Kitchen chores for 5-year-olds
Kitchen & meals jobs at 5: 1 most children do alone and 5 to start with you, with the time, how often and points for each.
Kitchen chores at 5
| Job | Stage | Time | How often | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wash fruit and vegetables | On their own | 5 min | Daily | 5 |
| Clear the table after meals | With you | 5 min | Daily | 5 |
| Put groceries away | With you | 10 min | Weekly | 10 |
| Set the table | With you | 5 min | Daily | 5 |
| Wipe the table and counters | With you | 3 min | Daily | 5 |
| Unload the dishwasher | 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 5
- Set the table (alone from about 7)
- Clear the table after meals (alone from about 6)
- Wipe the table and counters (alone from about 6)
- Put groceries away (alone from about 8)
- Unload the dishwasher (alone from about 8)
Most 5-year-olds can do alone
- Wash fruit and vegetables
Coming next in this area
- Make their own breakfast (starts with help around 6)
- Sweep the kitchen floor (starts with help around 6)
- Load the dishwasher (starts with help around 6)
⚠️ 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.
A day of jobs at 5
- Daily jobs
- 2 or 3 short jobs
- Weekly jobs
- 1, done with you
- Time
- 10 to 15 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 5-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.