Using Reward Charts

Tired of yelling at your kids? Fed up with the nagging & arguing? Want a happier and calmer atmosphere at home? You’ve come to the right place!  Sticker charts are an amazing tool which can transform your child’s behavior almost immediately. Moreover, all of our printable reward charts are free!

What are Reward Charts?

Reward charts tie desired behaviors to a particular reward. The reward can either be the sticker which is received as a result of the desired behavior or a treat which is received when the child earns enough stickers or stars on the reward chart. Some kids are motivated enough by receiving stickers and praise for positive behavior yet others need to know that there will be a bigger reward once the chart is completed. The adult usually decides on the required number of stickers or stars to earn a particular reward and then uses a suitable reward chart. We offer various reward charts for children with different numbers of steps depending on the age of the child. We have sticker charts with all of your child’s favorite characters: Ben 10, Superman, SpongeBob, Dora, Boots, Diego and others. They are all free with no need to register!

Why do Reward Charts work?

Using a reward chart helps both children and parents overcome negative behavior and encourage positive behavior. Positive reinforcement is the very best way to promote good behavior. Keeping a reward chart makes sure you recognize and praise good behavior and helps your child keep it up. Children love to be praised and sometimes need to be encouraged and motivated.  Reward Charts help achieve all of these goals. Once achieved, the result is better behavior. The primary goal is obviously for the kids and reward charts will help to change their behavior. However, they help not only the children but adults and caregivers too. Adults often find themselves criticizing bad behavior and forgetting to focus on and reward positive behavior. Studies have proven that it is far more effective to reward positive behavior than to focus on negative behavior. Often, we forget to praise our kids for their small achievements while undesirable behavior is never forgotten. Sticker charts help us recognize, encourage and reward positive behavior.

 How are Reward Charts Used?

1. Show your child our collection of reward charts for kids and let him or her choose one. Younger kids  (ages 3 – 5), should choose a reward chart with 10 steps while older kids can choose those with more steps (such as those on this page).
2. Download and print the chart. You can either choose from our collection of colored charts or choose one of our black and white charts which your child can color.  Children can also decorate the colored charts, which will make the process even more enjoyable for them. For example, the fairy reward charts can be decorated with glitter, the star charts can be decorated with stars, etc.
3. Define “good behavior” and discuss this with your child. Try and make it as clear as possible what your expectations are, how you would like your child to behave and what kind of behavior will be rewarded with a sticker or star. For example, if your child does not tidy his or her room then each time the child tidies the room he or she will receive a star. You can also decide ahead of time that if the child tidies his or her room without even being asked to do so then two stickers will be received.
4. Acknowledge desirable behavior with a star or sticker and praise.  Either, use stickers or download, print and cut out our star pintables.
5. When all the stickers are received acknowledge the achievement with a small gift or special treat. Allow your child to help choose the reward or treat.  In some cases, the halfway mark should be recognized too in order to encourage the child and keep him or her motivated. The reward can either be decided upon ahead of time or together with the child when the required number of stickers has been received.
6. Make the whole process fun and enjoyable!

For what age can Reward Charts be used to Promote Good Behavior?

You can start using a reward chart from about age 3 and it can be very effective until about age 9 or 10. The number of steps on the chart should be determined according to the age of the child. For younger kids, ages 3 – 5, it is recommended to use one of the charts with ten steps. For older kids, ages 5 – 10, it is recommended to use one of the charts with 20 steps or a weekly chart with a goal of 20 steps.  Since this process is rather long you might want to recognize the halfway mark too. You can find a variety of free incentive charts for children on this site with either 10 or 20 steps or various weekly charts.