Summer jobs for kids are a pretty big rite of passage, but they tend to be geared only toward teens. And if your children are younger than that, you might be struggling to think of all the potential opportunities out there. But BusyKid is here to save the day.
We want to help all parents and kids find inspiration and see which job(s) could be right for them. We’re also going to break down all the benefits of working young, and how to manage the money. So let’s get right into it.
Why Jobs for Kids Are So Beneficial
There are countless reasons why you should consider jobs for kids, starting with all the lessons they can learn. For starters, by having to spend their own, hard-earned money, kids will get a better sense of the true value of money. They’ll also have a better grasp on the difficulties and challenges of a job and how investing money can make it stretch out even further.
Another important lesson kids pick up from their jobs is the importance of organization. They need to focus on being organized when doing their work, and they need to be clever and precise when planning their income. Of course, all kids are going to want to spend their money on something silly or fun, but it’s the parents’ job to teach them how to manage it the right way.
Luckily, they won’t have to do it alone.
At BusyKid, financial literacy is one of our top concerns, and teaching kids how to earn, save, and invest their money is our priority. One of the best tools to help achieve all those goals is the BusyKid Visa® Debit Card for kids.
With the BusyKid card, kids can take their spending freedom to the next level, and you can eliminate the need of having cash on hand at all times. But there’s so much more to it. By having a card of their own, kids will also learn the cornerstones of wise money management and investing.
But before we get into all the benefits of owning a BusyKid card, let’s first take a look at the jobs to help them earn money and build good lifelong financial habits. We’ve divided them up by age group to ensure you and your kids find the best possible fit.
Jobs for Kids Under the Age of 9
There are a lot of potential limitations to what jobs and tasks kids can do at such a young age. With that in mind, we’ve divided this list of jobs that can help your children earn money while building their confidence.
Lemonade Stand
Lemonade stands are an old tradition among entrepreneurial kids, and they’re a great way to learn some skills. Your little ones can handle everything for a stand, including booth design, squeezing the lemons, and making change.
If your kids have an affinity for baking, maybe they could expand the business, too. Offering homemade cookies or cupcakes could be a great way to branch out, and earn a bit more money as well.
Housework
Even at a very young age, most kids can handle doing basic chores around the house without much hassle. They can make everyone’s beds, clean their rooms, do a bit of sweeping, organize clothes, and so on.
Depending on your children’s ability, you can add to or remove things from the list and agree on a predetermined sum for each task. But if you’re struggling with assigning monetary worth to each chore, BusyKid can help. In the app, among other features, there is a list of pre-set chores, along with the recommended amount for each task based on the kids’ ages.
Basic Yard Work
Kids under the age of 9 shouldn’t be operating lawnmowers or anything with blades, really. But there’s usually still so much to do around the yard, that even the youngest family members can join in.
For example, kids can pull weeds, water the plants and the lawn, rake leaves, or shovel snow. Even if you don’t have a yard, you can get your kids to help you with plant upkeep. It’s an excellent way to earn a bit of money and teach responsibility.
Recycling
If your town or neighborhood has recycling practices, you can get your kids involved with it, too. They can collect empty cans or plastic bottles and learn about sorting. They can then sell those things to recyclers for a few cents per item. Not only is it a good way to earn a bit of pocket money, but it’s environmentally conscious as well.
Jobs for Kids Under the Age of 13
Jobs for kids and preteens might differ a bit because, after the age of nine, you might feel like your kids can handle a bit more responsibility. That’s also probably the age when they start asking more money questions, which is why every chore or job makes the perfect learning opportunity.
Plant-Sitting or Pet Sitting
One job that’s certain to teach responsibility to kids is plant or pet sitting for friends, family, or neighbors. Kids can go around asking who needs their services and get a fine sum for helping someone take care of a pet or plant.
In both cases, children should get clear and precise instructions on what to do and what’s expected of them. In addition to working for friends, family, and neighbors, kids can also go down to the local animal shelters and see if they need any help. While the volunteer positions don’t pay, they can teach children the importance of giving back.
Housework
While preschoolers and kindergartners might be too young to deep-clean the fridge, your preteens aren’t. As they get older, you can increase or change up the chore list to reflect their ability to do more. At this age, they can start handling the dishes, vacuuming, laundry, and much more. If you need help coming up with tasks, you can check out our list of the top 20 spring chores for kids.
Selling Their Arts & Crafts
If you’re a family that loves doing DIY projects, or arts and crafts, maybe it’s time to consider selling them. The types of crafts you do are totally up to you and your kids, but some ideas could include Christmas ornaments, jewelry, decorations, candles, toys, or T-shirts.
You can help your kids set up a web shop on any number of popular websites and help them figure out the right prices for every item. And you can help them set up their BusyKid card to ensure their earnings are safe and secure.
Make and Sell Baked Goods
Earlier, one of the jobs for kids we mentioned was the lemonade stand, which is a tried-and-true business. But there’s always the potential for expansion, especially if your kids have an affinity for baking. They can set up stands to sell their baked goods or they can go around the neighborhood.
And if the sales are going well, you can even look into having a table at your local farmer’s market. Of course, make sure to check what permits or restrictions there are with local officials.
Jobs for Kids Under the Age of 18
Older kids tend to have much more options for what they can do during the summer or the year. They can handle more responsibility and have a better grasp of money management and financial literacy. So here are some of our suggestions for things your teens can do to earn pocket money.
Babysitting
If your kids love other kids, then maybe they can consider babysitting. Of course, it can be a challenging job and there’s a lot at stake when taking care of children. However, with the right lessons and a bit of patience, teens can make babysitting a great job.
And if they do well, they can get more work on word of mouth alone. But before you suggest this job to your teen, make sure that they understand the full scope and challenges of the job.
Car Washing
Another interesting job for teens could be washing cars. It’s still pretty challenging, but definitely easier than babysitting, and your kids can earn a solid amount of money doing it.
Washing or detailing cars requires some materials and tools, but nothing too expensive or that most houses don’t already have. They can start by cleaning and washing their family’s car(s), and then do the same thing for the neighborhood. This is another one of those jobs where word of mouth can help expand the teens’ business and they can do this all year round.
Tutoring
If your kids excel at certain subjects at school, they can offer their tutoring to their peers. There are plenty of ways to advertise the new business, including bulletin boards in school, online, or via social media. There is some preparation involved with this work, as your teens might need to create some type of lesson plan and learn about good teaching practices.
But once word gets out that the tutoring is going well, it can be a great way to earn some income, and it’s something they can do even when they leave high school.
Jobs for Kids of All Ages: Help Manage Their Earnings
While it’s a great sign that your kids want to work and gain some financial independence, there’s still more to do. To ensure your children get on the right foot, they need to have financial literacy, and that all starts with you.
The only way to truly pass on your financial knowledge, and maybe even pick up something new, is by using every tool in your belt. And that’s where BusyKid comes in.
We can help your kids gain valuable, on-hand experience and practice lessons in money management. And thanks to the BusyKid Debit Spend Card, they can have a better handle on the money they’ve earned while doing these jobs for kids.
So get the app and the debit card now and make sure that your kids’ bright financial future starts today!
