Jobs for 10 Year Olds

Teaching tweens and younger children about the importance of a little hard work is crucial in today’s modern society.

Finding an interesting and appropriate Job for a 10 year old is an important balancing act. Encouraging entrepreneurship with our youngsters can help promote healthy self-reliance whilst allowing parents to teach their children basic financial skills. Both of which can be a huge benefit to our kids when they enter adulthood.

So many options to choose from…

In today’s gig economy, the opportunities for young entrepreneurs are booming. From dog walking and garden grooming to babysitting and fence painting. Both summer jobs selling flowers and winter jobs shoveling snow. There are numerous opportunities for tweens to make extra pocket money doing the best jobs for 10 year olds. It’s all about leading them into the right field.

How Child Labor Has Changed?

Times have shifted a lot in the past century. A hundred years ago, children as young as five were regularly seen working in the fields, homes, and factories. Their meager salaries bring in a valuable boost to the household income.

Thankfully our society has moved on since then. Groups such as The National Child Labour Committee and the National Consumers League worked hard to push through controversial Child Labour Laws that restricted both the style and amount of work that was available to our youngest citizens.

Protecting a child’s right to education…

These laws protect both our children’s right to safety as well as their right to guaranteed education. Bills were crafted with mandatory schooling restrictions written into place. Whilst the USA differs from other developed nations by making federal exemptions for Agricultural Employment by a parent.

For the most part, hard labor for our youngsters is no longer an option.

What Sort Of Work Is Appropriate?

The legal and cultural shift in our understanding of child labor has resulted in a fabulous opportunity. Work is no longer mandatory or even expected for our youngsters.

So for those kids who are still eager to earn an income, a platform is created to teach them a whole lot of important life skills, and, hopefully, give them a strong confidence boost in their own self-reliance.

Three Types Of Work For Our Youngest Citizens

To help you, we have split the options into three key areas, depending on what you and your child are hoping to get out of the endeavor. Whilst this section will give you a brief introduction to the benefits of each area, if you’re looking for advice on how to help your child succeed with their new job, just keep scrolling…

Working From Home

This is by far the easiest, and safest of our three sections, making it ideal if you have an enthusiastic worker on the younger end of the scale. Parents can choose from chores around the house to pushing through skills that Mum and Dad are keen for their children to learn.

For example, you might want to offer them additional money for helping tend to the garden. Or perhaps they can earn an extra allowance by persistently practicing their Piano. In this sense, the money will not only be a reward for the child but also be a tool to help motivate your youngster to learn new skills.

Pros

Cons

Selling Something

The typical image of a child sitting on the side of the road selling Lemonade obviously comes to mind. But this avenue should not be discredited too quickly. Giving a child complete control over what it is they are selling and how they want to sell it can be very empowering.

Similar to starting a small business, fledgling entrepreneurs will need to consider, select and create their products. Then, they need to find a way to market, manage and push their sales.

Learning real-world skills…

With guidance, parents can encourage their kids to consider the climate, culture, and community they live in. Choosing something to make and sell gives the child a lot of creative control over their business ideas. Additionally, the whole process can be a great learning tool for understanding a wide range of real-world skills. But more on that later…

Pros

Cons

Providing a Service

This will be the most common and widest-ranging opportunity for our youngsters. There will always be people with dogs that need walking or fences that need painting. Neighbors, family members, and friends are a great customer base for any child with an enthusiastic attitude.

The biggest problem with this avenue is advertising. Make sure your child has ownership over getting the word out there so that they have a large enough or committed enough customer base to make some pocket change.

Valuable life lessons to be had…

If done right, this is a great opportunity to teach some valuable life lessons. Leaving the house to earn money will give them independence. Choosing an appropriate service to offer requires creativity and an understanding of their abilities and the needs of others.

And in today’s modern world, there is a range of tangential skills which can be baked into the process. Even website making and poster designing can become a part of the learning process.

Pros

Cons

Jobs for 10 Year Olds In The Home

Not all ten-year-olds are ready for work outside the home. All children develop differently, and deciding whether your child is mature enough to start working outside their home is a decision that only a parent can make. Finding the right jobs for 10 year olds must be done carefully, with consideration put into both what the child wants and what the child needs.

For those of you unwilling to let your child earn from others, for whatever reason, there are still options that will let them earn from extra tasks that they complete. The money will still have to come from somewhere, so you will need to consider how much you are willing to give them before they propose the jobs.

Financial reward system…

There are two main avenues for tweens to earn money without leaving home. The first and simplest to set up is financial rewards for completing household chores. Some parents will choose to use this system instead of basic pocket money.

Tying all possible earnings to some sort of work. The second is skills-based. Letting a child earn money by developing their understanding of a specific subject.

Earning Money from Housework

For example, you might choose to have a list of weekly chores. Tasks can range from weekly tasks to jobs that need to be completed every day.

