A father and his son carry firewood to their house in the winter.

Outdoor winter chores for 7 to 10 year olds

Editor’s note: This article was updated on Jan. 7, 2024.

The winter months can be downright rough for keeping kids active, especially since much of our time is spent indoors. Snow days, cold-weather days, and holidays can sometimes lay the groundwork for too much sedentary time combined with too much screen time, a less-than-ideal combination for our kids’ minds and bodies. 

According to the Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines, children and youth should be getting at least 60 minutes of exercise per day, even in the winter months. 

Generally, kids enjoy being active and having a routine—and this is something we can rely on in the winter months, when it’s harder to get moving outside. Consider encouraging your child to get active by assigning them a simple outdoor task to help your family. Giving them a simple age-appropriate chore is a positive way to help them help you.

Assigning kids outdoor chores can help keep them active, expose them to fresh winter air, and have them pitch in on family duties. It could even be the prompt they need to enjoy the outdoors and get some of their recommended daily activity. That’s a win for the whole family!

Here are some easy age-appropriate outdoor chores for 7 year olds and some more involved ones for kids up to 10 years old.

Take out the trash and recycle

Carrying your household garbage can to the outdoor bins—and doing the same with your family’s recycling—are great tasks for for an older child. Younger kids can also get the hang of it if they’re strong enough to lift the bag over the side of the large bin. Have a trial run to show them how. First, have them help you cinch the bag and tie it, then have them help take it outside and show them where it goes. Or consider this chore a team carry-and-lift job, where older children complete the task and younger children carry smaller wastebasket-size bags, open and hold doors for exiting and entering, and place lids on the cans. Remind them to secure the lids tightly to keep wildlife out and the trash in.

Clear paths by shovelling snow

If it snows where you live, shovelling is a fantastic way to give your kids a chance to help out. And it’s a great physical activity. Make it a systematic team-building task by encouraging your kids to work together to come up with the best way to clear your driveway, porch, or sidewalk. If you only have one shovel, kids can take turns between resting and shovelling. A fun thing to do while they take a break? Make snow angels!

A girl wearing a snowsuit shovels snow.

Refill bird feeders

A bird feeder encourages children to engage with nature year-round. If you have bird feeders in your yard, you can ask your kids to help out by refilling them with bird seed. They’ll enjoy measuring and pouring the seed, especially when a small spill only means more seed for the birds. They’ll start spotting the birds feeding throughout the winter and end up alerting you when it’s time for a refill. This small job teaches them about their local ecosystem and helps them play a role in taking care of the animals you share your neighbourhood with.

Collect mail from the mailbox

Nowadays, nothing is more exciting than getting a letter in the mail! Sending children out to grab the mail out of your mailbox is a simple and fun way to get them outside and moving––even if it’s just for a few minutes. Have them race to the mailbox and back, or have a relay and retrieve only one piece at a time to bring to the finish line (you!). Regardless of whether you play Red Light, Green Light to the box or pass each piece off during a relay, gathering the mail gets your kids involved in a daily task and helps them enjoy periods of outdoor activity.

Clean porches

Grass, snow, mud, and dirt tend to collect on porches and entryways. Outdoor toys, balls, and sports equipment also tend to show up in these areas! An easy chore for kids is clearing and cleaning this area. First, have your child collect all the toys and anything else that has accumulated and take each item to its correct place. Then, have them sweep the porch or entryway. If your child is old enough and can operate a leaf blower, having them blow the grass and dirt might be a fun adventure rather than just using a broom. 

A child sweeps leaves off the front porch using a broom.

Gather sticks and fallen limbs

Clearing the yard of any debris, such as sticks, small branches, or fallen limbs, after strong winds or a storm is an excellent opportunity to rope your kiddos in on the fun. As they help with yard work, consider having them count the sticks and limbs they gather. You can make a fun competition out of seeing who can create the tallest pile! Afterwards, combine all the piles and let your kids choose which dry and short pieces would be best for kindling when starting a fire. 

Help haul firewood

Having older children haul larger pieces of firewood and younger children carry smaller pieces or kindling is a great way to have them show their strength. Give them gloves to avoid splinters, and remind them they’re helping keep their family warm with this chore. The promise of the glow and ambiance of a warm fire might be all they need for motivation. 

Whatever the task you need help with, having children contribute—even in the chilly winter weather—motivates an active lifestyle, encourages activity, burns energy, and encourages movement and focus.


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