--- title: "Sort, fold, put away: the laundry crew" status: "Idea, not yet tested" published: "2026-10-15" updated: "2026-10-15" author: "Dad Field Manual editors (drafted with AI help)" time: "30 min" cost: "$0" ages: "4 to 10" where: "Any flat spot big enough to dump a basket of clean laundry: a bed, a couch or a clean floor." topics: ["chores"] print: "https://dadfieldmanual.com/print?p=laundry-crew" url: "https://dadfieldmanual.com/plans/laundry-crew/" --- # Sort, fold, put away: the laundry crew > Laundry is a real job kids can own one piece at a time. Thirty minutes with one clean basket, and each kid walks away with a laundry job that's theirs every week. **Tested on:** not yet. When a dad tries this, his name, the date, the place, and the kids' ages will be added here. ## What you need - A basket of clean, dry laundry from the whole house (have) - An empty basket or a cleared spot for each person's pile (have) - Masking tape and a marker for drawer labels (have) - The hamper, for anything that turns out to be dirty (have) ## Before you start - **Detergent pods are poison for kids.** CPSC says store them in the original container, out of sight and reach, and don't let children handle them. AAP suggests powder or liquid detergent if possible. - **If a child swallows detergent or gets it in their eyes,** call Poison Help right away: 1-800-222-1222, open 24/7. - **Kids start with clean, dry clothes.** You run the machines and handle the detergent. - **Washers and dryers aren't hiding spots.** Close the doors when you're done. ## Steps 1. **Dump and sort by person** (Together) Dump the basket on the bed. Hold up each piece: "Whose shirt is this? Yours? Your pile." Every person gets a pile, and socks go in their own heap in the middle. 2. **Match the socks** (Kid) Socks are the warm-up and the easiest win for younger kids. Lay them out, find the pairs, fold the tops together or roll them into a ball. "How many pairs can you find before I fold three towels?" 3. **Fold towels first** (Dad shows, Kid copies) Towels are the best first fold: flat, square and forgiving. Lay it flat, fold in half the long way, then in half, then in half again. Show it once, then let them fold the next one without fixing it. A lumpy fold still fits on the shelf. 4. **Shirts: side, side, bottom up** (Dad shows, Kid copies) Lay the shirt face down. Fold one side in to the middle, sleeve and all, then the other side. Fold the bottom up to the collar. Say it as they go: "Side, side, bottom up." Younger kids can just fold it in half. 5. **Label the drawers and put it away** (Kid) Put a strip of tape on each drawer: "Shirts," "Pants," "PJs," or a quick drawing for kids who don't read yet. Each kid carries their own pile and puts every piece in its drawer. You check once at the end, not while they work. 6. **Give each kid a laundry job** (Together) Pick one job that's theirs every week: matching all the socks, folding the towels, or putting their own pile away. Say, "I'll run the washer and dryer. You're the crew that finishes it." ## If it stalls - If folding turns into a fight, drop the standard. Put away and wrinkled beats perfect and still on the bed. - If they fade halfway, cap it: "Just your pile, then you're done." - If single socks pile up, keep a lost-sock basket and match them all once a week as a race. - If two kids argue over the easy job, rotate jobs every week and write the rotation on the fridge. ## Variations - **Ages 4–5:** Socks and washcloths only. Sorting by person is a great matching game: "Find everything that's Dad's." - **Ages 6–8:** Towels, shirts and pants, then they put their whole pile away. Add carrying their own hamper to the laundry room. - **Ages 9–10:** Have them watch you run a load start to finish and push the buttons, with you handling the detergent. AAP lists doing laundry as an 11-to-12 job, so a solo load can wait a year or two. ## Sources - **Laundry packet storage.** CPSC's poison prevention guidance says to store laundry packets in their original containers out of a child's sight and reach, and not to let children handle laundry detergent packets. (checked 2026-10-15) - **Pods and young children.** AAP says detergent packets or pods pose a special risk for young children, who may mistake them for candy or gummy treats, and advises buying powdered or liquid detergent if at all possible. (checked 2026-10-15) - **Poison Help line.** The federal Poison Help line is 1-800-222-1222 and is available 24/7 in over 100 languages. (checked 2026-10-15) - **Laundry jobs by age.** AAP lists sorting laundry and putting dirty clothes in a hamper for ages 5 to 7, putting away their own laundry for ages 8 to 10, and doing and folding laundry for ages 11 to 12. (checked 2026-10-15)