Coupons for kids: a classroom management strategy that is SMART! Read tips for implementing a class coupon reward system to bring about more success with students, stop misbehavior and punishment.
Coupons for Kids: The Smart Classroom Management Strategy
There are so many classroom management strategies out there, but the ones that make the most impact seem to be the ones that are positive and can run themselves (after initial teaching and practice). New and old teachers will agree that positive reinforcement makes a huge difference.
One of the best classroom management strategies is coupons. Coupons or tokens are an effective and positive method that works. Below are examples of coupons, ways to store them, and why these prizes benefit kids.
Table of contents
- Coupons for Kids: The Smart Classroom Management Strategy
- Giving Coupons for Kids Motivates Them to Succeed
- Why Should You Use Coupons
- How to Store Coupons for Kids
- Fun Choices for Coupons
- See Coupons for Kids in Action
- Coupons for Kids Resources
- Class Coupons Pack
- The Ultimate Classroom Management System
- Other Classroom Management Ideas
Giving Coupons for Kids Motivates Them to Succeed
Individual students earn weekly coupons for having the most team points, getting the Oscar award (more on this later), being a special helper or great listener, or doing something extra special. These student rewards encourage positive behavior and are used at predictable and unpredictable times, which keeps it fun for everyone. Students love the coupons and get very excited about them. They especially like that they can choose which incentives they want from our box.
Why Should You Use Coupons
If you’ve tried the treasure box filled with store-bought items and candy and it didn’t work, these coupons may be for you. Maybe you’ve attempted the gumball machine that led to gum all over the place, and you’re fed up!
After spending a lot of money on surprises, toys, snacks, and treats with little significance, you’ll find that a coupon system offers much more. Coupons are a fantastic classroom management strategy because they provide intrinsic motivation.
How to Store Coupons for Kids
To store the coupons for kids, use a clear plastic box from Michael’s or your local craft store with compartments the perfect size to hold small coupons. You can find a similar coupon box on Amazon.
Print the tickets or coupons on card stock and laminate them for durability. You can use them throughout the year and possibly longer. This option stores easily in a drawer or can be set on a desktop for easy access.
For something a little different, try organizing the coupons for kids in little drawers. A similar container with drawers is available on Amazon. These are often referred to as teacher toolboxes! They sit easily on desks or tables so teachers and students can grab what they need quickly.
Alternatively, you may choose to add reward coupons to a classroom jar for students to pull from or use them as stickers to paste on students’ desks. The options are endless!
Fun Choices for Coupons
Some fun coupon choices are Special Supplies, Wear Shades, Share a Book, Free Time, Lunch with a Friend, Drink Pass, Homework Pass, and many more. Students love choosing what is important to them. For example, if they like stuffed animals, they can bring a cuddly friend to school one day, or if they have a particular book at home they want to show the class, they can get it to share one day.
Letting them choose their reward motivates them greatly since all students like different things. It’s fun to encourage good behavior and engagement and give the entire class what they want.
This classroom reward system includes 70 coupon options, with ten on each page. They are completely editable. Each coupon is available in color or black and white. To save ink, print in color on white card stock or in black and white on colored cardstock.
Hopefully, adding coupons for kids will create a positive working environment in the classroom. When they have fun activities and rewards to look forward to, they are sure to work hard and build a positive classroom community!
See Coupons for Kids in Action
Coupons for Kids Resources
Free Coupons Sample
Click the image below for the exclusive FREE 10 NEW coupon sample to match the full Class Coupon pack. Try them out to see how amazing they are in the primary education classroom. Kids of all ages love receiving them for fantastic behavior.
Class Coupons Pack
Ready to start a token economy in your classroom and stop disruptive behavior? Grab the Classroom Coupons for Kids, which include 70 editable coupon choices and whole-class reward ideas. There are many ways to store the coupons and present them to students to motivate them to work hard. They’re easy to use with Class Dojo or any classroom economy, too!
ALL coupons are available in an EDITABLE PowerPoint! You can change the titles and descriptions of each reward to match the needs of your students and your classroom.
What you get in this EDITABLE Reward Coupons resource:
- 62 coupons to use as individual rewards
- 8 coupons to use as group rewards
- Bulletin board letters, posters, & header options for setting up your reward area.
- NO-PREP Tear off coupons to hang on the wall
- Both regular print and cursive options, as well as color and black & white pages
- Full coupon sheets and mixed coupon sheets
Take a look at the 70 EDITABLE Classroom Coupons
- drink pass
- weather reporter
- extra books
- pet helper
- sweet treat
- wear shades
- special supplies
- wear a costume
- cuddly friend
- tell a joke
- sit with a friend
- extra recess
- work on the floor
- computer time
- extra tech time
- teacher helper
- share a book
- teacher helper
- line leader
- lunch with a friend
- snack time
- seat switch
- super surprise
- play outside
- choose a book
- gym coach
- wear a hat
- lose the shoes
- show and tell
- share a talent
- no homework
- special spot
- class electrician
- lunch helper
- class leader
- special reward
- carpet helper
- recess with the teacher
- extra play
- eat outside
- wear slippers
- tablet time
- dance party
- class photos
- create and build
- library time
- game time
- yoga time
- ride pass
- special seat
- pick the read aloud
- write with a special pen
- special pencil
- lunch with the teacher
- skip the odds
- share something special
- decorate the board
- pick the class activity
- switch your job
- first for the day
- VIP for the day
- choose the tunes
The Ultimate Classroom Management System
The Classroom Management bundle includes all essentials, including Classroom Coupons. It contains eight engaging resources that kids will love, including jobs, awards, and a schedule that’s easy to set up and creates a cohesive system in your classroom.
