17 Genius Ways How To Make Money As A Kid: Get Paid At Any Age

Kelan and I both found out how to make money as a kid so we could be more independent, and we can’t wait for our daughters to do the same!

Kids making their own money is great for independence and teaching them that hard work earns money.

Your child can make extra cash from the ideas within the article, but it will, of course, depend on how much time your child is able to put into it – and effort.

It’s like with most things – you need to put in the work to get the rewards. Which is a great thing for them to learn, too. This could even become a side hustle!

We have tried to list things that we know kids are currently doing; things that will be easy for them to start. There is a low barrier to entry on most of these ideas, but the potential to make a big profit is there.

Get your child to read through these ideas with you now and see which ones appeal to them the most! If you’re looking for how to earn money online (as an adult), this is for you.

Quick Picks: Making Money As A Kid

I spent most of my teenage years looking for online jobs for teens- and I was so surprised by all the options I had!

Here are my top 3 quick picks to make money as a kid:

Best Money-Maker- Blogging
Easiest Money – Online Surveys
Most Fun Job – Dog Walking

17 Genius Ways How To Make Money As A Kid

1. Take Online Surveys On Your Phone Or Tablet

This is an easy way to make money and can be done around your other commitments, e.g. school.

You will need to be at least 13 years old to sign up to and use these survey sites – always check beforehand.

When you take online surveys you will be answering questions that marketers need to collect information on. They will pay you for this, and the amount varies per site and survey.

Swagbucks

Swagbucks is a good site to use, especially if you were looking for other fun ways of earning money – as it doesn’t just offer surveys on here.

You can play games, watch videos, and all sorts of things!

When answering surveys you will earn rewards called SBs, which you can exchange for money or gift cards.

Read our Swagbucks Review to see how much extra cash you can earn this week!

Survey Junkie

I’ve been on Survey Junkie since the beginning, and it’s an easy way to make money quickly!

You can earn 50 points just for completing the intro questions, and then get started with answering surveys.

It will show you how many points you will earn for the survey before you start it, which is handy. You can then pick and choose which will be worth your time.

It works out as about $3 – $7 per hour depending on the surveys.

Learn more about answering online surveys from our Survey Junkie Review.

2. Flip Unused Items Or Flea Market Finds On eBay

This is one of the best ways to make money when you are just starting out because you can make a decent profit from the get-go.

Have you ever seen something selling for a low price, but you know that it’s selling for more online?

This is what you can take advantage of – if you are able to buy something at a low price, and then sell it on for more, the difference is the profit that you make.

You could start with small things such as toys or books, but have a look around and see what you can sell.

You could go to the flea market, local stores, thrift stores, yard sales, etc to find stuff.

If you wanted to check out some ideas, we recommend looking at Rob and Melissa’s journey over at Flea Market Flipper, where they make a huge amount of money from doing this.

Rob and Melissa recommend starting out with around $20 – $50 to find items that you can flip.

You will want to make a profit from these items, and then use the profit to then buy more things to flip (keeping some of the profit for yourself).

By doing this, you will be able to purchase more expensive/bigger items which should get you a larger profit margin – but make sure that you do your research.

You will need to use an adult’s account to use eBay, so be sure to work with your parents to get this one going.

3. Walk Your Neighbors’ Dogs (Or Pet Sit!)

Do you have any neighbors with pooches, who are really busy?

You could start up a dog walking service and help them out when they need a hand- plus, you’re getting paid to walk and get some exercise.

Start with your neighbors and your local area, but you could hand out flyers or advertise on local Facebook sites to expand your reach.

If you’re a teenager looking for work, you can sign up for an account on Rover (with your parent’s permission) to find clients this way.

The cost of starting this up is extremely low – you will want to get some poop bags though, and possibly some toys and treats for the dogs.

You can charge around $15 – $20 per 20-minute walk, per dog. The more dogs, the more you can make!

4. Do Chores & Cleaning Around The House

Probably the least fun-sounding one on the list, we know! But this can be a great way to earn some money and help your parents out too.

The type of chores that you do will depend on how old you are, and what your parents are willing to have you do.

Some chores that you can ask for money for include:

Cleaning the kitchen
Walking the dogs
Washing the car
Washing windows
Helping with dinner/cooking dinner

All of the other things that you do such as keeping your room tidy, probably don’t count, unfortunately!

