Ask any kid and they will tell you that they want to earn their own money. Children aren’t born without a work ethic, but what they have needs to be developed and nurtured. To help nurture that, they need chores and they need to be rewarded by having the opportunity to earn money of their own. Being able to earn from an early age quickly connects in their minds that working for money equals being able to have the things that they want in life.

Since you don’t want to give them overly complicated jobs to do, it’s best to start small.

These 5 fall chores your kids can do to earn money are a great place to start.

Raking leaves – Fall leaves are beautiful but they can also be very “messy.” If your yard has been taken over by the falling leaves, your child can earn themselves a few extra dollars by raking them. Make sure that they have a quality rake to get started with then turn them loose in the back yard!

Cleaning out the garage – When was the last time that your garage was cleaned out? Ideally you should do this at least once every three months to really help keep yourself organized. If it’s been a while, why not let your child clean it out for you to earn some cash? This one is especially important if you need to use your garage to protect your car from harsh winter temperatures. They will likely need a few supplies like boxes, tape and trash bags but once they’ve got those in place, they should be good to go!

Unpacking and washing cold weather clothing – Fall and winter clothing sits in boxes or bags until they’re needed and as a result they can get stiff, dusty and just generally need washed. Pay your child to pull them out of storage and get them ready to be worn. This would include drying as well as folding or hanging them too.

Cleaning the windows – Spring and summer storms can wreak havoc on your clean windows, but for your child who wants to earn a few extra bucks, that’s a great thing. Set them up with your favorite homemade window cleaner recipe, a bucket, some newspaper and let them go to town! Pay them per window or for the task as a whole and watch the dirt be (literally) wiped away!

Getting the car ready for winter – Do you keep an emergency preparedness kit in your car? How about extra blankets and a set of jumper cables? Whether your answer was yes or no, your child can do this chore for you to earn extra money! Print them out a list to start with the items you would like them to gather for your winter car kit. Then, let them assemble things into a tote or other storage container so that it is ready to have on hand when you need it. Pay them for the full task for this one. Keeping your family safe, especially in a situation where you could get stuck in the cold, is so important. If you don’t have the time to do this one, make sure that you have the kids do it for you.

As your kids grow, they will want to earn more and more for themselves. These ideas for kids to earn extra money are only a jumping off point. When you’re looking at chores for your kids to do, be sure to take into account both their abilities and their age. Giving them a task that they aren’t able to complete will only lead to heartbreak on their part and stress on yours.