8 Chores Your 2 Year Old Can Do

I taught my 2 year old daughter (Arwen) to help out at a really young age and now she loves to help out with different chores! I know each child is unique so some of the chores my 2 year old can do may not be suitable for your 2 year old, but here are some things my daughter does to help!

You might be amazed at how much they can actually do to help out. If they want to help out by all means let them help! The key is to start involving them at a very young age 😉

Allowing your toddler to help may cause things to be a little messy and make the chore take longer for you, but still encourage them and praise them for wanting to help.

Work together with your toddler and make it fun! Positive compliments really motivate my toddler to help out. Incorporate chores in the daily routines.

Interested in seeing what my 2 year old’s daily schedule looks like? Check out my 2 Year Old Sample Schedule.

This post was updated in May, 2019

*This post contains affiliate links. Which means when you make a purchase through a link on this post, I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. 

Getting Dressed

If your toddler just turned 2, he or she probably can’t quite dress them selves yet. My toddler started dressing herself at about 2 years and 4 months old. Remember, every child is different 🙂

My toddler will get out a clean pull-up (or diaper), wipes, and clothing (already picked out) for the day. She undresses herself and will put her pj’s away in the drawer.

After using the potty (currently potty training), she will put everything (clothing) on that I got out for that day. The used pull-up and any diapers from little sister gets put in the trash by her (more on this below).

Putting Dirty Clothes in the Hamper

After getting dressed in her pj’s right before bed, she will put her dirty clothes in the hamper. Not only does she put her clothes in the hamper, she will also put used wash clothes or towels from her bath in there too.

Set the table

I have all of Arwen’s plates, utensils, and cups in a drawer where she can easily reach. When I am setting the table before eating a meal, I ask Arwen to help me set the table.

Arwen gets her own cup, utensils, plate, and she will get utensils (usually either spoon or fork) out for my husband and I too. If there are additional plastic things that need to be placed on the table, I also hand those to Arwen. I think breakable items should still be avoided in case of an accident.

Clean Up After Meals

Once my toddler finishes her food she asks if she can be excused from the table. Once she gets a yes from either myself or my husband she will get off of her chair and slide the chair back under the table.

The plate, utensil, and cup will then get taken over to the kitchen counter next to the sink. With a washcloth she will wipe down her booster chair and the table if there are any crumbs and stickiness.

Crumbs usually end up on the floor so my toddler will pick them up and throw it away in the trash. I usually do the sweeping, but my toddler can help by running a small hand held vacuum cleaner to pick up the crumbs off of the floor.

Dinner Prep 

Dinner prep usually gets started in the morning since afternoons get busy for me. When we are having vegetables for sides, I have Arwen help me wash the vegetables.

Lay a towel down on the floor with a large mixing bowl filled with water. Place the vegetables in the water (like potatoes, squash, cucumbers, etc) and hand a scrub brush for washing vegetables. After showing her how to use the scrub brush, she will wash certain veggies for me.

Another vegetable she likes to help me with is the green beans. I usually wash them and lay them out on a paper towel and Arwen will snap them in half and place them in a bowl for me.

I think she gets really encouraged by helping because I will brag to her daddy about how Arwen helped me with dinner. Her face just lights up when I say things like “Arwen helped Mommy with the green beans today! Aren’t they so yummy?” or “These potatoes are so yummy because Arwen washed them for Mommy!”

Cleaning 

Sweeping, dusting, wiping off tables, putting dishes away, and vacuuming are things that Arwen likes to help with.

For dusting, she will use her toy duster from the Melissa and Doug cleaning set and dust the TV stand and shelves down stairs, though I do let her use my real duster sometimes too.

When I am wiping down the kitchen counter tops, Arwen will want to help by wiping down the dining room table. She uses the chairs to reach the table and wipe off the stains and crumbs.

Laundry

There are two ways Arwen helps me with the laundry. By helping me put the washed wet clothes in the dryer and by helping me sort the dried clothes for each family member.

When I take out the wet clothes from the washer I put them in a basket so Arwen can put them in the dryer (I always keep a close eye when she is doing this just in case!). She only puts in a few pieces of clothing at a time, but I really appreciate any amount she helps me with.

When the clothes are dry, I put the clothes in the basket and dump them all in the middle of the living room where I will sort them out by family member.

Mommy pile, Daddy pile, Arwen’s pile, Ember’s (little sister) pile, and a linen’s / kitchen pile. Arwen recognizes her clothes easily so she will pick out her clothes and place them in Arwen’s pile. She can’t quite fold yet so I do all the folding, but I love that Arwen takes a part with the laundry chore.

Tidying Rooms

When Arwen plays with her toys, she knows that she has to pick up everything she gets out or plays with before moving on to a different activity.

For example, if we are getting ready to have a snack she will clean up her toys to be able to have her snack, or she will clean up her room before going outside to play.

I have been doing this with her since she started to crawl and now it is just habit. She has never thrown a tantrum over picking up or tidying her room because this is what we have been doing ever since she can remember.

People always ask me how I keep my home tidy with a toddler + baby and this is my secret! Everything has its place and we always clean up before moving on to a different room or different activity.

Throwing Trash Away

Our trash can is pretty easy to open and Arwen likes to help out by throwing away trash for us such as snack wrappers, tags, receipts, and paper trash.

As I mentioned above, she also throws away her dirty pull-ups and her baby sister’s diapers too.

This chore depends on the child and parents since there could be things in the trash you may not want your toddler to reach. Toddlers are curious so  I usually make sure the trash gets taken out frequently and trained her not to touch the trash inside (although the curiosity takes over sometimes).

Helping with Baby Sister or Pets

Arwen has been really helpful when it comes to helping with her baby sister. When I’m nursing and forget to get a burp cloth for Ember, Arwen will go get one for me. She also gets the diaper changing stuff out before I finish nursing Ember so I can change her right when her feeding is done.

The dirty diapers she throws away for me have been a big help 🙂

If your toddler doesn’t have a little sibling but there is a pet, he or she may be able to help. We don’t have any pets currently, but Arwen loves to help out with Grandma’s dog. She likes to give out dog treats, give water, and throw a dog toy outside.

Parenting Tip!

Set them up for success by training them early. When you involve your child and make them feel important they want to help you out! When your toddler helps out with chores they feel confident, successful, and independent.

Are there some chores that your toddler does additionally to this? I’d love to hear them!