Creating a positive classroom environment is an important part of my overall classroom management plan. While I spend a lot of time setting expectations and practicing routines at the beginning of the year, we adjust and review all year long. These reminders can be especially helpful at the end of the year when summer excitement sets in! Inexpensive whole-class rewards are one part of my overall classroom management strategy all year, but they really shine at the end of the year. When we work as a team to accomplish goals, everyone wins! 

It’s always my goal to meet students where they are and recognize their unique strengths. This means our classroom rewards focus on growth, progress, behavior, and academic achievements. With this approach, students work together to earn rewards.  By embracing this more holistic approach, all students have an opportunity to succeed and feel motivated to work toward our rewards. 

I like to keep the budget in mind, so my goal is always to use free or inexpensive whole-class rewards. If you’re looking for new reward ideas, I compiled a quick list from our FREE Inspired in Upper Elementary Facebook group below. You can also visit the group on Facebook to see all of the inexpensive whole-class rewards suggestions and details here.

Themed Reward Days

• Game day (students can bring board games or cards from home)
• Pajama day
• YES day (for those who are feeling brave!)
• Silly socks or slippers day
• Use a pen day
• Stuffed animal day
• Fort day (kids bring a blanket from home to drape over their desks) Dawn G. said, “I teach 6th grade and it was so wonderful to see how creative they got in planning, building, and balancing their forts. The room was completely transformed. They also cleaned it all up. All I did was supervise.”
• Choose your seat day
• Hat day
• Glow day with blacklights
• Fun in the Sun Day (Kelly S. said, “We do after end of year testing. Stay outside the majority of the day. Kids bring outdoor toys. Wiffle ball. Corn hole, frisbee. We also allow nail polish outside (if parents approve) so they can have a salon day. Kids love it.”)
• Camp Day (Amanda J. said, “We set up tents in the classroom, and everyone comes in pajamas with blankets and pillows. Hit the lights and watch a movie. Kids bring their own snacks and we make s’mores. I usually have parents donate the marshmallows, chocolate, and graham crackers, but fairly cheap if you had to pick up the tab.”)

More Free Whole-Class Rewards

• Extra recess
• Extra tech time
• Class games like silent ball, Blooket, capture the flag, etc.
• Lunch with teacher
• Watch a movie during lunch
• Eat lunch outside
• Finger flashlight reading
• Free homework pass
• Disco dance party
• Directed drawing time
• Sit in the teacher’s chair for a day

Inexpensive Whole-Class Rewards

• Stickers (Amazon affiliate link)
• Bubbles at recess
• Craft or STEM day (each classroom at your grade level makes a different craft or STEM project and students move through them during the day like stations)
• Sidewalk chalk

Food-Related Whole-Class Rewards

I know not all schools are allowed to use food, so I separated these into their own list. 

• Popcorn snack during silent reading time
• Bring a drink besides water to sip on
• Root beer floats
• Movie day (ask parents to send in movie theater candy)
• Gum day 
• Snack projects (Amanda J. said, “Kids can sign up to teach us to make their favorite snacks and we make a class cookbook. Even if a kid doesn’t want to teach it they add a favorite recipe to the book.”)

More Classroom Management Tips

Loved these ideas for inexpensive whole-class rewards? You can read these posts for even more classroom management tips about engagement, routines, time savers, and more!