Four free chore charts you can print right now, each designed for a different age. No email address, no watermark, no sign-up. Pick the one that matches your kid, stick it on the fridge, and start Monday.
Download the charts
Every chart is a one-page PDF sized for US Letter (the localized versions are A4). Click a preview to open it, or use the button to download.
Picture Chore Chart
Six everyday chores with pictures (make my bed, put toys away, brush teeth, clear my plate, feed the pet, tidy books) and a circle to color for each day. A reward line at the bottom gives the week a goal.
Download (PDF, US Letter)
Weekly Chore Chart
Ten blank rows so you can write in your own chores, a checkbox for every day of the week, and a Done column for the weekly total. The classic fridge chart.
Download (PDF, US Letter)
Chore & Allowance Tracker
Each chore gets a pay rate. Kids tick the days they did it, count them up, and multiply to find what they earned. Totals at the bottom split the week into Spend, Save and Give, with a parent sign-off line.
Download (PDF, US Letter)
Family Chore Chart
One landscape sheet for the whole family. Nine chore rows, four name columns, and seven little circles per kid per chore. Great for shared chores like dishes or feeding the dog.
Download (PDF, US Letter)Print in color if you can (the green circles are easier for little kids to spot), or in black and white on cardstock so it survives a week on the fridge.
Which chart should I use?
Match the chart to your child’s reading level and to how you pay. A chart that is too grown-up gets ignored; one that is too babyish gets mocked.
| Chart | Ages | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Picture Chore Chart | Ages 3–5 | Pre-readers who need pictures and an instant, visible win |
| Weekly Chore Chart | Ages 6–12 | Kids who can read and have a mix of daily and weekly chores |
| Chore & Allowance Tracker | Ages 9–16 | Families paying per chore who want kids to do the math themselves |
| Family Chore Chart | 2–4 kids | Households with several kids sharing the same chore list |
How to use a chore chart so it actually sticks
- Start with three chores, not ten. Fill the empty rows later. The first two weeks are about building the habit of checking the chart.
- Put it where the chore happens. The fridge is fine for kitchen chores; a bedroom chart works better for bed and toys.
- Check it at the same time every day. After dinner works for most families. The chart only works if someone looks at it.
- Let the kid do the marking. Coloring the circle is half the reward. Do not do it for them, even when it is faster.
- Pay out on a fixed day. Saturday morning, every week, no exceptions. A missed payday teaches the wrong lesson.
- Reprint every week. A fresh chart resets the week. Keep the old ones in a folder; kids love flipping back through them.
Tips from a house with five kids
Pictures beat words for under-6s
A four-year-old cannot read “make bed” but can recognize a bed. The picture chart uses emoji on purpose: they print reliably and every kid already knows what they mean.
Separate “expected” from “paid”
On the allowance tracker, put unpaid everyday chores at the top with a dash in the Pay column, and paid jobs below. Kids see both, but only one earns money. See our guide to how much allowance to pay by age for rates.
One chart per kid, even for shared chores
The family chart is great for a visual overview, but each child still needs their own sheet to own. Print both.
Match chores to age
A chart full of chores a child cannot do yet is a chart that gets abandoned. Our age-appropriate chores guide lists what most kids can handle at 4, 6, 9 and 13.
When paper stops working
Paper charts are the right place to start, and for one young child they may be all you ever need. They break down in predictable ways as kids get older:
- Nobody remembers what the total was two weeks ago, so allowance disputes begin
- Chores done while you were at work cannot be verified
- Two or more kids means two or more charts to add up every Saturday
- The chart is at home; the kid asks about their balance at the store
That is the point where a chore app earns its place. EarnIt is the digital version of the allowance tracker above: kids check off chores (with a photo if you want proof), you approve with one tap, the pay is added to their balance and split into Wallet, Savings and Charity automatically. It is free for one kid and never asks for a debit card or bank account.
Frequently asked questions
Are these chore charts really free?
Yes. All four PDFs are free to download and print for personal or classroom use, with no email sign-up and no watermark.
What size paper are the chore charts?
The English charts are sized for US Letter (8.5 × 11 in). The Spanish, German, French and Portuguese versions are sized for A4. All of them print fine on either size with “fit to page” turned on.
Can I edit the chore chart before printing?
The PDFs are designed to be filled in by hand, so the chore rows are blank on the weekly, allowance and family charts. If you want a fully editable chart, EarnIt’s Chore Chart view lets you assign chores per kid and per day and updates itself as chores are completed.
What age should a child start using a chore chart?
Around age 3 with a picture chart and two or three chores. Reading-based charts work from about age 6, and the allowance tracker suits kids from about 9 who can count and multiply.
How many chores should be on a chore chart?
Start with three to five. Under-6s should have no more than three daily chores; older kids can handle five to seven daily plus a couple of weekly ones. Add chores only once the current ones are habits.
Ready to retire the fridge chart?
EarnIt tracks chores, approvals and allowance for every kid in the family, with photo proof, savings goals and a kid-friendly app they can log into with a PIN. Free for one kid. No card, no bank account, no ads.
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