Here is a fun idea for Valentine’s Day (or any day really) if you have little ones. You can print out free tickets for children with little rewards..
I did some sample rewards that you can print such as staying up a little late or dinner of your choice or you can print out blank coupons and fill in a reward that works for you! This is a really cute way to surprise children for working hard or just trying to do their best- let them know you notice and appreciate it!
I really like this idea because you can fill in activities to spend time with the kids rather then just buying them things. We started this awhile back in our house- I tend to plan a lot of activities and treats and fun things for my children and it dawned on me one day that they should be earning these rewards.
Just last week I took the girls to see Frozen (again) and they had to help get the house completely cleaned up before we could go. It was one of the few times they have actually helped out cheerfully and without complaint! To be honest I planned to take them regardless but getting things in order made it much nicer for me to relax and watch the movie with them.
You might consider writing rewards that just involved spending time with them and not just giving them something. Some ideas would be making cookies (or a favorite treat together), doing puzzles, games, art projects, sports etc.. together, going out for a long walk or hike, playing at a favorite park and so on. The children can either earn the tickets or you can surprise them with these when you see them doing something good.
I have a struggling reader and my poor little girl gets so frustrated trying to memorize her sight words and plugging through books. We have started a rewards system in our house- if she gets through so many words or reads so many books she gets a little ticket with a surprise.
The other day she came home with a perfect spelling test so the next day I put a ticket in her lunchbox to redeem for a scoop of gelato after school. She was so excited when I picked her up! I think adding the ticket in made her little reward so much more fun.
She had all day to look forward to her ice cream and I think it made her feel like it was something extra special. It meant a lot to me as well because I could see how proud she was of herself and these little acknowledgments and rewards have helped a lot in keeping her motivated at school.
So I hope you like these little Rewards Tickets and consider using them in your house. I have (4) different sheets to choose from.
A purple or green sheet with pre-filled in rewards and a purple or green sheet with a blank line to fill in your own. You can just print them out on cardstock or on regular paper.
I printed on regular paper and then used my laminator to make them reusable. I fill in the reward with a dry erase marker and I can tuck it in lunchboxes etc… as a surprise. I can also pop it up on the fridge and let the children keep it as a visual if they are working toward a reward.
My 1st grader desperately wanted this little stuffed dog and we wrote it in on the ticket and she had to read two long chapter books to Mom and Dad before she could cash in her ticket. (Worked like a charm! She has never read so much- she finished the books in about 3 days.)
My littlest baby girl has been having “accidents” a lot lately- which is starting to get really old really fast. (She has been potty trained for over a year hence my lack of patience with this.) We have a few tickets up and if she goes an entire day without an accident she gets to read 2 books with Mom or Dad at bedtime instead of one.
You can print your coupons below:
And let me know if you come up with some creative way to use these with your children!
If you need some ideas for great ways to spend quality time with the children- check out my article here.
And you can see more parenting tips and articles on my pinterest board. I don’t know about you but I am always struggling to get better at being a Mommy so all the tips I can get are appreciated.
My girls–10 and 12 want to do a “heart hunt” for Valentines Day. We have these heart containers from years ago and I have been trying to think of what to put in them besides candy and coins. They are pretty small, and these are just perfect. I can fit a book, an outing, anything on these. Thanks for all you do!
Cute idea Kim! I am so glad this will work.
These are really sweet! Having the kids look forward to spending time together instead of just “stuff” is wonderful. I look forward to when my son is old enough to understand this concept. It is definitely the way to go.
I am excited about this. We have had such a HARSH winter so I printed winter activities on the purple ones and spring activities on the green ones. So many things come to mind (and it’s nice we can walk the dog no matter the weather…). But I’m going to put them in our rewards jar and I am going to keep an envelope for extra rewards so if she gets a spa night, maybe we go to the mall and pick out a new polish or lotion to go with it. My girl is struggling between the little kid and big kid zone and so these will work out great. I can give her 20 min. of iPad/iPod games, a don’t-make-the-bed day, a movie or game rental, spend an hour at the library and get all the books they will let us, etc. Thank you for making this easy to be a better mom.
P.S. With all the things you do for your girls, you really capture what it’s like to be a great example of a mom. Your fitness posts encourage me to keep exercising (even when I’d rather stay in bed), and with all the money I’m saving on the deals you post, it’s easier to “reward” my daughter with a trip her favorite frozen yogurt parlor or an extra book from her Scholastic reader.
So glad Renae! I think it is really fun too and my kids have loved these tickets 🙂
Thank you!!! These are just what I was looking for! Perfect for replacing some of the candy inside the Easter eggs! =D Thanks again! I’ll be back!
I print these out often, to replace the envelopes when they run out. My kids love them and I appreciate them and the time we get together, all by ourselves. Thanks.
Thanks for the kind words Erin! I am thrilled you find these useful 🙂
Thank you a million for this coupon idea!!! Looking for a reward that gives students a choice, and this will work perfectly!
I was looking for something like this for my soon-to-be 5 year old son’s birthday. He’s the third child, so tends to miss out on the attention, and I am so looking forward to giving these to him! Thank you so much.
Great Idea and a great way to control child’s behaviour in a positive way!!