Most “make money” apps are not for kids. Their own rules say 18 and up, and the ones that check ID at payout mean it.
So this list leads with offline ideas and things a parent runs, then adds apps only at the age their own rules allow. If an app isn’t for kids, we say so.
Parents, the short version on the law: under federal rules a kid has to be 14 for most jobs, but younger kids can still babysit or do yard work for neighbors because that work isn’t covered (Department of Labor). States add their own rules.
Under 13: offline ideas
1. Extra chores, for pay
Easiest start there is.
You and your kid make a price list for jobs beyond the normal ones, like washing the car or cleaning out the garage. Pay when the job’s done, not before.
2. Lemonade stand
Old school, still works. Set up on a busy weekend near a park or a yard sale. Some towns have rules about selling on the sidewalk, so check yours first.
3. Bake sale
Cookies and brownies by the bag at a school event or a family garage sale. Price them so you get the ingredient money back first.
4. Make and sell crafts
Bracelets, keychains, painted rocks. Sell at a craft fair or a school event, or you can list them online under your own account.
5. Return cans and bottles
In states with a bottle deposit, every can is worth a few cents at the return machine. Ask your neighbors to save theirs.
6. Yard work for neighbors
Raking leaves, pulling weeds, watering plants while people travel. No power tools at this age. Keep it to a rake and a hose.
7. Pet care
Feeding a neighbor’s cat or walking a small dog the kid can actually handle. You should know the neighbor.
8. Car washing
Buckets, sponges, a driveway. Start with family and the neighbors next door.
9. Sell old toys and clothes (parent-run)
Outgrown stuff is cash. You list it on Mercari or Facebook Marketplace (eBay requires sellers to be 18), and your kid gets the money or a cut of it.
10. Mother’s helper
Playing with a younger kid while their parent is home and working. It’s babysitting with training wheels, and a good way to get a reputation before the real thing.
Ages 13 to 15
Thirteen opens a couple of apps. Fourteen opens real jobs, with limits: at 14 and 15, federal law caps work at 3 hours on a school day and 18 hours in a school week, between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m.
11. Babysitting
The go-to money maker for young teens. The Red Cross Babysitting Basics course is online, made for ages 11 and up, and ends with a printable certificate. That gives parents a reason to trust a teen they don’t know yet.
12. A first job at 14
Retail is the usual start: cashier, stocking shelves, bagging. Fast food counters too. The hours limits above apply.
13. Tutor younger kids
A middle schooler who’s good at reading or math can help a second grader with homework. Parents pay for that. You probably would too.
14. Run a snow and lawn business
Same work as before, but now with a flyer, a set price and regular customers. Push mowers only, until you say otherwise.
15. Lifeguard
At 15 a teen can take the Red Cross lifeguarding course, as long as they turn 15 by the last day of class and pass the swim test.
16.Swagbucks
- What it is
- Points for surveys, games and videos. 100 SB equals $1.
- What you do
- Do a few tasks a week and save points toward a gift card.
- How much it pays
- Redeem from 300 SB ($3) for gift cards from stores like Amazon, Target and Walmart.
- The catch
- Kids 13 to 17 should have a parent’s permission. Ignore the $10 welcome bonus, since it needs a $25 purchase in the Swagbucks shop.
Worth it? Yes for 13 and up, with a parent in the loop. Slow, but real.
17.Mistplay
- What it is
- An app that rewards you with points for playing mobile games from its list.
- What you do
- Pick a game, play it, and your points grow the longer you stick with it.
- How much it pays
- Trade points for gift cards like Amazon or Starbucks. Gift cards are the only payout.
- The catch
- Mistplay now checks ID for every player before handing out a gift card, so a parent has to help. Android and iPhone use separate apps.
Worth it? Only for kids who already play phone games. Minimum age is 13.
Ages 16 and 17
At 16 the federal hours limits go away, though dangerous jobs are still off limits and driving for work is mostly a no until 18 (details here).
18. A part-time job with real hours
Restaurants, grocery stores, movie theaters. More hours means a real paycheck.
19. Camp counselor
Day camps look for junior counselors every summer. Good fit for a teen who’s already babysitting.
20.Freecash
- What it is
- An offer site and app that pays for game levels, app trials and surveys.
- What you do
- Choose an offer, do what it says, and cash out once there’s enough.
- How much it pays
- A $10 welcome bonus unlocks after the first offer. PayPal, crypto and gift card withdrawals mostly go through instantly.
- The catch
- Freecash requires users to be at least 16, and some offers set the bar higher. Withdrawing the first time takes an ID check.
Worth it? Yes for 16 and 17 year olds. Real cash, not just points.
21.Fiverr
- What it is
- A freelance site for selling services like video edits, thumbnails and logos.
- What you do
- A parent sets up the account, and the teen does the creative work.
- How much it pays
- Fiverr pays out 80% of each order, and tips go straight to the seller.
- The catch
- Sellers must be 18. Anyone 13 to 17 can only work through a parent or guardian’s account, and money clears 14 days after each order.
Worth it? Only as a family project, and only for a teen with a real skill.
22. Tech help for neighbors
New phone setup, printer fights, moving photos to the cloud. Older neighbors will happily pay a teen who explains it slowly.
Apps that aren’t for kids
These come up on every money list, and their own rules say 18 and up: InboxDollars, Survey Junkie, KashKick, Google Opinion Rewards and Nielsen. Same for delivery apps like DoorDash, Uber Eats and Instacart, and for pet sitting on Rover.
Don’t fudge the birthday. Several of these check ID before paying, so a kid would just be doing the work for nothing. When they turn 18, the apps that pay real money list is waiting.
A few tips for parents
Agree on the deal up front: what your kid keeps, what gets saved.
And keep your kid’s name, school and address off any listing or profile. Always.
Want ideas for yourself while you’re at it? The work-from-home ideas and what’s paying right now are good next stops. Everything else is under side hustles.
Questions parents and kids ask
What’s the best way for a kid to make money?
Under 13, doing paid work for neighbors and family: yard work, pet care, a lemonade stand. At 13 and up, babysitting. At 14 you can get a real part-time job.
Can a 12 year old make money online?
Not on their own. Most money apps start at 13 at the earliest, and plenty start at 18. A parent can sell a kid’s old toys or crafts online under the parent’s own account.
What money apps can a 13 year old use?
Swagbucks (with a parent’s permission) and Mistplay. Freecash opens up at 16. Almost everything else is 18 and up.
How old do you have to be to get a job?
14 for most jobs under federal law, with hours limits until 16. Babysitting and yard work for neighbors aren’t covered by those rules, so younger kids can do them. Your state may add its own rules.
Next step
Got a high schooler or college kid? The ways to make money at school page goes deeper on teens and college students.
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