Possible options include making their bed every morning, walking the dog before school every day, taking out the bins whenever they are full, or sorting out the laundered socks once a week.

Detail the tasks…

Try and pick small, simple tasks that can be ticked off on a checklist frequently. General tasks, such as ‘tidy the house’ or ‘clean the kitchen,’ leave a lot of space for interpretation and may end up both confusing the child and frustrating the adult.

A benefit to having lots of small tasks, each tied to a small reward, can mean that children will learn that financial rewards are tied to hard work. For each chore they complete, they are adding to their rewards, giving a very real sense of satisfaction from completing the task.

Keep track of their progress…

It’s important to create a sheet that will allow you to catalog the work that is being done. Writing the list of tasks and designing the sheet WITH your child is crucial to giving them a sense of ownership over the program, which should, in turn, make them more motivated to commit to the program.

Example chore chart for reference:

Chore	Daily/ Weekly	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun	Rate	Subtotal
Walk the dog	Daily	X	X	X		X	X		$0.50	$2.50
Sort the recycling	Weekly	X							$3	$3
Sort the socks	Weekly			X					$3	$3
Cook dinner	Weekly					X			$5	$5
Total										$13.50

Let them help design the chart…

I have included an example chore table above to get you started. It’s critical to ensure that your child is involved in designing the chart and in charge of monitoring and working out how much they are owed, under parental supervision, of course.

By giving your kids ownership over how much they earn each week, you will help to keep them motivated within the project. If you are looking for some more creative assistance, this Creative Chore Charts For Kids has lots of neat, creative ideas for how to format your ‘chore sheet’ including a system where the money itself is attached to a board so that children can receive an instant payoff from their work.

Earning Money Through Education

Following a very similar system to that outlined above, parents can also use this system to encourage children to learn skills that they would otherwise be unmotivated towards.

For example, a young boy who was failing to motivate in their language studies, the mother decided to offer $1 for every Duolingo lesson completed. This system is simple, easy to monitor, and easy to follow. The child gets the opportunity to work and earn extra money; the parent gets an additional avenue to motivate their child to learn.

Create independent tasks…

The best tools for this sort of scheme are short independent tasks that the child can complete without external input. The example just given does exactly this. Duolingo, and apps like it, offer their content in short, bite-sized lessons that can be completed regularly to help get your child into a rhythm.

Similar activities could include; practicing a musical instrument, reading books, and online mathematics courses, to name a few. As a parent, you could even buy additional workbooks and get your child to complete the tasks chapter by chapter.

Try to pick topics they’re interested in…

Once again, it is critical to involve your child in the planning. Try and pick a topic that they already have a passing interest in. While these schemes are great for adding additional motivation, if your child is already put off the skill, or doesn’t understand the importance of learning it, then the scheme is much more likely to fail.

Remember to keep an eye on your child. Inevitably they will begin to grow bored of repetitive tasks. Try and find ways to change up the way it is run before they become demotivated.

Change it up every now and then…

This can be done both by changing how they practice the skill or by changing the reward they get for completing each task. To set this up, follow a similar system to the ‘chore chart’ above. Again, involve your child as often as possible to give them a sense of ownership over their earning potential.

Setting Up Shop

For those of you looking for strong creative outputs, selling things can be a really strong opportunity to give your child complete creative control over a project.

There is no real limit to what you can sell. Pinterest and Tumblr are flooded with cool D.I.Y. projects, and the internet is full of easy recipes and baking opportunities. Even scrummaging through the attic spaces of family members can bring about enough to sell and make a little extra cash.

Creating future entrepreneurs…

One of the best parts of this avenue is that children can really exercise their creativity. Try not to dissuade any of their ideas; if it doesn’t work, then they will still learn something. This is not about adding to a household income; it’s about empowering the next generation of little entrepreneurs.

If done right, letting your child set up a shop can teach them budgeting, basic accounting, self-reliance, creativity, time management, sales skills, and customer service. What a great way to set them up for the future.

What Can My Kid Sell?

There is really no limit to what your child decides to sell. And allowing them creative freedom over what they are going to sell will make them more empowered in the project, and in turn, more likely to see it through.

A simple online search will provide you with a plethora of ideas for products that your child can make and sell. Things For Kids To Make And Sell has a particularly extensive list of options.

That being said, we have collected a list of some of the best selling products just to get the ball rolling:

Baked Goods

Always a nice easy way to start, locals will like the personal touch. Also, assuming they are good quality treats, there is no limit to the number a customer may choose to buy. If your child has a talent for baking, this can be the perfect revenue stream as the low cost and homemade aspect will mean your friends, families, and neighbors have no excuse but to treat themselves.

Homemade Soap and Bath Bombs

Surprisingly easy and fun to make, homemade soaps and bath bombs can be a really fun experiment for kids. With strong profit margins and lots of options for creativity, these might be the perfect challenge for your little one.

