Chore chart with pictures: free printable

Who it’s for

Children who are starting to help at home, and the grown-ups who would like the help to happen without a daily argument. The pictures suit children who don’t read yet, children who use pictures to know what comes next, including autistic children, and children who don’t speak or don’t speak much. Teens can use the blank chart and the cards for jobs like the dishwasher, the trash and the laundry.

How to use it

1. Start small. Two or three chores is plenty at first, and one is fine for a young child. Pick jobs your child can almost do already, so the chart starts with success.
2. Show each chore before you ask for it. Do it together the first few times, and point to the picture as you go: “Make my bed. Pull up the covers.”
3. Pick a time and a place. Make the bed after breakfast, feed the pet before dinner. Hang the chart where the chores happen, at your child’s eye level.
4. Let your child tick the box. Ticking it off is part of the fun, and it shows how much of the week is done.
5. Swap chores as they get easy. Glue a card from page 3 over a chore on page 1, or start a fresh chart on page 2.

Words for doing chores together

The row at the bottom of page 1 is for talking while you work: help, show me, wait, too hard, a break and I did it! A child who can say too hard or show me has another way out of a job besides walking away. When your child points to help, help, and count it as a chore done together. Point to I did it! yourself when a job is finished, so the words get used.

The blank chart has a space at the bottom for a card: what happens when the chores are done. A favorite activity there works like a first-then board, and the same card can stay for the whole week.

What’s on the PDF

Chores on the weekly chart

• make my bed
• toys away
• feed the pet
• set the table

Talk about chores

• help
• show me
• wait
• too hard
• a break
• I did it!

Chore cards

• make my bed
• toys away
• clothes in the hamper
• put clothes away
• match the socks
• set the table
• wipe the table
• wash the dishes
• load the dishwasher
• take out the trash
• recycling
• feed the pet
• walk the dog
• water the plants
• sweep
• vacuum
• dust
• put away groceries

Printing tips

• Slide the chart into a sheet protector and tick with a dry-erase marker, so one copy lasts all year.
• The chore cards are the same size as the cards for the morning routine chart and the first-then board, so they fit the same slots and hook-and-loop dots.
• For one big job broken into steps, use the clean my room checklist or the laundry visual schedule.
• Ideas for fitting pictures into everyday routines: visual supports for everyday routines, and fitting AAC into the day you already have.