It’s never too early for kids to dream big, learn new skills, or find passion projects on the side, so if you’ve got a pre-teen kid, these 30 age-appropriate jobs for 10-year-olds should help you guide your kid.
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But before we tackle these jobs, please be reminded that the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) strictly regulates the employment of minors in the country.
Under the FLSA, it is legal for employers to hire workers 14 (or above), but they cannot work in offices, storefronts, restaurants, mining, manufacturing, and other hazardous jobs.
In addition, each state has its own child labor laws, so it’s best to check them out.
The good news is that FLSA allows kids to work unrestricted hours in a business that is solely owned and operated by their parents.
If you have a teenager, check out this post instead. For parents of 10-year-old kids, this post is for you.
30 Jobs for 10-Year-Olds
The following jobs can be part-time or full-time (during summertime).
They can also be paid and unpaid.
After all, both paid and unpaid jobs could teach your kids valuable lessons. It will totally depend on a case-to-case basis and your kid’s disposition – Are they looking for experience? trying to save up on something they want? Networking for future jobs?
PETCARE
If you have pets that need caring, many 10-year-old animal lovers could easily help feed, take care and clean the mess of domestic pets like cats and dogs. Even neighbors would have the need whenever they go out of town, or for older neighbors who may find it challenging to clean the backyard.
1. Dog or Cat Cleanup
Clearing out the cat’s litterbox or picking up poop of your dog from the backyard can be done even by 10-year-olds. And the neighbors would often pay top dollar for others to pick up pet droppings, especially when snow begins to melt.
2. Feeding the pets
Maybe your neighbors are going on a month-long trip overseas and would need someone to feed their birds, cats, dogs, and any other pets.
3. Dogwalking
10-year-old kids would do well walking the neighborhood dogs, but only if the breeds they’re responsible for are suitable for their size and weight. Remember, every dog counts as 1 fee, so the more dogs these kids can handle, the bigger income they can earn.
4. Pet Sitting
Pet sitting services for friends and family can be lucrative for kids.
5. Pet Grooming
This can be a regular weekly or monthly gig for 10-year-olds, but adults should be around to assist particularly for unfamiliar pets. Compare the prices of pet clinics to see how much to charge.
YARDWORK, CLEANUP, AND GARDENING
If your kid would prefer to work outdoors, here are some jobs they can do in your own backyard, or for the neighbors.
The good thing about these kinds of jobs is they could also be a good exercise for kids.
6. Mowing lawns or raking leaves
Once you teach your kids how to handle a rake or lawnmower, yard work can be a fulfilling side gig for 10-year-olds.
7. Shoveling snow from driveways
This job is only available a few months a year in some states, but it can be a fun job for kids who love snow.
8. Pulling weeds
It’s an intro to gardening and landscaping for kids who are into playing with soil and growing plants with their hands.
9. Cleaning garbage cans
A kid actually turned cleaning garbage cans of their neighborhood into a business, so why couldn’t your kid do it for your neighborhood, right?
10. Collecting Recyclables
If your kid is passionate about the environment, this job is a good hands-on experience for kids to bring their passion into reality.
11. Gardening
Give your 10-year-olds a summer job and maintain your veggie garden in the backyard or the community garden. They can also help elderly neighbors in de-weeding, planting, watering, or fertilizing plants.
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12. Carwash
Kids who grew up helping out their parents wash their cars at an early age would be ready to tackle this chore by themselves by the time they turn 10.
13. Fruit-picking or farming
If you live near a farm, kids can work picking fruits and helping around the farm.
INDOOR CHORES
If you’re a parent of 10-year-olds who want to earn some cash, but you prefer them to stay indoors, they could turn chores into cash.
14. Doing the Laundry
Washing dirty clothes and folding the laundry happen once or twice a week in every household. Parents can tick this chore off from their to-do’s and give 10-year-olds this responsibility for a fee.
15. Sweeping and mopping
These chores may seem easy for 10-year-olds, but they can offer kids a routine and a sense of responsibility at an early age.
16. Doing the dishes
Loading and unloading the dishwasher will be super easy for young kids. Parents can turn this daily chore into something they’ll be excited to do if you pay them some change every time.
17. Cook simple meals
Cooking is a useful skill for any age and no one is too young to learn to cook simple meals.
TEACHING AND COACHING
If your 10-year-old kid is an old soul, mature enough for his/her age, and loves teaching other kids, they can do it on the side to earn cash.
18. Sports Coach
Maybe your 10-year-old is good at basketball, chess, or other sports that another neighbor kid would want to be coached on. Maybe someone in your community needs a tennis partner. Whatever your kid’s beloved sports could be made into a side gig.
19. Babysitting
Most cities make babysitting classes available for 11-year-olds and above, but if your 10-year-old kid has been caring for younger siblings and would gladly take on babysitting duties for your neighbors, assist them with this guide on how to start babysitting.
20. Tutoring
Is your 10-year-old good with math? science? programming? If they are skilled with a particular subject in school, your kid can offer tutoring services to younger kids.
Entrepreneurial Jobs for 10-Year-Olds?
Maybe you’ve got a kid who’s a fan of Shark Tank, or you were inspired by my feature about millionaire kids, but the modern society supports 10-year-old business owners (and it’s perfectly fine to support your kids too!)
These businesses are the perfect intro to entrepreneurship for kids:
21. Lemonade Stand
No business-minded kid should ever skip running their own lemonade stand and a 10-year-old is the perfect age to try one.
22. Bake Sale
For the little bakers, a weekly bake sale or pre-order baked goods can be a good-paying business.
23. Face Painting
If your child is a fan of makeup tutorials and face painting, he/she can offer face painting services at children’s parties in the neighborhood.
24. Newspaper Delivery
Even if most readers prefer to read their news online these days, there are still many people who get their papers traditionally, so the demand for newspaper delivery boys and girls remains.
25. Soap and candle making
Kids can experiment and make candles or soap on weekends, then sell their products to neighbors, in school fairs, or even online.
26. Inventor
If you have a kid who never runs out of good ideas, he/she might just be the next big inventor. Encourage them to create, create, create, and join contests to showcase their inventions.
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27. Children’s Book Author
Got a child whose vocabulary and imaginations run wild? They might love to write their own book! Help them put it together and decide if self-publishing online or getting a publisher is the right way to go.
28. Jewelry and clothing designer
Got a little fashionista with an eye for style? Your child can become a clothing or jewelry designer even if they’re just aged 10. You just have to assist them in finding collaborators who would sew or create their designs for them.
29. Print-on-demand Designs
Any child with design skills could print his/her work on clothing, shoes, framed prints, mugs, pillows, keychains, and other items if they join a print-on-demand service.
30. Artwork
It doesn’t matter what kind of art your child specializes in, whether it’s a caricature, painting, sketch, landscape, or others, if your child has a passion for art, he/she could turn this into a business.
Online Jobs for 10-Year-Olds
For 10-year-old kids who don’t want to go outdoors, they could embark on an online adventure instead by becoming a photographer, video game tester, TikToker, blogger, a model, YouTuber, social media influencer, podcaster, and voice artist (check out how people are paid for ASMR.)
Of course, the payments for online jobs aren’t as black-and-white as traditional jobs, so if you’re the parent you might need to explain to your kids that their earnings from online gigs could come months or years after they’ve done the job.
If this is a problem for your kid, it’s better they stick to the 30 jobs for 10-year-olds listed above.
