25 Best Jobs For a 10-Year-Old

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A 10-year-old child’s number one job is to play.

Playtime is important because it enhances a child’s mental well-being, teaches them social skills, and gives them a creative outlet.

However, a child should also have responsibilities that go beyond play.

Best Jobs For a 10-Year-Old

There are some jobs a 10-year-old can have that will give them purpose while also learning about earning money.

Most of these jobs are done around the house, but some can be carried out away from home.

In exchange, you can give them a small allowance at the end of each week.

The key to these jobs is choosing chores that your 10-year-old can do on their own.

Related: Should I Make My Child Get a Job?

Food Related Chores

Our lives revolve around food. It’s what keeps us alive. Your 10-year-old can help with a large number of food-related chores.

These will give them responsibility while freeing up a lot of your time.

1. Shopping Aide

I hate shopping. I can’t even describe how much I hate shopping.

The one thing that I have found that makes shopping a bit more bearable is to have someone helping me find the items on my list so I can leave as quickly as possible.

Having an eager 10-year-old helped me get my shopping done and taught her how to read product labels and compare prices.

2. Menu Planning

My family makes a weekly meal plan to ensure we have healthy foods that are ready to go when needed. I started doing this when my children were toddlers and have continued doing so even now that they are teens.

A child as young as 10, or even younger, can help with this planning. Give them some guidelines about nutrition and let them decide the menu for the week.

You will be surprised how meticulous a 10-year-old can be when they are given such a big responsibility.

3. Food Prep

I don’t know about you, but most of the time I spend on dinner revolves around prepping the food.

Your 10-year-old can gather food items, wash fruits and vegetables, measure ingredients and even do the slicing and chopping if they have mastered knife skills.

4. Table Setting and Clearing

This simple job is an important one. Your 10-year-old can be in charge of clearing off the table, putting out utensils, placing food on the table, and then clearing it when the meal is done.

5. Non-Table Setting and Clearing

Perhaps your family is like mine, and 50 percent of the families in the country who don’t eat at the table anymore.

During the pandemic, our dining room table became the location for homeschooling. We bought these TV trays and began eating or meals in our living room.

It is a pattern that has continued even now that homeschooling is a memory.

Our kids are in charge of setting out the trays, placing utensils and napkins on each one, and then clearing everything away when we are finished.

6. Washing Dishes

No matter where your family eats, there will be dishes to do after the meal is over.

Your 10-year-old might be in charge of washing and drying dishes by hand. About half of the homes in the United States have a dishwasher.

If yours is one of these, your child can be in charge of rinsing dishes, loading and unloading the dishwasher.

7. Lunch Packer

My daughter flatly refuses to eat a school lunch. I can’t say that I blame her. Coming from a school where the pochito was a staple, I didn’t eat many school lunches either.

Your 10-year-old is old enough to pack their own lunch. You might need to give them some guidelines and/or double-check to make sure the lunch is healthy.

Pet Related Chores

Not every family in the United States owns a pet. If yours is one of the 70 percent who do, your 10-year-old has a lot of options for jobs.

8. Pet Feeding

Other than pet rocks, all pets need to be fed and given water. A 10-year-old can easily accomplish this task on the schedule you have given them.

A child might be squeamish about feeding live food to snakes and other reptiles, but they should be able to manage feeding dogs, cats, birds, fish, and other small animals.

9. Poop Scooping

Does your home have a dog? If so, the poo needs to be cleared from your yard.

Otherwise, you are left with stinky piles of bacteria that kill grass and spread disease. Does your home have a cat?

If so, the litter box needs to be regularly scooped and changed. Both of these jobs are great for young children.

10. Dog Walking

A 10-year-old should be able to handle most dogs with little trouble.

You might want to accompany them the first few times they go for walks to make sure they remember to pick up any dog messes.

You should also ensure that your child tells you their exact dog-walking route so you can check on them if they are back later than expected.

11. Grooming

Bathing a dog is an important part of its hygiene routine. Your dog also needs to be brushed at least once a week.

A responsible, mature 10-year-old might be able to trim the dog’s toenails as well. Cats need less maintenance but long-hair cats do need to be brushed often.