Other Classroom Management Ideas
Classroom Management Strategies
Classroom Management Tips and Tricks
Effective Classroom Management Tools
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Wow Elyse these are so cute!!
Thanks so much Mandi! I adore them too!!
Do you print more than one coupon and hand them out to the kids? Where do the students store their coupons? When they want to use a coupon what do you do with them? Do you mark it so they can’t use it again, do you throw it out (its laminated so I wouldn’t do that), or put it back in the pile?
I am a deaf and hard of hearing teacher and will have my first classroom next year. I really like the idea of coupons, especially since my students are 3-5 grade and the treasure box is what we use for the PK-2 graders.
I print about 10 of each and laminate them. I let them keep their coupons in their desks in a spot that they can see. When they want to use one, they hand it back into the coupon box. I don’t keep track as to who has used what as that adds more unnecessary work onto the teacher. Hope that helps!
What font is that? The colorful one? I’ve been seeing it a lot lately but I cannot find the name.
It’s a KG font available on TpT! I changed the colors for each letter too.
This sounds like a great idea worth trying. Thanks for sharing.
You’re very welcome!
Thank you for this wonderful idea! I would love to use it! But one question, what if the child misuse the coupon? For example, sit with a friend. The child sits with the friend that he/she likes during work time but took long time to complete the work and kept talking to that friend during work time. What would you do?
Hi Oon! I totally hear your concern and well this is a reality with any management strategy. I think the expectations need to be made clear well ahead of using the coupons and a discussion needs to happen about what happens if they are misused. I find that kids are so excited about this special privilege that they behave really well. But adjust accordingly! Good luck!
This is great! One question, when do you let the kids redeem the coupons? If I give many out in one day, they will redeem many. Do you have kids redeem two coupons a week or during snack only? Or should I just be mindful of how often and how many I give out?
I love this idea. I think it is so cute. I’m being moved from K to 3rd and trying to see what I want to do for classroom management. Our school uses Paw prints where students can turn them in for school wide fun activities. Most activities are 30+ Paw prints so we are constantly handing them out to well behaved students students on task and working hard. Do you hand multiple coupons out per day per student? Sometimes when students are on task and being a good helper etc I give multiple paw prints, is this something you do? I can’t imagine handing out 3 coupons to maybe 10 kids in one day and the next they are all wearing sunglasses all day and walking around with stuffed animals. Or am I missing something?
No, I do not give out that many each day. Maybe a child can hope to receive 1 or 2 a day max but some days they don’t get any. I like these coupons to be those extra special things they earn through repeated hard word, trying really hard, team points awards, or star of the day sort of things. But that being said, it is completely up to you how you use them. They are incredibly versatile so would work with your paw print system. Could you let kids turn in 10 paw prints for 1 coupon maybe? Just a thought 🙂
Thank you so much for this fabulous idea! I already purchased the coupons, printed and laminated them. Unfortunately, I’m unable to locate the box that you store them in. Can you please tell me the dimensions so I can search for a similar one. I’m so excited to begin using this system in my classroom!
Hi Lisa, I cannot find the box I used anymore as well but when I was at Michael’s recently I saw similar ones that would work there. I also have started using a box with little drawers that slide open. That seems to work well also. All the best in your search!
Hello! When you give out coupons for good behavior, do you choose what coupon to give to the students or do they get to choose?
I absolutely let them choose. It’s part of the fun! 🙂
Okay thank you! I will be a first year teacher next school year and will be teaching first grade. So this sounds like a awesome reward system.
Love the idea! Just a quick question….I see where you said they store them in their desks once they earn a coupon. My question/s is, do you let them redeem them whenever they want to? Do you do it once a week? Do you ever have any issues with the children accumulating a lot before they use them?
Thanks
One more question (sorry, my brain is working overtime)….when do you reward them? For example, do you let them go to the drawer as soon as you catch them doing something awesome, do they earn something throughout the day and then go trade it in at the end of the day for the coupon of their choice, etc.
Thanks again
Hi Angie! I let them cash them in the morning usually when we are doing morning work or when there is a break – recess, lunch, free time, etc. I have only ever had a few students that liked to accumulate them. I gave them a timeframe to use them in and some decided to use multiple in a day. They choose them again at different types…end of the day, during a break, when I catch them doing something awesome in front of the group. The best thing about these coupons is how versatile they are! Use them as you see best fit for your class.
Adore these but the link to the Free Sample Coupons is broken! I am a first year teacher and I am STOKED to use these with my kids.
Sorry about that! I’m in the process of fixing it! In the meantime, you can access it here: https://proudtobeprimary.lpages.co/free-coupon-sample/
Hi! Can you please give the measurements of your coupons? I am hoping they will fit into a 9 pocket baseball card collector page…
Thank You, Sue
Hi Sue! Yes, these would fit in a baseball card protector page! You can also change the size that you print in your printer settings.
I teach pre-k and so we don’t have individual desks. How would you recommend these be stored? I don’t want them going into backpacks because they’ll never come back haha
Hi Abby! I would suggest using whatever current method you use for organizing your student’s materials. If your students have individual boxes with their names on them, use those. If you don’t have anything like that, then maybe a pocket folder with names on tabs where kids can store and access their coupons.
Are the 10 free coupons still available? I clicked on the image and it didn’t work.
Are the 10 free coupons still available?