10 to 15 minute chores for 12-year-olds
24 jobs that take ten to fifteen minutes that a 12-year-old can do or start learning, with how often each comes up and what it is worth in points.
10 to 15 minute chores at 12
| Job | Stage | Time | How often | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match socks from the laundry | On their own | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Dust furniture | On their own | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Put clean clothes away | On their own | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Put groceries away | On their own | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Fold laundry | On their own | 15 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Sort laundry by color | On their own | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Tidy their bedroom | On their own | 15 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Unload the dishwasher | On their own | 10 min | Daily | 10 |
| Load the dishwasher | On their own | 10 min | Daily | 10 |
| Make their own breakfast | On their own | 10 min | Daily | 10 |
| Sweep the kitchen floor | On their own | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Clear out the school backpack | On their own | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Pack their own lunch | On their own | 10 min | Daily | 10 |
| Vacuum a room | On their own | 15 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Wipe the bathroom sink and mirror | On their own | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Change the bed sheets | On their own | 15 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Clean windows and glass doors | On their own | 15 min | Monthly | 10 |
| Take the bins out on collection day | On their own | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Clean the microwave | On their own | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Keep track of their own homework | On their own | 10 min | Daily | 10 |
| Clean the toilet | On their own | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Manage their own weekly budget | With you | 15 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Clean the bathtub and shower | With you | 15 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Iron clothes | With you | 15 min | As needed | 10 |
On their own means most children this age manage it alone; With you means they start it with a grown-up alongside. Points are on a 5-for-a-small-job scale.
Start together at 12
- Iron clothes (alone from about 15)
- Clean the bathtub and shower (alone from about 13)
- Manage their own weekly budget (alone from about 15)
Most 12-year-olds can do alone
- Tidy their bedroom
- Clear out the school backpack
- Put groceries away
- Unload the dishwasher
- Make their own breakfast
- Sweep the kitchen floor
- Load the dishwasher
- Pack their own lunch
- Clean the microwave
- Match socks from the laundry
- Put clean clothes away
- Sort laundry by color
- Fold laundry
- Change the bed sheets
- Dust furniture
- Wipe the bathroom sink and mirror
- Vacuum a room
- Take the bins out on collection day
- Clean windows and glass doors
- Clean the toilet
- Keep track of their own homework
Time, added up
- Doing every job on this page once
- 280 minutes
- Longest single job
- 15 minutes
- Shortest single job
- 10 minutes
⚠️ Safety notes for these jobs: Unload the dishwasher: Sharp knives and heavy or breakable dishes stay with a grown-up at first. Little ones can start with cutlery (no knives) and plastic items. Make their own breakfast: Start with cold breakfasts (cereal, yogurt, fruit). Toasters and kettles come later, once they have been shown how and you have watched them a few times. Load the dishwasher: Knives go in point down or are left for a grown-up. Show them which items must never go in the dishwasher. Clean the microwave: Let any steaming bowl cool before it comes out, and unplug or switch off before wiping inside. Iron clothes: Irons get hot enough to burn. Teach them to stand the iron upright, keep the cord out of the way and switch it off straight after. Wipe the bathroom sink and mirror: Use a mild cleaner or a damp microfiber cloth. Keep strong cleaning products locked away from younger children.
A day of jobs at 12
- Daily jobs
- 3 or 4
- Weekly jobs
- 2
- Time
- 20 to 30 minutes a day
What these jobs teach
- breaking a big job into steps
- deciding what to keep
- working to a checklist
- handing over letters and forms on time
- keeping track of homework
- organization
- sorting and categorizing
- knowing where food is kept
In TaskFamily these become jobs on your 12-year-old's own screen, with points, repeat days and the Trust Ladder to move each job from "check every time" to spot checks.
Free for one household. Premium is $5.99 a month or $49 a year for the whole family, never per child.
Keep reading
Ages and times are typical, not rules: children develop at different speeds, and you know yours best. The chore library is TaskFamily's own. The guide text is drafted with AI from these numbers and checked automatically before it is published.