As a teacher, you know that rewarding your students for their hard work and good behavior is important. However, constantly buying prizes can quickly add up and strain your budget. Luckily, there are plenty of free and low-cost classroom rewards that your students will still be motivated to earn. Here are some free classroom reward ideas to try in your classroom.
Buying prizes for your classroom can get expensive fast! But, there’s no need to go broke keeping your class in line. Here are a few of my favorite ideas for classroom incentives and FREE classroom rewards ideas that your students will work hard to earn!
Giving someone a choice makes them feel powerful. From toddlers to teenagers, choice is can serve as a strong behavior management tool and even as a reward. Here are just a few of the ways I use choice as a reward in my classroom.
Choice Based Incentives & Free Classroom Rewards
- Choose a book for the teacher to read aloud to the class.
- Decide which class job you’d like for the week.
- Pick background music for class work time.
- Decide which P.E. we will play today.
- Choose which homework problem the teacher will give the answer to for a freebie.
Choice is powerful, but there are plenty of other free rewards that you can also add into the mix. These are some of my favorites.
Even More Free Classroom Reward Ideas
- Be a helper in another classroom
- First one in the lunch line
- Be the leader of a class game
- Line leader or the caboose
- Be the teacher’s helper for the day
- Borrow the teacher’s or principal’s chair for the day
- Dance to favorite music in the classroom
- Do half of an assignment
- Draw on the chalkboard
- Earn extra computer time
- Extra credit
- Earn free tutoring time from the teacher (spelling secrets, math secrets, writing secrets)
- Play money to be used for privileges
- Earn the privilege of emailing a parent at work telling them of your accomplishments
- Keep a stuffed animal at your desk for the day
- Write with a special pen or pencil for the day
- Whole class reward ideas: Extra Recess
Inexpensive Ideas
Sometimes it’s just fun to have the little junk prize box (like the amazon link below). It’s a pretty cheap alternative for me, since I regularly clean out my own children’s toy boxes and add their old stuff to it. #OneMansTrashIsAnothersTreasure
I also use these positive notes home as incentives. They can be laminated, cut, & hole punched for students to collect on dog tag necklaces, or simply sent home at the end of the day. To keep it manageable, my set includes 15 designs that cover a wide range of desired behaviors so everyone can be included.
These notes make the biggest impact if you really “play them up” when you introduce them. Build suspense with your voice. Explain that these are very special, & you will be on the look out for behaviors that deserve them. If you can tell the parents about them on back to school night, parents may reinforce their importance by asking students if they have earned any lately. It’s a $2 resource that can be used all year, year after year. ( I also save $ by asking our office to print them for me! Maybe you’d be able to do the same?)
I hope these lists have given you a few new ideas and free classroom rewards to refresh your system. I’d love to hear what’s working (and not working) in your classroom in the comments. 😉
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Keeping your students motivated with classroom rewards doesn’t have to be expensive. By exploring free and low-cost options, you can effectively incentivize your students without straining your budget. Whole class reward ideas, like extra recess or a dance party, are always well received. Choice-based free classroom reward ideas, such as allowing students to pick a book for the teacher to read aloud or select a class job for the week, empower students and make them feel involved in the classroom. Let’s make learning fun and rewarding for our students, without emptying our wallets!
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