1. The Great Chair Mix-Up - Give students the opportunity to choose their own seats and own spots in lines....no exceptions. From the floor to a spot next a special friend, it will be a great experiment in seeing where your friends love to be!
2. Class Read-In - A reward that celebrates and promotes reading is always a win-win. Have students bring in their favorite pillow, a blanket, and a favorite book to share. Camp out on the floor and enjoy lots of extra reading moments! (Read more here.)
3. Stinky Feet - Take off those shoes and rock learning in socks. This is a classic choice that brings out the 5-year old in any student!
4. Hat Day - Rock that favorite pilot's day and teach the day in style!
5. Class Walk - Have you ever taken a silly walk? We love making sure our tennis shoes are extra-tight and putting them to work. We walk around our school in all different kinds of styles - robots, ninjas (low to the ground), bunny (hoping), granny (tiny steps), race car (arms out straight with quick walking feet), gymnast on a tight rope. After you've modeled a few, put a student in charge and see what types of walking-style they can create!
6. Dance Party - Turn on KidsBop on Pandora and jam. Make a whole-class dance circle and give every friend a moment to showcase their favorite move! 
        

   
7. Directed Draws - Art matters and there is never enough time for it! Directed draws are the perfect reward for awesome choices. From turkeys tosnowmen to Dr. Seuss, we are all about showcasing our listening and art skills!
8. Guest Readers - From a favorite custodian to a friendly secretary, we love inviting special guests into our classroom. 
9. Bubble Party - A set of 24 mini wedding bubbles can be purchased from hobby Lobby for $3.99 (If you don't have a Hobby Lobby you cansnag them on Amazon using my affiliate link). They are the perfect size, ridiculously fun, and a great excuse to visit outside for an extra 10-15 minutes!
10. Science Experiments - Science just for the sake of science is THE best. From Making Music to the Great Candy Cane Experiment, the magic and joy of science is unstoppable. Plus, experiments are always the perfect chance to revisit how-to/procedural writing.
    
11. Lunch Outside - Sunshine and fresh-air can completely turn a day around and add extra zeal to later learning. Take a trip outside to your school's picnic tables or a concrete basketball court for a special lunch. (If you are going to have to do a bit of traveling consider inviting a parent to join you for lunch. An extra set of hands is always helpful.)
12. Show and Share - Definitely a more time-consuming choice, have students prepare 2-3 facts (to be shared in full sentences) about their show-and-share object. It's the perfect way to integrate the CCSS - Speaking and Listening Standards into your celebration.
13. Special Writing Supplies - Just like Birthday Supplies, special writing supplies make any learner pumped for the day. From colored pencils to scented markers, pull out your most coveted supplies and put them to work!
    
14. Extra Play Centers - Morning Tubs have become a favorite part of our day and we love working towards an extra 10-15 minutes of exploratory, play-time!
15. Stuffed Friends - Stuffed animals make great listeners for beginning readers and they can be the perfect friend to teach the math concept you've been practicing! Make sure that all stuff friends are small enough to fit in a backpack for easy transportation. ;)
16. Extra GoNoodle - Celebrate your class's accomplishment over the course of the ENTIRE day. Decide on a number of extraGoNoodle breaks and sprinkle them throughout the day. It's the perfect way to build suspense into your learning!
17. Lunch in the Classroom - Build relationships and lose no learning time with lunch in the classroom. Eat with the entire class or split the group into boys/girls taking two days to celebrate. This is such a fun, social time just to hang out with the amazing human beings you learn with each day.
              
18. Crazy Sock Day - Pull out the craziest socks you own and rock them outside of your pants. Putting silly back into your day is always a win-win.
19. Classroom Partners - Partner with a younger grade and be reading buddies with them for a few minutes. Have each student pick out 2-3 books a younger student would enjoy and visit their classroom. It's the perfect way to build reading motivating and allows your friends to feel oh-so-big.
20. Library Visit - Find out when the library is empty (typically when the librarian has planning) and take a special class trip. Allow students to lounge in their favorite corners of the library and enjoy some special read-aloud time from the librarian's chair *gasp*!

Ideas for Choosing Rewards

So, you've reached your class goal, now what? There are three main ways to choose the reward. (1) Students choose the reward before setting the goal. This way you all are working toward a specific goal. (2) Choose a reward yourself and work toward that reward. (3) Work toward an unknown goal. 

While I am all about a class-vote, using Decide Now (a .99 app) is the perfect way to build suspense and excitement into the reward. Regardless of what is chosen, everyone is happy because no one lost. Students know it was just luck-of-the-draw and you are able to add the choices that work for you and your schedule.    

        

So friends, what are your favorite whole-class celebrations that are inexpensive and still keep learning the focus of your day. I am ALWAYS looking for ideas for mixing up our whole-class rewards and would love to hear your ideas. :)