Life Skills For Kids
- Zachary Blazier
- Jun 4, 2019
- 4 min read
Summer is a great time to teach our children Life Skills! Check out the list found at https://www.busykidshappymom.org/life-skills/.
Want to jump right to the examples of LIFE SKILL you need?
Preschool Life Skills (ages 2-4) click here
School Age Life Skills (ages 4-10) click here
Tween and Teen Life Skills (ages 11-18) click here
Life Skills – Age 2
Undress self
Put own pajamas away
Wash face and hands
Comb or brush own hair (with help)
Brush teeth (with help)
Pick up toys
Tidy up bedroom
Clear off own place at the table
Be able to play safely and alone for a set period of time (1/2 to 1 hour) in own room. (Under supervision. Children need to know that they can be alone and still have fun.)
Life Skills – Age 3
Dress self (with help)
Make own bed (use comforter)
Wipe up own spills
Help set the table
Snap, zipper, and button
Put dirty clothes in the hamper
Start swim lessons
Life Skills – Age 4
Help gather laundry
Use a handheld vacuum
Pick up outside toys
Dust and clean bookshelves
Empty wastebaskets
Know own phone number
Know own address
Help empty dishwasher
Help bring in groceries
Sit quietly in church(looking at books or drawing quietly is okay)
Next level swim lessons
Life Skills – Age 5
Put clean clothes away neatly
Swim (goal – swim independently)
Leave bathroom clean after use
Clean toilet
Feed and water pets
Get mail (if in a safe place) and put it in the proper place
Receive a small allowance (if used)
Money Management: saving, spending, and charitable giving
Know how to make emergency phone calls (911)
Dust low shelves and objects (consider using a Swiffer)
Empty bathroom trash
Organize bathroom drawers
Learn to roller skate
Learn to jump rope
Learn to ride a bike
Begin learning how to tie shoes
Life Skills – Age 6
Organize own drawers and closet
Empty dishwasher and put dishes away
Wash and dry dishes by hand
Straighten living and family rooms
Rake leaves
Help put groceries away
Make juice from a can or mix
Make a sandwich and toast
Basics of giving, saving and spending
Pour milk into cereal
Pour milk or juice into a cup
Wash out plastic trash cans
Clean mirrors
Bathe alone
Clean windows
Empty kitchen trash
Life Skills – Age 7
Use a vacuum cleaner
Clean pet cages and food bowls
Use a broom and dustpan
Sweep porches, decks, driveways and walkways
Take a written phone message
Learn basic food groups and good nutrition habits
Cook canned soup
Read and prepare a simple recipe
Be familiar with cooking, measuring tools and their uses
Make Jell-O and boil eggs (hard and soft)
Money management (earning money and saving for a goal)
Pack own sack lunch
Cut up own meat, pancakes, etc.
Water outside plants, flowers, and garden
Arrange refrigerator or bulletin board “pictures”
Weed flower beds and vegetable garden
Strip bed sheets
Carry dirty clothes hamper to the laundry room
Sort clothes for washing by color and fabric and check pockets
Straighten book and toy shelves
Begin music lessons
Life Skills – Age 8
Fold clothes neatly without wrinkles
Remake own bed with clean sheets
Clean the interior of the car
Vacuum furniture (ie., chairs and couches), especially under cushions
Water house plants and lawn outside
Clean bathroom sink, toilet, and tub
Load and turn on the dishwasher
Trim own nails and clean own ears
Learn model making
Set table correctly
Mop floor
Peel carrots and potatoes
Begin teaching time management skills, assignment deadlines, or short blocks of time
Money Management: Spend, Save, Give the principle
Life Skills – Age 9
Load and operate the washing machine and dryer (clean lint trap and washer filter)
Time management (get activities done in a block of time)
Fold blankets neatly
Straighten and organize kitchen drawers
Help clean out the refrigerator
Prepare hot beverages
Prepare boxed macaroni and cheese
Cook hot dogs and scrambled eggs
Brown hamburger meat
Dust all household furniture
Count and give monetary change
Compare quality and prices (unit pricing)
Oil bicycle
Life Skills – Age 10
Replace light bulbs and understand wattage
Distinguish between good and spoiled food
Bake a cake from a mix
Cook frozen and canned vegetables
Make pancakes from scratch
Understand the importance of ingredient and nutrient labeling
Plan a balanced meal
Know how to select and prepare fruits and vegetables
Bake cookies from scratch
Repair bicycle tire and learn basic adjustments
Know basic emergency first-aid procedures
Understand the uses of medicine and seriousness of overuse
Wipe down kitchen cupboards
Be able to do family laundry completely
Mow lawn
Know how to handle a pocket knife
Sew simple crafts on a sewing machine (pillows, bean bags, etc.)
Life Skills – Age 11
Replace fuse; know where circuit breakers are
Clean and straighten garage
Bake muffins and biscuits
Make a green salad and dressing
Do simple mending and sew on buttons
Wash the car
Learn basic electrical repairs
Know a variety of knots
Understand the basics of camera use
Be a helper in a church ministry (ie., nursery, Sunday School)
Life Skills – Age 12 to 15
Take a babysitting course through the local hospital
Make deposits and withdrawals at the bank
Volunteer at the library or food bank
Perform basic first aid and CPR
Time Management (should be able to manage an entire day of activities/assignments)
Check and fill all car fluids
Type with proficiency
Money Management: Budgeting basics, Charitable Giving, Spending Plan, Saving for a car, Saving Money, Emergency Fund
Have a work experience (paid or unpaid) with responsibilities and set hours.
Life Skills – Age 16 to 18
Plan well-balanced meals, including shopping and cooking
Pass a driver’s test
Write checks and balance a checkbook
Fill out a job application
Make one complete meal (nothing gourmet, just make sure they can feed themselves)
Money Management: Budget / Cash Flow, Debit cards vs. Credit Cards, Fraud Protection, Teaching Investing
Prepare a resume
Good Luck and remember to take one day at a time!
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