Kids' Money Makers
Five pocket-money business ideas for 13 to 17 year olds, with honest UK price guidance, other easy ways to earn, and the age and safety rules every parent should know.
READ ONLINEAGES 13–17PARENT ALONGSIDEPHONE OR IPAD
Grown-ups: read this first
- Every idea here is built with help from everyday AI tools like Grok, with a parent or another trusted adult checking the work. AI can get things wrong, so a real person reads everything before it's sold or posted.
- Etsy, Fiverr, Vinted, eBay and affiliate programmes are for adults, so any account that takes money must be in a parent's name.
- The pictures below are sample mock-ups made by Clarity Guides to show what a finished product could look like. The brand names are made up and nothing shown is for sale.
Prices were checked on 17 October 2026 and change often. Figures marked (est.) are our estimates, not quoted prices. This is general guidance, not financial or legal advice.
IDEA 1 · PRINTABLE PDF
Kids' activity guides
Birthday party games, rainy-day ideas and screen-free challenges, sold as a cheap printable PDF. The example is Rainy Day Rescue! 25 Screen-Free Games.
How it works
- Pick a theme and brainstorm games, using everyday AI tools like Grok for ideas and wording.
- Test the games at home. Real testing is what makes it trustworthy.
- Lay it out in Canva and export it as a PDF.
- A parent lists it on their Etsy shop, or sells it to friends and family.
Example price: £2.49. Similar guides on Etsy UK sell for about £2 to £5.
Keep it at £2.49 rather than cutting it. Etsy takes a fixed amount from every sale, so don't go under about £1.80.
Phone or iPad: yes. One catch: the Etsy app can't upload the PDF, so use Etsy.com in the phone's browser for that step.
IDEA 2 · PROMPT PACK
Niche prompt packs
Ready-to-copy prompts for homework help or creative writing, packaged as a PDF. The example is the Homework Helper Prompt Pack, with 40 prompts that ask the AI to explain and quiz, not do the work.
How it works
- Write prompts that teach, such as "explain it simply, then ask me 2 questions".
- Test every prompt in everyday AI tools like Grok, and have an adult check the answers.
- Design it in Canva or Google Docs, and give away 3 free sample prompts.
- Sell it through a parent's account.
Example price: £2.99. Most small packs sell for about £1 to £4, and lots are free.
In a crowded market, trust sells better than a low price. "Learn it, don't copy it" and an adult check are the selling points.
Phone or iPad: yes, with the same Etsy browser step as idea 1.
IDEA 3 · HOBBY BLOG
A blog about something they love
A simple blog on a favourite hobby, earning a small commission through affiliate links. The example is Brick by Brick, a LEGO reviews and build-ideas blog.
How it works
- Start a free blog on Blogger (13+). Substack is 16+.
- Post reviews and build ideas with the child's own photos of their builds, no faces.
- A parent opens the affiliate accounts in their own name and creates the links.
- Label every affiliate post clearly as an ad, at the top.
Income, not a price. Toy affiliate links pay about 3%, so a £50 set earns about £1.50.
At around 1,000 visits a month, expect roughly £15 to £30 a month (est.). Most early months will be £0.
Phone or iPad: mostly. Theme changes and setting up affiliate accounts are easier in a browser on an iPad or computer. Don't use LEGO logos or official set photos, and add "As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases" if using Amazon links.
IDEA 4 · DIGITAL PRINTABLE
Printables on Etsy
Colouring pages, planners and chore charts that buyers download and print at home. The example is a weekly star chore chart.
How it works
- Design it in Canva, in A4 and US Letter sizes.
- Make a clear preview image so buyers can see exactly what they get.
- A parent lists it on their Etsy shop and uploads the file in the browser.
- Add new designs over time, and bundle them.
Example price: £1.80. Single charts on Etsy UK sell for about £2.40 to £3.50, and bundles for £3.50 to £5.
£1.80 is the floor, because below it Etsy's fees take too big a share. To win buyers, offer 3 designs for about £2.50 to £3 rather than cutting the price.
Phone or iPad: yes. Orders and messages work in the Etsy app, but shop set-up and file uploads need the browser.
IDEA 5 · LOCAL MICRO-SERVICE
Captions and short videos for local businesses
Writing social media captions or editing short videos for local shops, cafés and salons. The example is Snappy Social Studio.
How it works
- Make 2 or 3 sample posts to show what's on offer.
- A parent handles enquiries, agreements and payments.
