed, pack their school lunch, empty wastebaskets, sweep, sort laundry, set and clear the table, bring in the mail and help with weeding or raking. These come from the American Academy of Pediatrics list for ages 5 to 7.
Should I pay my 7-year-old for chores?
A common approach is to keep daily chores unpaid and pay for extra jobs, like washing the car or raking the whole yard. The average weekly allowance at 7 was $6.79 in 2025, based on Greenlight data.
How do I split chores between a 7-year-old and a younger sibling?
Give the 7-year-old one or two 'big kid' chores, rotate the chores both kids can do, and explain the difference out loud. Kids accept differences they understand.