Group/Class Rewards
• Extra playground time
• Pick different seats to sit in for a day
• Teacher wearing a silly outfit or hat (let the class decide…one reader even said a teacher wore her wedding dress to school!)
• Afternoon movie (as an individual reward one student could be allowed to select and bring in the movie for the class)
• Lunch in the classroom
• Book swap party (each child brings a book they no longer want and “trades” with their classmates)
• An art or craft party
• A game the class plays together (like bingo or kickball)
• If it’s warm outside…water play in bathing suits
• Plant some flowers or plants together at the school
• Paint birdhouses together to put up at the school
• Dance party with music
• Film a short digital video/documentary as a class (for e.g. each student answers a question for the camera) then watches it together afterward
Individual Rewards
• Lunch or recess time with the principal
• Books donated to the school library in the student’s honor with a guest reader to read them to the class
• Extra computer time
• Go to “specials” (like gym or Spanish class) with a friend’s class instead of your own.
• Sit with a friend from another class at lunch
• Gift certificate to the school store
• Lunch with the teacher
• Sit in the teacher’s chair or at their desk for the day
• Use a rolling chair/stool at your own desk for the day
• Sit next to a friend instead of in your own seat for the day
• Be the “special helper” for the day (running errands to the office, line leader, etc.)
• Name read over morning announcements
• Student asked to actually read the morning announcements
• Choose the story for story time
• Let a student be the “principal for the day” or the “assistant principal for the day” or even “teacher for the day” (or just for an assignment)
Birthday Celebrations
• Class makes fruit smoothies together
• Small goodie bags with stickers/activities given out to classmates
• Each kid is given supplies to a make small craft together
• Birthday card(s) made by the other students
• Popcorn birthday parties (popcorn is a whole-grain food) served in “popcorn cones” that the kids make themselves out of paper
• New book donated to class library by birthday student with their parent as the guest reader