I’m trying to get my kids more involved with helping around the house but I don’t want to give them anything too complicated or time-consuming. Looking for ideas on simple chores that actually work well for families with children. What has worked for you guys? Preferably things that don’t require too much supervision and can be done fairly quickly.
We’ve had really good luck with things that give my kids a sense of accomplishment right away. My son loves organizing shoes by the front door because he can see the difference immediately. My daughter enjoys sorting socks after laundry - she makes it into a matching game. Unloading the bottom rack of the dishwasher works well since they can reach everything easily. They also do great with dusting low surfaces using microfiber cloths. Something about seeing the dust come off makes them feel like they’re really helping. What surprised me was how much they enjoyed restocking toilet paper in bathrooms. It’s quick, they feel trusted with an important job, and I don’t have to remind them anymore. We usually celebrate with high fives when they finish, which keeps them motivated to help out.
Mine handle emptying small trash cans, putting away clean silverware, and wiping down bathroom sinks. Takes them maybe 5 minutes each and they can do it without me hovering.
my 5 year old has been doing pretty well with putting their own toys back in bins and wiping up spills with paper towels. I’ve noticed they actually like having their own small spray bottle for cleaning their little table after art time. Sometimes I wonder if I should add more tasks or keep it simple for now. Do you think matching socks could work at this age, or is that still too tricky? I’m trying to figure out what’s realistic without making it feel overwhelming for both of us.
My 11-year-old does really well with sorting clean laundry by person and folding washcloths. She also wipes down the kitchen counter after snacks, which takes maybe two minutes. We started making it like a race to see how fast she could get all the crumbs, and now she just does it automatically. Watering plants has been surprisingly successful too since she can see the results of taking care of them.
What worked well for us was starting with chores that matched their routine. My kids got into the habit of making their beds right after getting up and putting their dirty clothes in the hamper instead of dropping them on the floor.
Feeding pets was another winner because they actually enjoyed it and it became part of their morning routine. My 14-year-old started taking over loading the dishwasher after dinner, which was perfect because she could do it while we cleaned up other things.
Setting the table before meals worked great when they were younger, and now they automatically clear their own plates without being asked. The trick was picking things that fit naturally into what they were already doing. 
This video really helped me understand why getting kids involved with chores matters so much for their development:
Once we found the right chores that matched their ages and abilities, everything became much smoother. They stopped seeing it as extra work and more like just part of the day.