Chores for 10 to 12 year olds
Children aged 10 to 12 can do two or three chores a day, including jobs in shared spaces. Examples are packing the school lunchbox, cleaning the cat litter, vacuuming the rugs and cleaning the microwave. At this age a child can start to own one job completely, from start to finish, without a reminder at every step.
What chores are right for 10 to 12 year olds?
Picked from the 29 ready chores in UrusFamily that start between ages 10 and 12. Points follow chore size: Tiny 1, Small 2, Medium 3, Big 5. The overview for every age is in the chores by age guide.
A fair loadTwo or three chores a day
| Chore | How often | Points | What done looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pack the school lunchbox | School days | Tiny, 1 point | Lunchbox and spoon in the bag, lid shut tight. |
| Make a simple breakfast | School days | Small, 2 points | Bread or cereal for themselves and siblings, table tidy again. |
| Clean the cat litter | Every day | Small, 2 points | Clumps scooped, litter topped up, hands washed after. |
| Wash the dishes | Every day | Small, 2 points | Plates clean with no soap left, stacked on the rack. Start with plastic ones. |
| Hang the laundry | Every day | Small, 2 points | Clothes shaken out and hung flat on the line, one peg each. |
| Carry the groceries in from the car | Once a week | Small, 2 points | Every bag carried in, cold things straight into the fridge. |
| Sweep the yard | Once a week | Small, 2 points | Dry leaves and litter in the yard gathered and binned. |
| Vacuum the rugs and carpets | Once a week | Small, 2 points | All rugs vacuumed, corners and reachable bits under the sofa too. |
| Clean the microwave | Once a week | Small, 2 points | Inside walls wiped, glass plate washed, no smell left. |
| Clean the bathroom sink | Once a week | Small, 2 points | Sink and tap scrubbed, no toothpaste marks. |
| Clear hair from the shower drain | Once a week | Tiny, 1 point | Hair cleared from the drain so the water runs away fast. |
| Get the school uniforms ready for the week | Once a week | Small, 2 points | A week of uniforms clean and hung, tie and badge in place. |
| Wheel the bin out for collection | Once a week | Small, 2 points | Bin wheeled to the roadside the night before collection. |
| Help the parents cook | Once a week | Small, 2 points | Helps with one step, such as washing vegetables or stirring, with a parent beside them. |
| Set out the chairs for the kenduri | When needed | Medium, 3 points | Chairs set out in the rows asked for, wiped if dusty. |
| Pack bags for the trip back to the hometown | When needed | Medium, 3 points | Own bag packed from a list: clothes, toothbrush and charger. |
Age 10 opens up many new chores. Most are Small, 2 points, and occasional jobs such as setting out kenduri chairs are worth 3 points.
What can children aged 10 to 12 usually manage?
Only points we checked against the original source. Each link opens that source.
- The AAP list for ages 8 to 10. The AAP on HealthyChildren adds vacuuming, helping make dinner, making their own snacks, putting away their own laundry and putting away groceries.
- The AAP list for ages 11 to 12. All of the above, plus cleaning the kitchen, changing bedsheets, doing and folding laundry, cleaning toilets and the bathroom, washing the car, cooking a simple meal with supervision, and watching younger siblings when an adult is home.
- Do not overload. The AAP advises matching expectations to your child's temperament and organising style, and adding one new task at a time.
- A busy schedule is not an excuse. According to the AAP, children with full schedules still need responsibilities at home. Shrink the chores, do not drop them.
In UrusFamily, a full bathroom clean and washing the car start at 13. If your 11 or 12 year old is ready, begin with the bathroom sink and clearing the shower drain.
How does it fit a Malaysian family routine?
Three situations common in Malaysian homes, and how the list above changes.
Tuition and religious class
If your child has tuition or an afternoon religious class, keep one small chore on those days and move weekly jobs like vacuuming and the microwave to the weekend.
With a live-in helper
Give children jobs that teach a skill, not only cleaning: a simple breakfast, a week of uniforms ready, and packing their own bag to balik kampung.
Kenduri and Ramadan
From 10, children can set out kenduri chairs and wash up after the kenduri. In the fasting month, washing the dishes after sahur is a 2 point job in the UrusFamily season list.
Want a paper version for the fridge?
Chore chart, ages 10 to 12
Chores from this list, with points, on one A4 weekly chart.
Download PDF
The 30-Day Chores Reset
A free PDF ebook: a 30-day plan in four stages, a family meeting script and printable trackers. No email needed.
See the free ebookHow does UrusFamily help?
You can stick the list above straight on the fridge. If your family uses UrusFamily, the app suggests ready chores by your child's age when you add a chore for them, and every chore carries points by size. Everyone's points add up to one family goal. For jobs that are easy to forget, ask for a photo as proof; the photo is deleted once it is checked.
Free for iPhone and Android.
Questions about chores for 10 to 12 year olds
What chores should a 10 year old do?
Age 10 opens many new jobs in the UrusFamily list: packing the school lunchbox, cleaning the cat litter, vacuuming the rugs, cleaning the microwave, cleaning the bathroom sink and wheeling the bin out. Pick only two or three to start.
Can an 11 or 12 year old clean the bathroom?
The AAP lists cleaning toilets and the bathroom for ages 11 to 12. In UrusFamily, a full bathroom clean starts at 13, while the bathroom sink and the shower drain already fit from age 10.
Can a 12 year old watch a younger sibling?
The AAP lists watching younger siblings when an adult is home for ages 11 to 12. In UrusFamily, watching a sibling for a while starts at 13. Begin with reading to the younger one or playing with them.
My child has tuition most afternoons. Do they still need chores?
Yes, but smaller. The AAP says a packed schedule is no reason to skip responsibilities at home. Keep one small chore on tuition days and move bigger jobs to the weekend.
How many points should each chore be worth?
UrusFamily counts points by chore size: Tiny 1, Small 2, Medium 3 and Big 5. Most chores for ages 10 to 12 are worth 2 points, and occasional jobs such as setting out kenduri chairs are worth 3.
Other ages and related guides
Ages 4 to 6Ages 7 to 9Ages 13 to 17All agesKids' allowanceWithout nagging
Where does this come from?
Each source was checked directly on 29 October 2026. Chores, sizes and points come from the UrusFamily app.