Winter & Fall Jobs for 13 Year Old Kids and Younger

So you are 13 and want to earn a little extra cash this winter. By now, you've probably discovered that fast food restaurants and grocery stores won't hire kids under the age of 13.

The reason for this are the "child labor" laws which prohibit businesses from hiring kids under the age of 14. This is has nothing to do with a kid being responsible or not for the job, it has to do with child safety in the workplace. Kids 13 and younger are at a high risk for injury on the job, and these laws were enacted to protect you.

While you won't find a regular weekend job for hire in this article, you will learn some ideas of where to find jobs on your own. Just remember, before knocking on doors in the neighborhood in search of work, be sure to check with your parents first. Your parents may also have some ideas for how you can earn extra money and might be able to recommend neighbors and friends they know who are looking for help.

Fall yard work

Fall means lots of leaves, and most neighbors would rather hire someone to rake up leaves rather than doing it themselves. In our neighborhood, kids charge about $10 per filled hefty bag, and can easily earn $60-80 for a day's worth of leaf raking.

The best place to search for leaf raking jobs are at the homes of senior citizens or working couples.

Holiday bazaars

Schools and churches often hold holiday bazaars as fund raisers. How most bazaars work is that you "rent" space in the gym or fellowship hall for a certain dollar amount, and then keep the profits of all the things you sell. Kids can earn several hundred dollars at holiday bazaars by selling homemade crafts. Things that sell well at holiday bazaars include:

homemade soaps
handmade jewelry
scrapbook greeting cards
homemade cookies and brownies
knitted scarves
dream catchers
handmade Christmas ornaments
homemade candles
grapevine wreaths
knitted doggie jackets
"gifts in a jar" or jarred cookie mixes

Organize a snow shoveling route