Reward Chart for a 4-Year-Old: What to Track and What to Reward

A reward chart works at 4 because a 4-year-old loves two things: doing what the big people do, and seeing proof that they did it. A good chart has few rows, quick rewards and a place where your child can reach it. The printable below is built for that age, and the rest of this page explains how to use it.

What a 4-year-old can track

A child this age follows two or three steps at a time and cannot hold a goal in mind for long. So the chart should be short and visual, and each task should have an obvious finish. Most 4-year-olds can handle about 10 to 15 minutes of chores a day, and two to three daily tasks is a sound place to begin.

Good starting rows:

• Make the bed (a pulled-up blanket counts)
• Put toys in the bin before dinner
• Brush teeth in the morning and at night
• Clear their own plate after a meal
• Help feed the pet, with you scooping

Pick three. Add a fourth after two good weeks. Resist the urge to put everything on it, because a chart with ten rows feels like a job. For a fuller list of what this age can do, see our chore chart for a 4-year-old.

The printable chart

The printable below has six rows with a box for each day, and each row is worth 5 points. It suits a child who can recognize a few words, or who can use the pictures you add yourself. Print it, let your child color in a star for each task, and write the task names with a drawing beside them if reading is still new.

If you would rather use a different shape, the same tasks work as a sticker grid or a jar of tokens. The format matters less than doing it at the same time every day, usually right after the task.

What to reward, and how fast

Praise the thing they did, and be specific. "You put every car in the bin" is more useful than "good job". At 4, the moment of reward is almost as important as the reward itself, so tick the chart together while it is still fresh.

For prizes, use this ladder:

The key number is the first row. A small prize every two to three days keeps a 4-year-old interested. If the first prize is a month away, they will not wait. If you use points, a child doing five tasks at 5 points will reach 30 stars in about a week, so you can also make the first small prize a quarter of that.

What to do when it stops working

It will, at some point. A few things to try, in order.

1. Check the difficulty. If a task is too hard, the chart becomes a source of failure. Shrink it, or do it together.
2. Check the speed. Is the reward too far away? Bring a small one closer.
3. Change the look. New stickers, a new color, a new spot on the wall. For a 4-year-old, novelty is a real reset button.
4. Take a pause of a week, then bring it back with two rows instead of five.

Do not take stars away for tantrums. Earned stars stay earned. If you need a plan for behavior, that is a separate chart, and our other age guides cover it. When your child turns 5, the chart grows with them, see the reward chart for a 5-year-old, and if you are starting younger, the reward chart for a 3-year-old keeps it even simpler.

Keeping the chart as a digital version

A paper chart is the best way to start, and it is also easy to lose behind the couch. Some families move to an app after a few weeks.

Famiyo is a free family app for iPhone and Android that combines a shared family calendar, chores with points and a rewards shop; kids join with a code, no email needed. You add the tasks once, set them to repeat daily and give each one points. Your child sees their own tasks and points, and you choose whether they check them off or you approve them, which suits a 4-year-old with an adult nearby.

Prizes go into the rewards shop with a price in points, such as "choose the bedtime story" for 30. For a comparison of tools, see the best chore chart apps.

Start tonight

Print the chart, choose three rows, and fill in the first star tonight after teeth are brushed. Keep the first prize close, so your child sees the whole idea within the first three days.