While attention and praise are usually the most effective form of reward, tangible rewards such as treats, activities, priveledges, or items have their place too.

Rewards for your kids can help motivate and inspire them and can provide positive reinforcement for good behavior.  They’re especially helpful while encouraging a child to complete a difficult task.

Enjoy this list for some inspiration into what you think will motivate your little one.  The first 10 are what work WONDERS in my little family. 

1. Bonus Screen Time | offer extra time on the TV or Video Game Console by the day or by the week
2. Mystery Prize Item | for some reason this is like magic for my 8-year-old.  I buy a small $1-5 prize from the store and then put it in a paper bag that I’ve drawn question marks all over.  This has worked better than monetary rewards for us.
3. Candy
4. Popsicle or Creamie
5. Money towards a big item of their choice, like a new video game or large toy
6. Watch their favorite music videos together
7. Give them a coupon that allows them to stay up late
8. Hot Chocolate with Marshmallows in the Winter and a Snowcone in the Summer
9. Let them choose and earn a toy or some kind of item:  new arts and crafts supplies, jump rope, bouncy balls, small puzzle games, shopkin type toys, small LOL doll, tiny lego packs
10. Offer your gamer an upgrade or DLC pack on their favorite video game, these can range from a few dollars to $15 or more.
11. Create a family goal together with a progress chart posted on the fridge.  Once the family reaches their goal they go to the family’s favorite restaurant – our kids LOVE Texas Roadhouse for some reason, probably because of those delicious rolls.  This month our goal is to have every single family member get at least 5,000 steps a day for 30 days.
12. Offer to do a puzzle together
13. Let them choose what the family is having for dinner
14. Ice Cream Sundae Party
15. Stickers work great for the little ones
16. Have a YES party, tell them you’ll say yes (to anything within reason) for a whole two hours
17. Bake a recipe together
18. Let them choose a movie for the family to watch together, and don’t forget the popcorn!
19. Let them download a new app, $1-5 or whatever your budget allows
20. Go out for a treat like Fro-Yo, Ice Cream or warm Cookies
21. Create a fun scavenger hunt for them
22. Get messy together with art, plan a fun arts and craft project that you can do together.  Like painting with pudding, tie-dye socks, or a shirt, or painting with balloons filled with paint.
23. If your little one is obsessed with makeup – offer to let them do your makeup when they reach their goal.  Take it a step further and let them choose your outfit! 🙂
24. Do a science experiment together
25. Drive to their favorite playground
26. Visit the beach or pool
27. Go to the movies
28. Go on a bike ride and let them choose the trails
29. Play a sports activity with them that you haven’t done in a while
30. Play a game together of their choosing – sometimes life just gets busy and it’s hard to stop and play a board game.  My son’s love language is “quality time” and rewards like these make me take a moment to not only congratulate him on reaching a goal but also spend some extra quality time with him.
31. Get a Caramel Steamer at Starbucks – my daughter LOVES these but we only use these as a reward, most of the time for completing her jobs for the week.  You can also make them at home with syrup and a milk frother!
32. Offer a playdate with a friend that doesn’t live close by

I hope this helps get your imagination going for your own family.  If you need a new progress or responsibility chart for your child, please check out my Etsy shop to see a wide range of themes that’ll get them visually inspired.  Progress & Reward Charts on Etsy

If you have some additional ideas that you’d like to share, please do so in the comments.