I’ll admit it, I am not a big fan of yard work.  I have friends who love to garden, plant and mulch.  In fact, they think of it as a relaxing, almost meditative, endeavor.  I think they are a wee bit nuts, but to each his own, right?

At my house I view yard work as a necessary evil.  We have to do it for our yard to look nice, but I try to keep it all to a minimum.  And I also require my kids to help.  Just like in the winter when they have to help me clear the snow.

So what can your kids do? More than you probably realize. You just have to remember that doing chores is a learning experience for them. Sometimes having children help means that the job will take twice as long, but it is the process, not the end result that is important. If you start them doing chores young, they won’t know any difference when they are older. And by the time they are teenagers, they will be as efficient as you are. When they chose to be, that is.

Age appropriate chores:

3 to 5 yrs old:

Pick up sticks in the yard
Hold the edges of the tarp down while the older kids rake the leaves and debris onto it
Rake out flower beds, at this age it is all about effort not the end result
Wash front door
Help plant new grass
Help plant flower boxes
Pick ripe produce from garden

6-10 yrs old

Use hand held leaf blower to clear debris off driveway
Rake out flower beds
Sweep off porch
Pull out weeds
Be responsible for watering flower boxes

11 and up

Use larger gas powered leaf blower
Use wheelbarrow to bring sticks and debris to edge of property
Carry tarps filled with raked leaves to the edge of property
Use weed whacker to trim edges of lawn
Mow lawn
Be responsible for watering garden