10 to 15 minute chores for 9-year-olds
20 jobs that take ten to fifteen minutes that a 9-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 9
| 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 | With you | 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 | With you | 10 min | Daily | 10 |
| Vacuum a room | With you | 15 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Wipe the bathroom sink and mirror | With you | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Change the bed sheets | With you | 15 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Clean windows and glass doors | With you | 15 min | Monthly | 10 |
| Take the bins out on collection day | With you | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Clean the microwave | With you | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Keep track of their own homework | With you | 10 min | Daily | 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 9
- Load the dishwasher (alone from about 10)
- Pack their own lunch (alone from about 10)
- Clean the microwave (alone from about 11)
- Change the bed sheets (alone from about 11)
- Wipe the bathroom sink and mirror (alone from about 10)
- Vacuum a room (alone from about 10)
- Take the bins out on collection day (alone from about 10)
- Clean windows and glass doors (alone from about 11)
- Keep track of their own homework (alone from about 12)
Most 9-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
- Match socks from the laundry
- Put clean clothes away
- Sort laundry by color
- Fold laundry
- Dust furniture
Time, added up
- Doing every job on this page once
- 225 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. Wipe the bathroom sink and mirror: Use a mild cleaner or a damp microfiber cloth. Keep strong cleaning products locked away from younger children. Clean windows and glass doors: Inside and ground-floor glass only. No ladders or upstairs windows for children.
A day of jobs at 9
- Daily jobs
- 3 or 4
- Weekly jobs
- 1 or 2
- Time
- 15 to 20 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 9-year-old's own screen, with points, repeat days and the Trust Ladder to move each job from "check every time" to spot checks.
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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.