Reward ideas for kids: 40 non-food rewards that cost little

Reward ideas for kids: four kinds to choose from

Say “reward” and most people picture gummy bears, a toy from the checkout aisle or a few dollars. What kids want most is often much simpler. The CDC calls extra time with you or a special activity a powerful reward for young children, and reminds parents that rewards don’t have to cost money (CDC).

So the ideas below are sorted into four groups, from “free” to “costs a little”: time with you, doing things together, getting to choose, and small things. Each idea has a rough age next to it. That is only a guide. Your child knows best what they actually want.

If you use a reward chart, keep the rules simple: a point right after each step, partial steps count, and no point is ever taken away. This article is about the part that comes next, the list of things worth saving up for.

Time with you: free rewards for kids at home

For many kids, having you all to themselves is the biggest prize there is. The key word is “all”: your phone stays in another room, and your child decides what happens.

• Ten minutes of play, and your child picks the game (3+)
• An extra story or an extra chapter at bedtime (3+)
• Building a fort out of blankets and chairs together (3+)
• A pillow fight on the big bed (3+)
• Making pancakes together, and your child gets to stir the batter (4+)
• Half an hour just for the two of you, no siblings (4+)
• Listening to an audiobook together, snuggled up on the couch (4+)
• A board game where you don’t check the clock (5+)
• Starting a big puzzle and adding a few pieces every evening (6+)
• Learning something together that your child is into right now: magic tricks, card games, patching a bike tire (8+)

Quick games for one-on-one time

When you’re short on ideas or time, short games with no setup work well. They take just a few minutes and fit nicely on a wish list.

• Emotion Charades: one of you acts out a feeling without words while the other guesses.
• Clap Echo: you clap a rhythm, your child claps it back exactly, then you switch.
• I Packed My Suitcase: each turn repeats the whole list and adds one more item. Great for car rides.
• Statue Poses: hold simple poses for five calm breaths each, a nice last round before bed.

You’ll find more games like these among our calm and feelings activities. Let your child pick which one to play today. Picking is part of the reward.

Doing things together: outings and small adventures

Doing something together takes more time and sometimes a little money. In return, your child may still be talking about it weeks later. These ideas suit bigger goals on the wish list.

• An indoor picnic on a blanket in the living room (3+)
• Going to your child’s favorite playground, even if it’s farther away (3+)
• A flashlight walk after dark (4+)
• A trip to the library where your child chooses three books (4+)
• Riding the bus or train to the end of the line and back (4+)
• A visit to the pool, the zoo or a farm (4+)
• Camping in the backyard, on the balcony or in the living room (5+)
• A bike ride with a stop at a special spot (6+)
• Inviting a friend for a sleepover (6+)
• A day trip your child plans, within limits you set (9+)

Getting to choose: rewards that cost nothing

Kids spend most of the day going along with what other people decide. That’s why calling the shots for once feels special. These rewards are free and easy to fit into everyday life.

• Choosing dinner from two or three options (3+)
• Picking the music in the car (3+)
• Choosing their seat at the table or in the car (3+)
• Picking the bedtime story, even if it’s the same one for the tenth time (3+)
• Pushing the cart at the grocery store (4+)
• Deciding the route on a walk, turn by turn (4+)
• Planning the family’s Sunday afternoon (6+)
• Staying up fifteen minutes later before a day off (6+)
• Handing out the household chores for once, adults included (7+)
• Choosing where the next family outing goes (8+)

Small things: non-food rewards for kids

Sometimes it can be something to hold, especially for a bigger goal. Things your child uses or collects last longer than a candy bar.

• A sheet of stickers or a stamp of their own (3+)
• Sidewalk chalk or bubbles (3+)
• A coloring book, a sketch pad or new crayons (3+)
• Hair ties, clips or a key chain (4+)
• A magnifying glass, a flashlight or a compass for outdoors (5+)
• Seeds and a small pot to grow something (5+)
• A book of puzzles, mazes or hidden pictures (6+)
• The next book in the series your child is reading (7+)
• A deck of cards or a small travel game (8+)
• Supplies for a craft project your child has been planning (8+)

Set a price limit that fits your budget. A week of brushing teeth without reminders doesn’t call for a big toy.

Candy, screen time and cash: skip them or use with care

Candy is always within reach, and that’s the catch. The NHS, England’s public health service, advises parents not to use food as a reward and suggests a trip to the park or a game together instead (NHS). Ice cream on a summer day is still fine, just not as payment.

Screen time is a tempting reward. But anything you have to earn can start to seem extra valuable. In a small Canadian study of 62 children between 18 months and five years old, kids had more screen time when their parents used screens to steer them, as a reward or a punishment: for mothers on weekdays, for fathers on weekends (Tang et al. 2018). That shows a link, not cause and effect. Our suggestion is still to set screen time rules up front instead of handing out screen time as a prize.

Cash is the trickiest reward. One option is to keep allowance separate from everyday chores and pay only for bigger extra jobs, like raking the whole yard. Whatever you decide, don’t pay for things your child already likes doing, such as reading or drawing. A large review of 128 experiments found that tangible rewards promised in advance can dampen interest in activities kids enjoy on their own (Deci, Koestner & Ryan 1999).

Build a wish list together

Even the best list of ideas won’t help much if it doesn’t fit your child. So sit down together at the kitchen table and write or draw a wish list. The CDC also suggests keeping a running list of rewards your child would like (CDC).

1. Ask each other: What would you like to do with me? What would you like to decide for once?
2. Write down every idea, even the big ones. You can cross things off later.
3. Sort by size: small wishes for one day, medium ones for a week, big ones for several weeks.
4. Agree together on what each wish costs. Match the size to the effort: a sticker for one day, an outing for a whole month.
5. Hang the list where your child sees it every day.

Kids get tired of some rewards over time and discover new likes. That’s why the CDC recommends adding to and changing the list regularly. Sunday evening or the first day of a school break is a good moment for it.

The Teselora App works the same way: in the shop, your child trades points for real-life rewards you set, and the suggestions are sorted into these same four groups.

You can print a wish list with a points chart below. There’s room for three wishes at the bottom and a week with five steps at the top.

Frequently asked questions

Further reading

• How to praise a child: what to say instead of “good job”