Ask your parents how much they are happy to give you beforehand, and you could even make a chore chart to log your chores and when you have been doing them.

5. Start An Active YouTube Channel

Although you won’t get access to any money that you earn straightaway, starting a Youtube channel can be something that you continue to grow.

The sooner that you get started the better on Youtube – there’s no time like the present!

You don’t need to start the next craze – look at popular videos that other kids are doing. There are channels that review toys, play games and more.

Let’s not forget that the highest-earning Youtuber in the world is 8 years old! Ryan’s World Toy Review channel started when he was 4 years old, and he is now making millions from the platform.

The most common way to earn money from Youtube tends to be the ads on the videos, but you can also make money from sponsored videos, which is where a company will pay you to talk about them or mention them.

Typically on Youtube, the more views you have, the more money you are able to make. Kids do earn money on Youtube, so this is a great avenue to try.

6. Start A Money-Making Blog (Just Like We Did!)

If you’re computer savvy, starting a website is an easy money maker, if you’re prepared to put in the work. Of all the ways to make money online, this is one of the easiest.

It has never been easier to set up a website – we have a step-by-step blog guide, and you can buy pre-built themes as well.

You could use your website as a means to promote a product or service that you have.

Once you feel as though you are knowledgeable enough, you can offer your website services to other people or companies.

Perhaps there are small businesses in your town that don’t have a website and would like a basic one put together for them. Have a look around the businesses in your local area to see if there any that you could pitch this to.

This is a good one if you are looking to make money online, no matter how young you are.

Any websites that you create, you can then use as part of your portfolio to get more work.

7. Babysit Younger Kids In The Neighborhood

This is dependent on how old you are as well as on whether or not you like little kids, but you can always ask if anyone would like someone to help them out.

This could be helping out a busy mom whilst she’s doing work or preparing dinner in the house and needs someone to keep an eye on the baby — often called a “mother’s helper.”

The amount that you are able to earn will vary from place to place, and how much they are willing to pay you.

If you are older, you will be able to command a higher rate. You will also probably be able to get more if the parents leave the house, or if it is during the evening.

If you are left on your own in the house, please remember that they are trusting you to focus solely on looking after their kids!

8. Start A Lemonade Stand 

Lemonade stands are always popular, especially in the summer months.

Freshly squeezed lemonade is one of my favorite things ever, so you know that there will be a demand!

Your parents will be able to help you with setting up a stand and getting all of the necessary equipment up and together.

Most kids tend to do this outside of their house, but you could always see if you are able to pitch up next to a sports event, where a lot of people will be thirsty!

You could also charge extras for things like ice and straws and you could sell homemade snacks as well.

9. Start A Car Detailing Business

Car detailing is a service that a lot of people will pay good money for, so this is one of the more lucrative ideas on this list.

The services to provide are things like washing the car, vacuuming, polishing, etc. Just making sure that the car is clean and tidy inside and out.

This can be a time-consuming activity for adults, so they will probably be more than happy to get you to do it.

If you have a big driveway or space in front of your house, this is ideal because you can fit more cars on. It will also help if you are near a main road and will get lots of traffic through because people can see and pull over.

You will want to do a very good job so that your customers are happy and will tell other people about you.

Be sure to take photos of all of the cars that you work on because you can use these as examples of your work.

You could even get repeat customers, and possibly offer them a discount or reduced rate for signing up for more car detailing in the future.

It’s important to have the correct equipment for the car detailing, especially if you are dealing with expensive cars. They will expect a high-quality service, so make sure that you can provide that.

10. Start A Lawn Care Business

No doubt you can earn money every week this summer by mowing lawns and weeding gardens!

Start with your own yard, or your neighbors, and use them as examples of the work that you can do.

Word of mouth is a good way to grow this, so let your customers know that you are looking for more work and would appreciate their recommendations.

You will want to think about whether you are going to use their lawnmowers or if you are going to have to take one of your own.

This is an important thing to consider because you will have to think about how you are going to get the mower to their residence.

Speak to your parents beforehand and check that they are ok with you possibly taking their lawnmower.

11. Start A Cleaning Side Hustle

Cleaning is one of the most common things that people pay for, and even young kids can earn money tidying up.

It’s something that needs to be done, but many people don’t have the time or simply don’t enjoy it.