- Draft captions with everyday AI tools like Grok, and edit video in CapCut, InShot or iMovie.
- Send finished files for the business to post. Never ask for their passwords.
Example prices: Caption Starter £10, Reel Quick-Cut £25, Month Booster £40 a month.
Online, caption packs sell for about £5 to £20, local reel edits for £25 to £120 (est.), and monthly packages for £30 to £120. Keep sensible floors of £10, £15 and £40, because below these the work isn't worth the hours. Being local and able to film on site is the real advantage, not being cheapest.
Phone or iPad: yes, this one is made for phones. Label any AI-generated clips honestly.
Why very cheap Etsy prices don't pay
Etsy takes about 35p in fixed fees from every digital sale, plus a percentage. Approximate figures for a UK seller with no Offsite Ads:
| Price | Fees (approx.) | You keep | Share kept |
|---|---|---|---|
| £1.40 | £0.55 | £0.85 | 60% |
| £1.80 | £0.60 | £1.20 | 67% |
| £2.49 | £0.69 | £1.80 | 72% |
| £2.80 | £0.73 | £2.07 | 74% |
| £3.50 | £0.81 | £2.69 | 77% |
Rule of thumb: don't price Etsy digital items under about £1.80. Check Etsy's current fees before listing.
Other easy ways to earn
Low-cost options for 13 to 17 year olds, with typical UK rates.
| Idea | Typical rate | Good to know |
|---|---|---|
| Babysitting | £8–£10 an hour for teen sitters | No legal minimum age, but the NSPCC advises 16+. A first-aid course helps. |
| Dog walking and pet sitting | About £5–£8 a walk (est.) | Apps like Rover are 18+, so word of mouth with known neighbours. One dog at a time. |
| Tutoring younger children | About £8–£15 an hour (est.) | Keep it informal, with family or neighbours, ideally with a parent at home. |
| Tech help for older neighbours | About £5–£15 a visit (est.) | Setting up phones and video calls. Never handle passwords or bank details. |
| Car washing, gardening and odd jobs | About £5–£10 each (est.) | No power tools or ladders. |
| Reselling and decluttering | Often £50–£200 from a clear-out (est.) | Vinted and eBay are 18+, so sell through a parent's account. Post items or meet with a parent. |
| Crafts | About £1–£5 an item at fairs (est.) | Sell at school or local fairs, or on Etsy through a parent's shop. |
| Making videos | Usually £0 for months | YouTube and TikTok are 13+. Any earnings go through a parent's account. Keep faces, school uniform and location off camera. |
All doable on a phone or iPad
No computer is needed for any of these ideas. Useful apps:
Make it
- Canva (iPhone, iPad, Android; 13+) for PDFs, printables and flyers
- Everyday AI tools like Grok for ideas and drafts, with an adult checking. The Grok app is rated 16+ on the UK App Store, so a parent should use it alongside younger teens.
- Google Docs or Pages for writing
Edit video
- CapCut (13+, parental consent under 18)
- InShot and VN Video Editor (iPhone and Android)
- iMovie (iPhone and iPad only)
Publish it
- Blogger app or browser (13+)
- Substack (16+)
- YouTube and TikTok (13+)
Sell it (parent's account)
- Etsy app for orders, but upload download files at Etsy.com in the phone's browser
- Vinted and eBay apps for reselling
Age rules and safety
- Parent accounts: Etsy, Fiverr, Vinted and eBay are all 18+. Under-18s sell only through a parent's account, with the parent responsible. Fiverr also requires the gig to say a teen provides the service.
- Affiliate links: Amazon Associates and the LEGO programme need an adult account holder. UK advertising rules (ASA) say affiliate posts are ads and need a clear "Ad" label at the start, not just a line in the footer.
- Working hours: if a 13 to 16 year old is employed, it must be light work, never in school hours, and only between 7am and 7pm. That means up to 2 hours on a school day or Sunday and 12 hours in a term-time week. Employers usually need a child employment permit from the local council. Odd jobs for neighbours aren't strictly covered, but the same limits are sensible.
- Babysitting: 16+ is advised by the NSPCC. Parents stay responsible if they leave a child with an under-16.
- Privacy: keep surnames, school, faces and location off public pages. Use the child's own photos of things, not people.
- AI use: a parent or other trusted adult supervises AI use and checks everything before it's sold or posted. Label AI-generated images or clips honestly.
- Money: a parent handles customer contact and payments for any local service.
Rules change, so check each platform's current terms and your local council's rules before starting.