Class Rewards that Don’t Involve Food

Positive reinforcement is always a great way to support your students so today I have suggestions for class rewards that don’t involve food! My second graders would always want to have Pizza Day or candy but 1) I am not buying pizza for 22 people and 2) eventually teachers were not allowed to give out food because of food allergies.

• Disco Party: wear your 70’s duds and wigs, bring in or borrow a disco ball, and spend a little time playing fun disco songs!
• Dance Party: just like the Disco Party but you can use current and recent songs! Check out my blog post with suggestions here. 

Special Days

• Stuffed Animal Day: This is always a hit with younger kids! My second graders loved to read to their stuffed animals and we also would incorporate them into math by measuring our stuffies in inches, centimeters, and more.
• Pajama Day: simple and classic! Everyone wears pajamas. 
• Game Day: This was also a big hit with my classes. Students bring in all kinds of board games from home. Sorry, Battleship, Headbanz and more were popular.
• 70’s Day: See the disco party but take out the dancing! Wear the bell bottoms and fringed jackets.
• 80’s Day: My friend has done this with her class. There is a lot of neon on those days. 

• Extra Outdoor Recess: self-explanatory, right?
• Extra Indoor Recess: same but great for frigid winter days
• Picnic Lunch: Another friend loves to do this one with her class. They bring towels and blankets and the picnic always turns into a fun playtime.

• No Homework: Make sure this is okay with your principal though, but I approve of it!
• Watch a Fun Video: I like Magic School Bus videos (about 20 minutes)  and Geraldine the Giraffe phonics videos (2-5 minutes each). Short is good because we really can’t afford these days to watch a 90 minute movie like Air Bud (as I did do once about 20 years ago).