This is easy to prepare yet quite effective reward system that actually works.

Over the years we have been trying many things: charts, money, points, cork boards with chores (more about those later) but now with my 2 girls (4 & 9 years old) in the house I think we have finally found system that works… well, most of the time.

The idea is very simple: there are stones (DIY glass pebbles) they are getting for positive thing they do, doing well in school, team work, finishing their chores on time etc. They can choose their stones and I often swap them around in my box, so there are new patterns to make it more exciting.

There is an agreed amount of stones they need to collect to get the prize (10 is a good number).

And finally there is a dice and 6 gifts with numbers from 1 to 6. Once they collect enough of stones they give them back to me and roll the dice (in our case they take turns) to win the price, simple as that.

The goal is to make them behave well and do their little chores without me reminding them too much.

MATERIALS

• stones / decorated glass pebbles
• jars or other containers to collect them
• dice
• gift prizes (at least 6)

You can set up standard amount of stones they need for a gift or vary them depending on how big the prize it, it is up to you.
We use the same amount for big and small prizes and the dice decides which one they get.

If there is a situation I don’t have 6 prizes and they roll number that does not have assigned prize, they just roll again…

The prizes can be as little or as big as you want. Often I make prizes out of things I need to get for them anyway, items I found on sale or use review toys.

Be aware that it is a lottery, some prizes may not get chosen for weeks or months so don’t pack anything that is urgent.
It has happened already to us that girls got fancy Winter hats on the beginning of Spring and because they were wrapped I completely forgot about them.

Collecting prizes and stones can be given to siblings separately or they can be getting joint prize, it all depends on what you want to achieve and how big age gap between the children is.
In our case they collect stones together, as a team, because I want them to start working collectively and stop arguing about little things. The prices are also joined (majority of the times) but sometimes there area two items per number, for instance 4E and 4M (their initials) if the prize is something for personal use or they are getting two different items due to the age difference.

Like any system, this also isn’t perfect so I would love to hear how do you reward your children? How old are they? Does it work?

NOTES

I often use old newspaper to wrap the prizes if I don’t have anything nicer on hand, they don’t mind as long as unwrapping is involved, paper type does not make a difference.

More things to do with kids.

More crafts and DIY projects.

More miscellaneous ideas and adventures.

More gifts & gift wrapping.