Family life, ages 3 to 12 · Tracker
Singapore life-skills ladder
Everyday skills to try at home and around the neighbourhood, from the hawker centre to the MRT. Tick a skill when you have practised it together.
Download the PDF (A4, 2 pages)Open to print
Use it with: Week balance planner · Is our school week too full?
Ages are rough guides
Start on any rung. Some children climb fast, some skip a step and come back. Neither is good or bad.
Practise, don't test
Do it together a few times, then let your child lead while you stay close. Praise the trying.
One or two at a time
Pick one or two skills a month. Write the date you practised, not a mark.
1Ages 3 to 4: Little helper
| Done | Skill to try | We practised on |
|---|---|---|
| Take shoes off at the door and put them on the rack | ||
| Wash hands with soap before meals | ||
| Put toys back in the box after play | ||
| Carry their own water bottle on an outing | ||
| Say "thank you, auntie" or "uncle" at the hawker stall | ||
| Hold a grown-up's hand in the car park and on the road |
2Ages 5 to 6: Getting ready for P1
| Done | Skill to try | We practised on |
|---|---|---|
| Pack their preschool bag from a picture checklist | ||
| Pour their own water and clear their own plate | ||
| Order and pay for one item at the hawker centre, with you beside themGood practice for the P1 canteen | ||
| Say a parent's full name and phone number | ||
| Stop at the kerb, then cross at the green man holding your hand | ||
| Tap their child concession card at the MRT gantryUnder 7 and taller than 0.9 m: a Child Concession Card lets them ride basic bus and train services free |
3Ages 7 to 8: P1 and P2
| Done | Skill to try | We practised on |
|---|---|---|
| Buy food at the school canteen and check the change | ||
| Tap their own student concession card on the bus and MRTP1 pupils get it by 31 March; until then the child card works to 30 April of the year they turn 7 | ||
| Pack their school bag from the timetable the night before | ||
| Make a simple breakfast, such as bread and kaya | ||
| Borrow a library book at the self-service machine | ||
| Fold their own clothes and put them away |
Family life, ages 3 to 12 · Tracker
Life-skills ladder: P3 to P6
Bigger steps for older children. Your family decides when a child is ready to go out without you.
4Ages 9 to 10: P3 and P4
| Done | Skill to try | We practised on |
|---|---|---|
| Read the MRT map and signs to plan a family outing | ||
| Read the bus stop sign: which bus, which direction | ||
| Use the microwave or a kettle with you nearby | ||
| Wash their own school shoes | ||
| Keep to a small pocket-money plan for a week | ||
| Say what they would do if lost: find station or shop staff, then call home |
5Ages 11 to 12: P5 and P6
| Done | Skill to try | We practised on |
|---|---|---|
| Take a familiar bus or MRT route, as your family decides | ||
| Cook a simple dish, such as fried rice or eggs, with you nearby | ||
| Buy groceries from a short list at the supermarket or wet market | ||
| Phone or message to ask a simple question, such as library opening hours | ||
| Keep their own homework planner and CCA things in order | ||
| Plan one family outing: route, time and budget |
6Our own skills
| Done | Skill to try | We practised on |
|---|---|---|
A ladder to climb together, not a checklist to pass. It does not grade your child or say what they should manage by any age. Chores live on the family responsibilities chart; this ladder is about skills.
Sources, checked 18 October 2026: SimplyGo, Child concessionary fares (children under seven taller than 0.9 m need a Child Concession Card to travel free on basic bus and train services); MOE, Student concession card, parliamentary reply (5 April 2022). Links: raisingangels.sg/downloads/singapore-life-skills-ladder/
Updated 18 October 2026. Print on A4, portrait, black and white is fine. Keep it on the fridge and add a date each time you practise a skill together.