Reward Ideas for Children

When children are given food as a reward for good behavior, the types of foods are usually 'sometimes' foods such as lollies, chocolate, chips and sweet drinks. These foods are high in fat, sugar or salt. 'Sometimes' foods are not the best rewards for positive behavior. They can potentially:

undermine what is being taught at the service about healthy eating
teach children to eat when they are not hungry
encourage children to overeat foods high in fat, sugar and salt
teach children to reward themselves with food

For these reasons, if you choose to use rewards at your service to reinforce positive behavior, non-food rewards are encouraged.

Try the following ideas to reward positive behavior:

Social rewards

Attention, praise or thanks are highly valued by children. Simple gestures like verbal praise, nods or smiles mean a lot.

Recognition

A sticker or hand stamp in recognition of achievement with a positive message.
A phone call, letter or email sent home to parents or carers commending a child's accomplishment/behaviour.
Recognising a child's achievement in the service newsletter or via a display.

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