My kids are out of school for summer break and I’m trying to find ways to keep them busy and teach them responsibility at the same time. Looking for age-appropriate chores that won’t feel like punishment but actually keep them engaged. They’re 8 and 11 if that helps. What has worked well for other parents?
We started giving them ownership of specific weekly tasks like managing recycling or keeping the pantry organized.
My kids also like washing the car together. They turn the hose on each other half the time, but the car gets clean eventually.
Setting up a simple point system worked too. Not for rewards, just so they could track what they accomplished each week.
My kids love organizing their own spaces during summer! They turn cleaning their rooms into little treasure hunts, finding lost toys and deciding what to donate.
We also started a family garden project where they each have their own small section to water and weed. They get so excited seeing their plants grow and it gives them something to check on every day.
Another thing that works is letting them help plan and prep family meals. They love picking recipes and measuring ingredients. Makes them feel really grown up!
The trick I’ve found is making everything feel like their choice rather than something they have to do. When they feel ownership over the tasks, they actually ask to help 
Last summer we accidentally discovered that my daughter loves doing laundry when she gets to sort clothes by color and texture. She turned it into this whole system where she’d announce what pile each item belonged to.
We also tried having her take charge of one room each day - like being the ‘kitchen manager’ or ‘living room supervisor.’ She’d walk around with a little notebook checking what needed to be done.
What surprised me most was how much she enjoyed washing windows and mirrors. Something about seeing the immediate results really appealed to her.