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How to Make Money as a Kid: 12 Ideas to Start 2022

Written By: Rick Orford
Reviewed by: Mike Reyes
Last Updated September 7, 2023
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a kid making money serving customers at his lemonade stand

Are you a parent of a child looking for ways to earn money? In this article, I’ll assume you’re the parent wanting an answer to the following question: How to make money as a kid? Of course, if you’re a kid or a teenager determined to make money, it would be best to ask your parents for help before you begin. That’s because you can lean on your parent’s experiences.

Let’s face it: in March 2024, the benefits of children starting a money-making hobby are incredible. For example, they learn how to save and spend money, be responsible, and use it wisely. And, thanks to the internet, the world has given everyone, young or old, a fair chance to make money. 

How I made money as a kid

Growing up, my parents weren’t wealthy. My father worked long hours while my mother cared for my brother and me at home. As I started getting older, perhaps 10 or 11 years old, I realized that I couldn’t have everything I wanted. For example, if we were shopping at the mall, I’d often gaze in the storefront windows, only to be told “next time” when I asked to buy it. My concept of money wasn’t quite developed yet.

As a kid, a friend asked me if I could help him with his paper route. It was in the middle of winter, just after Christmas, perhaps around 1988. I agreed, and my friend showed me the ropes. On day one, I woke up at 4:30 am to prepare for “on-the-job training.” It was probably -20C outside, and there was snow everywhere. Anyone who knows me knows that cold weather is my enemy! It took just one morning to learn how the paper route works. And in the following days, the newspaper manager taught me how to collect money for the subscriptions.  

Eventually, I worked my way up to 3 full routes. It took about two hours every morning to complete, and as a teen, this was how I made money to pay for the everyday things I wanted. It also set the stage for my future entrepreneurial spirit. Yes, like many business owners, I got a hunger for more. And throughout my career, I’ve learned many lessons I learned as a child.

To be sure, my story isn’t unique. The ideas in this article are for both kids and teenagers. It doesn’t matter if your kid is 12 years old. They, too, can learn to make money. And as most of these tasks are online jobs, and only a few need the child to leave home. 

So, if you are ready to discover some ways to make money, let’s get started.

Jobs kids and teenagers can do to start making money

Babysitting

In most cities, if your child is over 14 years old, they can make money babysitting. Indeed, since adults are busy with their lives, it’s no wonder they want a little time to themselves in the evening. However, when kids who want to get a babysitting job need to prove themselves. 

If you want to win a client, consider babysitting the first time for free. And, if you exceed their expectations, adults will be more likely to recommend you to other people, such as friends, neighbors, and family. Also, ask your parents for help and vouch for you as a reference.

Sell baked goods in a farmer’s market

Kids interested in making money can consider selling baked goods, like cookies and cupcakes at a farmer’s market. For example, if your child can bake, he or she can pack ten cupcakes and twelve cookies in a box.

Kids can accept cash or have their parents sign up for a Square account to collect money. Regarding marketing, parents can help their kids promote their hustle on social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. Also, kids can create a free website on wix.com to complement their offerings. But remember, the photos must be beautiful, so customers will line up to buy the goods!

Lemonade stand (Yes, it still works)

The good old lemonade stand still works, even today in 2024. People are often generous and would like to support a kid’s business. So, they happily buy a cup of lemonade. Take the opportunity to sell lemonade to the neighbors or people walking by. And to supercharge your sales, think of a gimmick. In no time, kids can earn upwards of $20 a day in profit doing this job.

However, the parent should confirm that selling lemonade is permitted within the city’s regulations. That way, they aren’t shut down on day one.

Pet sit or walk dogs 

I never met a dog owner who wasn’t concerned about their pet. Indeed, most dog owners treat their dogs like family members or loyal friends. However, dogs need to get the proper attention and care. 

People are busy with their lives, but the dogs still need care. As a result, dog owners will often willingly hire other people to help them walk their dogs. If your kid wants to make money and likes dogs, this could be a great option!

Kids and teens can find clients who need such services from pet care websites. For example, Care.com offers precisely this service. However, teens will need a parent to vouch for them. 

Another way to get clients is to create flyers and spread them around the local dog parks or to people walking their dogs. Expect to charge $10+ for a 30-minute walk. 

Become a reviewer

Another way a kid can make money during his/her free time is to become a reviewer. With this task, the child will give feedback on clothing and music to get paid.

The music and clothing industries need reviews before releasing goods to the public. And sites like Slice the Pie make it happen. Therefore, an opinion will help record labels, brands, and artists decide. 

