Three Non-edible rewards for the classroom

Are you looking for ways to reward students when they make good choices that don’t involve food?

Due to food allergies and other health concerns, teachers are moving away from giving students candy or treats to reward student behavior. I know in the past, I gave my students lollipops or starburst candy. They were cheap (you can buy them in bulk for less than 5 dollars), and my students loved eating candy at the end of the day. However, there are ways to reward students that are cheap, don’t involve treats, and are low-prep.

Stickers

I didn’t realize how much my students love stickers! You can buy stickers by color, an animal set, or ones with cute or motivational phrases on Amazon. I bought Pokemon stickers and Harry Potters ones because that’s what my students like. You can purchase 150 stickers for less than ten bucks.

I placed them in a pocket chart, and students can pick one sticker if they do any of the following:
Helping a friend in need
Making a good choice when they thought no one was looking
Role-Model behavior
Consistently making good choices on the carpet
Doing your personal best

Go through the stickers first to make sure they are appropriate.

Raffle

Raffles are a ton of fun because they have that surprise factor. Students don’t know if their names will be called, so there’s a build-up of anticipation that makes them exciting. Here’s how it works. Each time a student makes a good choice, you give them a ticket. They write their name on the ticket and put it in a jar or safe. At the end of the day or week, you pick a few names so students can get a reward. The rewards can be a cute pencil, extra time on the computer, or a small toy.

Friendly Notes to Caregivers

Let the parents and caregivers of your students know that they make good decisions in a class by writing a note to them explaining how well their student is doing in class. I prefer to use certificates that I have to write a message versus certificates where there are words already written. It’s more personal and thoughtful.