Small animals need their cages cleaned and fish need regular tank cleaning. Ten-year-old children can accomplish all of these tasks on their own.

12. Training

Training an animal is fun, rewarding and difficult. A child in need of a job will find that animal training will either thrill or frustrate them.

Your child should first learn how to train before they embark on this task.

Other Household Chores

My house is always filthy. Part of the reason for that is I never instilled in my children the need to keep their surroundings clean.

Learn from my mistakes and teach your 10-year-old now how to keep a tidy home.

13. Tidying

Something as simple as picking up a few toys at the end of the night can make a huge difference.

Give your 10-year-old the chore of tidying at least one room before they go to bed. This mostly consists of putting items back where they belong.

14. Dusting

I have found that most kids love to dust. Arm them with a dusting rag and a feather duster and set them loose on your home.

Have them do this a couple of times a week and you will have a house that looks spotless even if it isn’t.

15. Sweeping

Sweeping needs to be done daily on any floor that is not carpeted. It can also be done outdoors.

Sweeping the front porch, back deck and any sidewalks will give your home that clean and fresh look you desire.

16. Mopping

Kids might not be adept at mopping but there is no better time to learn.

I prefer to use a Swiffer because it’s easier and more compact than the traditional mop and bucket system.

17. Vacuuming

If you have carpets, you need to vacuum. Vacuum once or twice a week depending on the amount of traffic your carpeted room(s) receive.

A 10-year-old can manage the vacuum and might even have fun!

The best way to make sure your child is vacuuming all areas is to have them sprinkle baking soda or carpet powder on the floor first, which will then need to be vacuumed up.

18. Washing Windows

I don’t know of any scientific studies on the matter, but I fully believe that everyone in the world hates washing windows.

Why not turn that job over to your 10-year-old? Show them how to wash the windows inside and out. Offer them a large sum for a job well done.

Paying $10 per window is a reasonable amount that could add up to good motivation for a 10-year-old.

Jobs Outside of the Home

There are some jobs that a 10-year-old can do outside of the house. Keep in mind, a 10-year-old should not be sent far from home without supervision.

19. Weeding

Weeding is one of the most tedious jobs in lawn maintenance. Luckily, it’s also one of the easiest.

Have your 10-year-old inspect the lawn once a week while weeding by hand. This chore keeps your lawn looking great, gives your child some much-needed vitamin D and helps you to avoid harmful weed-killing chemicals.

Give your child a manual hand weeder for weeds like dandelion that have hard-to-pull roots.

Another bonus to weeding without chemicals is that you might find a delicious use for these weeds.

When I was young, my family regularly used dandelion to make jams, salads and cooked greens.

20. Gardening

I love to garden. One of the chores I have given my kids since they were young is to care for their own garden.

They must decide what they plant, and then they are responsible for growing those plants, caring for them and ultimately harvesting the food.

My daughter has switched from a vegetable garden to a flower garden, which requires just as much care.

21. Sales

“Sales” is a general term for a lot of different things.

Your child could run a lemonade stand, sell their own hand-made jewelry or host yard sales throughout the year.

Give your 10-year-old the encouragement they need to become an entrepreneur.

22. Little Free Responsibilities

Little free pantries and little free libraries have popped up all around the country.

Give your child the “job” of ensuring your local little free boxes are fully stocked for those in need.

23. Community Service

Volunteerism is important. Instill the importance of giving back to the community from an early age.

Your child can pick up litter, offer help to elderly neighbors or volunteer at the humane society.

24. Auto Cleaning

Your car needs to be cleaned. Why not let your 10-year-old earn an allowance while doing something for you?

They can pick up any items in that were left in the car, vacuum the interior, clean windows and mirrors and wash the outside of the car.

25. Family Owned Business

Your child may legally work in your family-owned business.

As long as you’re not manufacturing products or performing dangerous duties, you can give your child tasks you think they can handle without fearing legal repercussions.

Key Takeaways

Your child is ready for some responsibility. Choose from this list to get them started with their first job.

Do you know of another job that would be great for your 10 year old? Give us your thoughts in the comments!

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