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Cool Jobs for Cold Cash

Your preschooler or grade school child may not be able to drive or work at the mall, but they are still old enough to earn money with fun jobs that are appropriate for their age. 

Mother’s Helper: Children can gain babysitting experience and earn money by becoming a Mother’s Helper. A Mother’s Helper takes over entertaining the child while the mom or dad is at home. Play games, read, create crafts, whatever it takes to keep the child busy so that mom and dad can get their work done.

Birthday party helper: Let your child hire herself out to a toddler’s birthday party. Run games, man the bouncy house, clean up the cake plates. Again, an extra set of hands will always help the parents of a toddler and usually pays well.

“Lemonade Stand” – Savvy kids have figured out it’s not just about lemonade anymore. Selling cold water at a warm-weather soccer game, or home-baked cookies at the neighborhood rummage sale can give kids a nice profit for a day’s work. Of course, the old standby – lemonade -still works too!

Pulling Weeds: Ask anyone with a garden - there’s an unlimited supply of weeds.  All that’s needed to get started are a few basic tools that are probably already in your garage.

Recycling: Recycling is an important part of conserving the Earth’s resources – it’s also still a great way to earn money. Collecting cans to be turned in for cash is something anyone of any age can do!

Dog Walking/Pet Care: In summer, many families head out to enjoy the weather but have pets at home that need care. With a parent’s guidance, a young child can check on pets, give them food, take them for a walk.

Plant watering: Inquire of neighbors and friends who may be going on vacation to learn about these jobs. Even a preschool child can handle this task with mom and dad’s help.

* Bonnie and Noel Drew have put together a lengthy list of enterprising ideas in their book Kid Biz - Year Round Money Making Projects for Junior Entrepreneurs.