Moreover, your child can earn more money when encouraging more friends to sign up through a referral link. So they will use the unique link when signing up. That enables the child to earn an additional 20% for a review. 

Blogging 

If writing comes naturally to your kid or teen, blogging can be an easy way for them to make money. An advantage of blogging is that the child will improve their writing skills over time. Therefore, starting a blog may be the best thing for a young person to do while at home. But before your child approaches this option, he or she should be passionate about what they’ll write about. 

For example, many kids and teenagers love playing video games. And because they come across many games, you can help them create a review site. The child can review the newest games they’ve been playing on the site. And ideally, your kid/teen can include videos of playing the games.

If video games aren’t your kids’ favorite, another excellent example could be a sports blog. For instance, a football blog would be ideal if your child loves to play football. Indeed, there’s a near-endless slate of topics to write about. 

Kids can make money blogging in the following ways: 

  • Sponsors – The kids get paid to advertise a business similar to ads, but this is specific. 
  • Ads – You know the annoying little ads popping up? Google Adsense will pay your kids for clicks. Well, sort of; Adsense required a parent to sign up for people under 18.
  • Affiliate sales – Children can earn through affiliate programs when readers buy something through your link.
  • Sponsored posts – when someone writes about a product or service on your kids’ blog, your kids will get paid for it. 

To start blogging, you’ll first need to buy a domain name. It should be short and straightforward. Secondly, you need a hosting provider. Bluehost may be the ideal host as they give you a free domain and are generally cheap to host. 

Online surveys 

Kids or teens can make money with online surveys to help brands deliver better products or services. These brands will then compensate you with cash or gift cards. And considering your child can do this in their spare time, it could be an excellent opportunity for a kid to make money. 

Some of the best websites to sign up for online surveys include Swagbucks and Survey Junkie. If you sign up with Swagbucks, you get a signing bonus of $5. However, to make good money, you need to do a LOT of surveys; thus, your earnings depend on the effort you put in.  And while most survey sites are for Americans, there are Canadian survey websites too! Also, to supercharge your experience, check out the Swagbucks Referral program!

Flip products online

Product flipping can be easy for a kid with an entrepreneurial spirit to make money. Moreover, it would be something fun to do during the summer. And, it can be something with parents you trust. For example, with flea markets, children can make a good income by buying stuff from yard sales or Craigslist and reselling them on eBay or Amazon.

For product flipping, you don’t need much money to start. A parent can help their child begin with $20 to $50. After some time, with a small investment, it’s possible to grow it into a 6 figure business.

Start a YouTube channel 

Many kids are taking this opportunity to make money. If you look at Ryan’s World, the channel recently earned the kid $22 million. Something encouraging about this channel is that it belongs to a 7-year-old kid. 

This kid’s parents started the YouTube account when he was only age 4. During that time, he used to love watching toy reviews on YouTube. To his luck, one video went viral, and, as they say, the rest is history. 

You don’t need a new concept to succeed when starting a YouTube channel. Follow the steps of Ryan, and bring your spin to the track. However, this may not be a way to make money fast for a kid, but sticking with it allows them to make significant money. 

Photography

If your kid likes to take pictures, photography can be an option for him/her to make money. As a kid, getting a high-paying gig was a challenge. But with a good eye and a camera, kids can get hired for well-paying gigs for parties, events, and even profile pics. However, to gain experience, you can start as a photographer’s assistant.

Kids can also sell their photography on sites like Shutterstock and iStock. 

Lawn Care Service

Lawn care is another way kids can start making money. Think about mowing the lawn, raking leaves, and trimming hedges. These are some of the easy tasks kids can start, weather permitting. 

And depending on where you live, shoveling snow may be another service kids, or teens can offer. 

Cutting grass, you can charge up to $30, which means lawn care services could be an excellent way to make money. 

Making websites

Almost anyone of any age can make a website. However, many people choose to hire someone else to do it for them, perhaps thinking it’s a complicated task. Teenagers can start a web development business at home with very little startup money. And WordPress is a free, easy-to-use web development tool that allows users to install WordPress themes and plugins. It’s no wonder WordPress powers more than 43% of the internet’s websites.  

Teens can sell these websites to local stores or organizations that want an inexpensive online presence. And as you gain experience, the more money you will make.

The Bottom line 

Making money as a kid or teenager is essential, as it teaches the child responsibility and discipline. Further, kids can learn personal finance skills they can use for a lifetime.

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