You’re twelve. You want a new gaming PC, or maybe just enough cash to stop asking your parents for Robux every weekend. But here’s the thing: most advice online about making money at 12 years old is total garbage. It tells you to "start a YouTube channel" like you’ll be MrBeast by Tuesday, or "take online surveys" that pay roughly three cents an hour and probably sell your data to a random company in a basement somewhere.
It’s frustrating.
The reality is that child labor laws, specifically the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) in the US, generally set the minimum work age at 14. This means you can’t just walk into a McDonald's and ask for a shift. You have to be craftier than that. You have to look at the "exempt" categories—the stuff the government says is okay for younger kids to do—and then scale it using a little bit of modern common sense. Honestly, making money right now isn’t about finding a "job." It’s about solving a problem for someone who has more money than time.
The Neighborhood Hustle: Old School but Reliable
If you want to know how to make money at 12 years old, you have to look at your neighbors. I know, it sounds boring. But adults are tired. They work 40-hour weeks, they come home, and the last thing they want to do is scoop dog poop or pull weeds.
Take "Poop Scooping." It sounds gross. It is gross. But it’s a goldmine. According to a 2023 survey by Forbes Advisor, roughly 66% of US households own a pet. If you live in a neighborhood with ten dogs, and you charge $15 per yard for a weekly cleanup, you’re looking at $150 a week for maybe five hours of work. That’s more than some teenagers make at a "real" job. You just need a sturdy shovel, some heavy-duty bags, and the ability to not gag.
Yard Work is More Than Mowing
Most people think "mowing lawns" when they think of outdoor work. But a 12-year-old might struggle with a heavy commercial mower, and some parents (rightfully) worry about the blades. Instead, focus on "Edge and Clean."
- Weeding Gardens: This is high-detail work that doesn't involve power tools. Bring your own knee pads.
- Leaf Raking: This is seasonal, but in October and November, it's a literal money tree.
- Watering Plants: When neighbors go on vacation, they need someone reliable. Don’t just offer to water; offer to bring in the mail and rotate the lights so the house looks lived in.
The trick here is the "subscription model." Don't just do it once. Tell the neighbor, "Hey, I’m doing this every Saturday. Want me to put you on the schedule for $20?" Most will say yes just to cross it off their mental to-do list.
Digital Creativity and the "Middleman" Strategy
We need to talk about the internet. You’ve probably seen TikToks of "gurus" telling you to do affiliate marketing or dropshipping. Stay away. Most of those require you to be 18 to sign up for payment processors like Stripe or PayPal. If you lie about your age, they will eventually find out, lock your account, and keep your money. It’s a nightmare.
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Instead, look at platforms designed for younger creators or use your parents as the legal "bridge."
Canva Design for Local Businesses
Believe it or not, many small business owners—think local barbers, florists, or pet groomers—are terrible at social media. They use blurry photos and weird fonts. If you’re good with Canva, you can create a pack of 10 Instagram templates for them.
You aren't selling "art." You're selling "professionalism." Show them a before-and-after. Say, "I can make your Facebook page look like a big brand for $30." It’s a low-risk investment for them and a fun afternoon for you.
Video Editing for Micro-Influencers
There are thousands of "micro-influencers" (people with 5k to 50k followers) who are drowning in raw footage. They can’t afford a professional editor who charges $50 an hour, but they’d happily pay a tech-savvy 12-year-old $15 to turn a 10-minute vlog into three snappy TikToks.
If you can use CapCut or DaVinci Resolve, you have a marketable skill.
The "Garage to Gold" Method (Reselling)
Reselling is the closest thing to a "cheat code" for making money at 12 years old. You’ve probably got $200 worth of stuff in your closet that you don't use anymore. Old LEGO sets? Huge money. Discontinued Nerf guns? Collectors want them.
Here is how you do it without getting scammed:
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- Inventory: Go through your room. Anything you haven't touched in a year goes in a pile.
- Research: Use the eBay "Sold" listings to see what people actually paid, not what sellers are asking.
- The Parent Partnership: You cannot legally have an eBay or Mercari account. You just can’t. You need to sit down with a parent and say, "I'll do the photos, the descriptions, and the packaging. You just host the account, and we can split the profit 90/10."
I once knew a kid who specialized entirely in 90s-era tech. He’d find old "brick" GameBoys at yard sales for $10, clean them with isopropyl alcohol, and sell them for $60. It’s all about the "sweat equity"—the work you put in to make a dirty item look brand new.
Babysitting and "Mother’s Helper" Roles
Usually, people don't hire a 12-year-old to stay alone with a newborn. That’s a lot of responsibility. However, the "Mother’s Helper" role is a perfect bridge. This is where the parent is still home—maybe working in a home office or doing chores—but needs you to keep the kids entertained in the next room.
It pays slightly less than full babysitting, but it’s way easier to get started. Plus, it builds a "resume" of references. By the time you're 14, those same parents will trust you to watch the kids solo.
Red Cross actually offers an online Babysitting Basics course for kids aged 11 and up. If you show a parent that certificate, you can instantly charge $2–$3 more per hour because you know CPR and how to handle a choking emergency. That’s being a professional.
Why "Passive Income" is a Lie for Pre-Teens
You’ll hear people talk about "passive income" a lot. Just "set it and forget it." For a 12-year-old, this is mostly a myth. Anything passive usually requires an initial investment of thousands of dollars or years of content building.
At your age, your most valuable asset is your time and your physical energy.
Don’t look for the easy way out. Look for the work that other people are too lazy to do. If you see a trash can left on the curb two days after pickup, knock on the door and offer to pull it back to the garage for $2 every week. It sounds small, but if you do that for ten houses, that’s $20 a week for five minutes of walking. That’s how you actually build wealth at twelve.
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Navigating the Legal and Safety Stuff
You have to be safe. It’s a weird world.
- Never go into a stranger's house. Period. Even if they seem nice.
- Always tell your parents where you are. Use a tracking app or just text them when you move from House A to House B.
- Get paid upfront or immediately after. Don’t let "bills" pile up. If you mow a lawn, you get paid before you leave.
- Handle the "No." You will get rejected. A lot. You’ll knock on ten doors and nine people will tell you to go away. That’s fine. The tenth person is your customer.
Actual Next Steps to Start Today
Thinking about it won't put money in your pocket.
First, grab a notebook. Walk around your block and look for "problems." Is there a house with a ton of weeds? Is there a house with a dog that looks like it needs a walk? Write them down.
Second, create a "Flyer." Don't make it complicated. "Hi, I'm [Name], I'm 12, and I'm trying to save up for a new bike. I can pull weeds, wash windows, or scoop pet waste. Text my mom/dad at [Number] if you need a hand!"
Third, do the first job for free or at a discount if you have to. Once you prove you aren't going to break anything and that you actually show up on time, you'll have more work than you can handle. Reliability is the rarest thing in the world. If you are the 12-year-old who actually shows up when they say they will, you’ve already won.
Get your supplies ready. Clean your gear. Start knocking. The money is there, you just have to go pick it up.