Kitchen chores for 11-year-olds

Kitchen & meals jobs at 11: 13 most children do alone and 3 to start with you, with the time, how often and points for each.

Kitchen chores at 11

Kitchen chores at 11
Job	Stage	Time	How often	Points
Wash fruit and vegetables	On their own	5 min	Daily	5
Clear the table after meals	On their own	5 min	Daily	5
Put groceries away	On their own	10 min	Weekly	10
Set the table	On their own	5 min	Daily	5
Wipe the table and counters	On their own	3 min	Daily	5
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
Pack their own lunch	On their own	10 min	Daily	10
Take out the kitchen trash	On their own	5 min	Daily	5
Wash dishes by hand	On their own	20 min	Daily	15
Clean the microwave	On their own	10 min	Weekly	10
Clean the kitchen after dinner	With you	20 min	Daily	15
Clean out the fridge	With you	30 min	Monthly	15
Cook a family dinner	With you	60 min	Weekly	20

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 11

Clean the kitchen after dinner (alone from about 13)
Cook a family dinner (alone from about 14)
Clean out the fridge (alone from about 14)

Most 11-year-olds can do alone

Wash fruit and vegetables
Set the table
Clear the table after meals
Wipe the table and counters
Put groceries away
Unload the dishwasher
Make their own breakfast
Sweep the kitchen floor
Load the dishwasher
Pack their own lunch
Take out the kitchen trash
Wash dishes by hand
Clean the microwave

Coming next in this area

Plan the week's meals (starts with help around 12)

⚠️ 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. Wash dishes by hand: Warm, not hot, water. Knives and glassware stay with a grown-up until they are confident. Clean the microwave: Let any steaming bowl cool before it comes out, and unplug or switch off before wiping inside. Cook a family dinner: Teach knife skills, pan handles turned inward and what to do with a pan fire before they cook alone. A grown-up stays nearby for the first several meals.

A day of jobs at 11

Daily jobs: 3 or 4
Weekly jobs: 2
Time: 20 to 30 minutes a day

What these jobs teach

kitchen hygiene
curiosity about food
helping with meals
counting and matching
helping the family
table manners
everyone helps after a meal
carrying things carefully

In TaskFamily these become jobs on your 11-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.

🍽️ Kitchen chores for 11-year-olds