Ask around if anyone would like a cleaner, and it would be a good idea to ask in local Facebook groups.

You will need to consider if you will ask the customers if you can use their cleaning equipment, or if you will have to buy and bring your own.

If you are going to take your own equipment, a good list of stuff to start with includes:

Cloths
Limescale remover
Kitchen cleaner/general cleaner
Bathroom cleaner
Toilet bleach
Glass cleaner
Dusters
Vacuum
Mop and bucket, floor cleaner

This is an easy way to make money as a kid, and you can likely charge anywhere from $20 per hour upward.

You can charge extra money for things like carpet cleaning, but keep in mind you will probably need specialized equipment for that.

12. Get Paid for Your Photography Skills

Do you love being behind the camera? You could use your photography skills to get paid.

It’s unlikely that you will be able to get really high-paying gigs such as weddings, but there’s no reason why you couldn’t try other gigs such as photos for the local paper.

You can also sell your photos online to photo sites such as Shutterstock or iStock.

13. Organize A Garage Sale

You could set up a garage sale at your house, but a way to make more money is to ask other adults if they would like to do a joint garage sale.

Offer to sort their items and price them up for them – this is usually the most time-consuming part of it, and they will appreciate the help.

You will, of course, want a split of the profits for doing this! Agree on this upfront, you may want 50/50, or they may prefer to do it on a percentage of the profits. Let them decide, as they are doing you a favor.

Once you have got people to agree to this, you will want to advertise it. Talk about it on social media – particularly local Facebook groups, and you could even put up some flyers in the local area.

14. Sell Your Crafts On Etsy

Etsy is a platform that is best known for selling handmade items, and the wide variety of shops makes it a perfect spot to make online sales.

A fun idea is making jewelry and starting an Etsy shop to sell jewelry online. Materials are pretty cheap to buy, so you should be able to make a decent profit.

Another great idea I’ve seen is selling t-shirts- especially custom t-shirts for weddings, bridal parties, or family reunions. You don’t have to make the shirts yourself either by using companies like CustomInk.

Have a look on Etsy and see what kind of things you are able to sell. Don’t forget, though, Etsy will take a percentage of your sales, which will eat into your profit.

15. Recycle Cans (Yours & Others!)

Did you know that you can make money as a kid recycling cans?

It’s literally making money from trash – one man’s junk is another man’s treasure!

You will typically get paid per can, so this can really add up. Start with your own home, and then ask your neighbors if they would like you to take it off their hands.

You don’t just need to stop at cans either – find out how much other materials go for, and see what you can find to make money from those.

16. Sell Your Art Pieces 

If you’re artsy, you could make money helping other kids give gifts or decorating their rooms.

I know some students from high school that would offer art services, like handmade cards, caricatures, and more for birthday gifts.

I had a friend who would doodle cute characters in my planner when we were kids, and by high school, she made $30 for a drawing that took 2 hours tops.

Whats great about this idea is that it can easily translate into a full-time Etsy business, be part of your portfolio for art school, or be a side hustle for life!

17. Freelance Your High-Paying Skills

You may think as a kid that you can’t get a job with no experience, but that’s not true!

Your skills are worth something, and it may take time to start, but it’s never too early to become a freelancer.

Freelancing is just a general term where you don’t have one company you work for- you work for clients one job at a time.

For example, if you like writing, you could get paid to write for magazines, even submit your poetry for fast money.

You could give music lessons online or in-person and make $20+ an hour, plus get good practice with your instrument. 

Or, if you like art like above, you could actually use free programs to create graphic designs like logos, stickers, infographics, and more.

There are many free training videos on YouTube you can check out, so consider your favorite hobbies or skills, and monetize them!

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, after reading through this article you have found some ideas of ways that you can make money as a kid.

Making money isn’t just reserved for grown-ups – and the perfect time to start is now, and you can even make money online easily.

You can make a lot of money doing the things on this list, and it’s important to have clear goals for what you want to do with that money.

You could, of course, spend some of it on things that you have been saving up for e.g. a new toy or game. But an important part of earning money is keeping it.

If you save your money, it will be of higher value to you when you are older.

An even better move would be to ask your parents to invest it for you, as this will make you a ton of money over time with interest.

After all, it’s not about how much money you make – it’s about how much you can keep.