Clever Tools That Make Young Kids Excited About Chores

Let’s get to work!

Young kids love pretending to be grown-ups by playing with cell phones and trying on their parent’s shoes. While this is all very fun and cute, it’s an excellent time for parents to harness that excitement and teach them some useful grown-up responsibilities, such as household chores. By teaching them some basic tasks and giving them the right tools (not plasticky toys), you’re helping them master important life skills and giving them a sense of independence at the same time. There is nothing more wonderful than when your preschooler proudly accomplishes their first grown-up task like vacuuming the floor or making a salad.

To get your kid’s household chore apprenticeship started we’ve picked out the best helper tools to encourage your kid to master some new skills. Scroll through the arrows above for some useful ideas. 

 

No more messy floors

Messy floors are inevitable with young kids but it doesn’t always have to be that way. As soon as snack time is over, encourage your kid to clean up the mess with their own tools. 

This simple dust, sweep and mop set from Melissa & Doug is sturdy and light, making it perfect for small hands. 

Another great option is this turbocharged carpet sweeper from Bissell. It’s actually an adult tool but you can adjust the handle so it’s short enough for young kids to use. It’s lightweight and does a decent job at removing dirt. Thankfully, it comes with a rechargeable plug so your preschooler can vacuum to their hearts’ content without having to replace the batteries every week.   

A simple handheld vacuum like this one from Dirt Devil is light enough for kids to use and will help with bigger messes. Plus, it is a lot of fun for kids to use.

Let’s get cooking

Kids usually like helping in the kitchen, and a good way to get them involved is with the preparation of their own snacks and meals. Give them easy tasks like chopping bananas or avocados so they can learn basic cutting skills. For older preschoolers, these nylon knives are a safe option but should always be used with adult supervision. 

Give them their own kid-sized bowls and equipment so they have a stake in the process. This set from Cheer Collection is a good one and will give kids the chance to experiment with juicing fruit, draining beans, and measuring and sieving ingredients. 

This utensil set from Melissa & Doug allows kids to actively help with dinner prep and comes with kid-sized spoons, whisks, etc. Baking is another task that kids love to get involved with. This cute baking set comes with some excellent equipment for family baking time. 

Once dinner is prepared, it’s time to set the table. Put all your kids’ tableware in a drawer or cupboard that’s easily accessible to them and allow them to set the table. These placemats teach kids about where everything goes and should help them establish a good table-setting routine. 
 

Washing up

Young kids can easily wash and dry their own snack plates and usually enjoy working with soapy water and scrubbing brushes. While a lot of those cute plastic sink toys teach kids about water and washing up, they’re not big or hygienic enough to use with real dirty dishes. 

A good way to teach kids about washing dishes is to give them a safe platform so they can reach and use the real kitchen sink. This kitchen helper stool from Guidecraft is a little pricey but the sizes can be adjusted as your kid gets taller. Give them their own kitchen rack and supplies. This one from Melissa & Doug comes with some basic washing supplies to get them started. Colorful washing-up brushes or even soap-dispensing brushes are fun and practical tools to get kids excited about helping out. 

Gardening for every season

No matter what the season is, there is always work to be done in the garden — sowing seeds in the spring, raking leaves in the fall, pulling weeds in the summer or cleaning up the flower beds in the winter. Get kids involved with this sturdy and light four-piece set that’s just the right size for kids. Pair it with this cute apron set that includes gloves, a hat, a spray bottle and all the hand tools your kid will need. Bonus: The apron and gloves are washable! 

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in 2021 and updated in 2022. This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase products through links on our site, ParentMap may earn an affiliate commission.