Packaging will likely be an important factor in getting repeat customers. By offering different scents and colors, they could help to make the products look as professional as possible.

Keep it eco-friendly…

We recommend an eco-conscious angle to the product by bulk buying plastic-free boxes to sell them in and emphasizing the homemade nature of the soaps.

Also, look into sugar scrubs, incredibly easy to make and can be advertised as a great alternative to the regular body scrubs, which are filled with microplastics.

Personalized T-shirts

With a stash of permanent pens, fabric paints, or even just some Iron-On Transfer Paper, your child could soon be a t-shirt mogul. This is a great option for really creative kids looking for a profitable avenue for their sketches and ideas. T-shirt printing is also a great idea for anyone looking to sell their wares at school. Graphic, personalized t-shirts will always sell well with young ones.

Also, consider tie-dying; it’s a simple process that is fun and can add a lot of selling value to the clothing when done right. Encourage your little one to experiment with their techniques before they start. Perhaps buy a load of old t-shirts at a flea market or a thrift shop so they can practice their designs.

Seasonal Decorations

Whilst not being an option all year round, seasonal sales can be a great way to teach your children about seasonal retail cycles. Children can learn about the importance of planning. Using quiet periods to perfect their products. As well as using their time to stock up, so they’re ready for the festive seasons.

There are many holidays to choose from, but the obvious three are Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Each festival offers an opportunity for a boost in sales, as well as the opportunity to make new products.

Remember, it’s repetitive work…

If your child gets bored easily with repetitive tasks, this might be the perfect avenue for them, as there is no limit to the different creative products they could make. The internet will offer an overwhelming overload of inspiration. We recommend keeping to a maximum of two or three different objects at first. Remind your child that if they do it well, they will have repeat customers to sell to in the future as well.

Providing A Practical Service

The final avenue is probably the most reliant on understanding your child’s abilities and on the community that you have around you. They will be providing services directly to their clients, so you must consider the consequences if something goes wrong.

Both babysitting and dog walking, for example, are common jobs for children in their early years. However, both tasks have extremely high levels of responsibility and will have massive fallouts if the child makes a mistake or is simply not yet mature enough.

Remember that…

Many basic low-risk tasks are already completed commonly across America: shoveling snow, delivering local post, painting fences, de-weeding pavements, etc. These can be a great source of steady revenue, but there are also many other opportunities out there for a creative youngster. Get them to consider the community and its needs.

Get your child to choose a service that plays to their interests. If they love computers, get them to offer on-call tech assistance to a grandparent. Maybe they’re an avid storyteller, then get them to put your neighbors’ kids to sleep twice a week. If they enjoy painting, perhaps they can advertise pet portraits or photograph recreations.

Promote, promote, promote!

The final secret tip for selling services is simple. Posters and business cards. Both should be designed by the child. The posters will help to attract attention to the services being offered, and business cards themselves will give your little one a real sense of achievement and professionalism when they are speaking to their clients.

Let’s Help You Manage Your Money Best!

Just in case you might decide you’d like to have some fun and wait a while before working, we’ve got these great articles on Jobs For 11-Year-Olds, or Jobs For 12-Year-Olds, Jobs For 13-Year-Olds, and Jobs For 14-Year-Olds, for you to see the amazing possibilities waiting for you in the future to make some extra cash! So, no rush!

It’s never too early to learn about money! So, take a look at the I Can Earn It: The Make Money How To for Teens and Tweens, A Self-Guided Workbook for Highly Effective Teens: 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens (Gift for Teens and Tweens), the Money Athletics: Your Game Plan to a Financially Fit Tween for financial guidance.

We also suggest reading A Smart Girl’s Guide: Money: How to Make It, Save It, and Spend It, or my favorite, the Not Your Parents’ Money Book: Making, Saving, and Spending Your Own Money, and finally the Economics for Tweens all available online in 2023.

Or how about a practical approach with the Exact Change Card Game – Educational Money Counting Game for Kids, and the Learning Resources Pretend & Play – Play Money for Kids, Develops Early Math Skills, Pretend Money for Kids, Play Money Set that will teach them valuable skills when working for the first time!.

Lastly, I highly recommend Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul on Tough Stuff: Stories of Tough Times and Lessons Learned for essential life skills that any tween or teen should know.

Final Thoughts

Creating little entrepreneurs is great for their future. Children who can earn money as youngsters are given control over their lives and can use their experience to build both independence and maturity.

It may be difficult to understand a 10-year-old who wants a ‘job.’ But options like the ones offered above give kids an opportunity to make money whilst remembering that they are still children.

As long as you focus on giving your child ownership over the program and creative freedom with how it is managed, this process can be a great learning tool to continue your child’s education and set them up for the future.

Good luck in finding the first Job as a Tween!