Chores for a 3-year-old and a 4-year-old together
A 3-year-old can do one or two short daily jobs with you. A 4-year-old can lead toy pickup and coat routines, then start bed and table jobs with help.
Jobs both can do alone (the 3-year-old's level)
- Put dirty clothes in the hamper
Jobs the 4-year-old can lead and the 3-year-old can join
- Put toys away (older alone from 4, younger starts from 2)
- Hang up their coat and put shoes away (older alone from 4, younger starts from 3)
Jobs only the 4-year-old starts
- Make the bed (starts with help around 4)
- Set the table (starts with help around 4)
- Clear the table after meals (starts with help around 4)
- Wipe the table and counters (starts with help around 4)
- Put groceries away (starts with help around 4)
- Put clean clothes away (starts with help around 4)
- Dust furniture (starts with help around 4)
Suggested load for each
| At 3 | At 4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Daily jobs | 1 or 2, done together | 2 or 3 short jobs |
| Weekly jobs | none yet | 1, done with you |
| Time | about 5 minutes a day | 10 to 15 minutes a day |
Jobs both can do alone: 2 more are alone-level for the 4-year-old but still need a helper for the 3-year-old.
Chores for a 3-year-old and a 4-year-old
In one home, the three-year-old's list stays small: one or two daily jobs done with you, about five minutes. Putting dirty clothes in the hamper is the one job they can do alone. They can also join you for toys, coats and shoes. The four-year-old can do two or three short daily jobs, about ten to fifteen minutes, plus one weekly job with you.
The four-year-old keeps the hamper, toy and coat jobs and starts new ones with your help: making the bed, setting the table, clearing the table, wiping the table and counters, putting groceries away, putting clean clothes away, and dusting. Those are not solo jobs yet. At three, aim for taking part. At four, aim for a little more follow-through.
Jobs both can do
Both children can put dirty clothes in the hamper without help. Make it easy to hit: a low hamper with no lid, or a basket by the bedroom door. The three-year-old can drop in socks and shirts. The four-year-old can do the same and carry their own stack to the basket.
Both can put toys away, and both can hang up a coat and put shoes away. The four-year-old can do those from start to finish. The three-year-old can join with one small part. Say, 'Put the cars in the red bin,' then 'Shoes in the basket.' Give the next instruction when the first one is done.
Keep the hook at shoulder level. Put a shoe basket on the floor. Use bins without heavy lids. If the three-year-old has to climb or yank, the job turns into a struggle. The four-year-old can hang a coat and check the shoe basket.
Jobs to do together
For toys, let the four-year-old lead. They can choose a starting spot, such as the floor by the sofa, and name the first bin. The three-year-old can carry two blocks at a time or pick up the stuffed animals. Stay close, but let the older child give one direction. 'You take the blocks. I'll get the books.'
For coats and shoes, the four-year-old can go first and then hold the hook steady while the three-year-old tries. Or the older child can hand the younger one a shoe at a time. The point is company, not a race.
With bed, table, groceries, clean clothes and dusting, the four-year-old works beside you. The three-year-old can do their hamper job or play nearby. Those jobs can wait until the younger child is older and you are right there.
Keeping it fair between them
Fair does not mean the same number of jobs. A three-year-old with five minutes of jobs and a four-year-old with ten to fifteen minutes is fair because the work fits each child. If you give the three-year-old a four-year-old's job, you end up doing it, and the child learns that chores are for someone else.
Keep the daily load clear. The three-year-old has one or two jobs, done with you. The four-year-old has two or three short daily jobs and one weekly job with you. Draw the jobs on a simple card for each child. Pictures work better than words at this age: a hamper, a coat hook, a pile of blocks.
Praise the action, not the child. 'You got all the socks in the basket' tells them what worked. 'You are such a good helper' is nice to hear, but it does not show them what to repeat. If one child finishes early, they can keep the other company. They should not take over or fix the job.
When the older one gets more
The four-year-old will notice the extra jobs. Say it plainly: 'You are four, so you get to set the table with me. When you were three, your job was the hamper.' That is not a put-down. It is a fact they can see.
Let the older child lead where they can, but do not make them the boss of the younger one. Leading means choosing which bin the blocks go in or going first to the coat hook. It does not mean telling the three-year-old they are doing it wrong. Step in with, 'You can show her where the shoes go,' and then let the younger child try.
If the older child says it is not fair, agree. 'You're right, you have more jobs. You are also bigger, so you get to do more.' Then keep the jobs short and finish with something you already do together, like reading a book. At this age, doing it with you is often enough.
Making it stick
Pick two times a day for jobs: after breakfast and before bed, or whenever your family is already moving. Do the same short round each time. Dirty clothes go in the hamper. Toys go in bins. Coats go on hooks. Five minutes for the three-year-old, ten to fifteen for the four-year-old.
Give one instruction at a time and stay in the room for the first few weeks. A three-year-old can hold one step in their head. A four-year-old can hold two, maybe three if they are familiar. If you say, 'Clean your room,' you will get a child standing in the middle of the room. Say, 'Put the books on the shelf,' and wait.
Expect spills and half-done jobs. The four-year-old wiping the table will leave crumbs. The three-year-old will miss the hamper. Do the last bit together without a lecture, and let them try again tomorrow. Keep the weekly job for the four-year-old on a calm day, with you nearby.
TaskFamily rotates shared jobs fairly between brothers and sisters, and gives each child jobs that fit their own age on their own screen.
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Questions parents ask
What chores can a 3-year-old do?
A 3-year-old can put dirty clothes in the hamper alone. They can also join you for putting toys away and for hanging up a coat and putting shoes away. Keep it to one or two daily jobs, about five minutes, with you nearby.
Should a 4-year-old have chores?
Yes, short daily jobs fit this age. A 4-year-old can do two or three short jobs, about ten to fifteen minutes, plus one weekly job with you. They can put toys away and handle their coat and shoes alone, and they can start bed, table, grocery, clean clothes and dusting jobs with your help.
How do I keep chores fair between a 3-year-old and a 4-year-old?
Match the job to the child, not to the clock. The 3-year-old gets one or two jobs with you and about five minutes. The 4-year-old gets two or three short daily jobs and one weekly job with you, about ten to fifteen minutes. Say what each child can do instead of comparing them.
How long should chores take for a 3-year-old and a 4-year-old?
About five minutes a day for the 3-year-old and ten to fifteen minutes a day for the 4-year-old. The 3-year-old does one or two jobs with you. The 4-year-old does two or three short jobs and one weekly job with you. Stop while it is still friendly, even if a toy is left out.
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. Updated November 14, 2026.