Arrow left
Back

Using Student Voice to Create Prizes for Middle School

What motivates middle school students? We asked them to find out!
By 
Stella Ikhnana
 | 
November 16, 2022

There were different responses to these questions, but I noticed patterns in their responses. Middle school students would either want to earn tangible gifts, rewards where they earned time with their peers, or communication sent home about a job well done. 

Student Sourced Research

Student Voice Sample Survey

Of course, we were not able to accommodate all of these prizes, but most of them are easy to implement. I provided these options for students that had a difficult time articulating what they wanted to earn as a prize.

Tangible Prizes:

The majority of middle schoolers enjoyed earning prizes they can use at school or at home. It’s important to balance prizes, in order to not make students dependent on extrinsic motivation. Students can work towards earning a prize at the end of the week, month or semester.

Gift cards:

Ask your parent community and neighboring business if any are able to contribute gift cards to your school. I was successful in asking for gift cards from local movie theaters, gaming stores, bookstores, and ice cream shops. 

Also, check-in with the PTA to see if they want to partner with your school for a prize system.

Fidgets:

Local dollar stores or party stores have fidgets such as stress balls, slime, toys, etc. for a low price. Ask your principal or team leader if there is a budget to purchase these items.

Food:

Always a winning choice in middle school! Chocolate, gum, candy, and chips were favorites of middle schoolers. I would communicate with parents to alert them when I provided food as a reward for students and they would alert me of any food allergies.

Spirit Wear:

Students interested in representing their school pride are motivated to earn clothing or items with the school’s name or mascot on it. I collaborated with the PTA President to receive school spirit wear (hats, shirts, hoodies, pencils/pens, notebooks, etc.) as prizes for students. 

When working with 8th graders, especially after winter break, students often talk about high school. Therefore, I bought items from the local high school because they were eager to show their high school pride. 

At the start of the year, 8th-grade teams would set aside money in the team budget for high school spirit wear.

Sample PBIS Store


Earning time with peers:

Middle schoolers are extremely influenced by their peers and often ask to earn time with their peers.

Sit next to peers:

Provide an opportunity for students to choose their own seat, you can identify the length of the seating arrangement (one specific class, half-day, or full-day)

Free time with peers:

Identify a specific goal that students work towards that will lead them to have free time with their peers. On Fridays, I used the 50/50 rule: 50% of resource class was spent completing work, and 50% of the class was spent playing games with peers. 

Students earned this reward by completing their work during the week and not have any missing assignments.

Lunch and movie with peers:

Students can earn a specific movie lunch with a few peers, students can bring their lunch from home, buy lunch from the cafeteria, or if there is a budget lunch can be ordered.

I coordinated with the lunch staff for students to earn a pizza day. Students and I brought the food upstairs to eat in the classroom and watched a movie as a reward. 

This was a cost-effective option. We also ordered from a local pizzeria towards the end of the year, as a graduation treat.

Communication sent home:

Some students preferred for their parents to receive positive praise, I often would identify with the student what type of communication was preferred and if there was a specific day to share the update.

Call home:

Make a positive phone call home to highlight the student's effort. Ask the student whether they want to be included in the call. If they want to be involved, identify the time: before school, after school, or lunch. 

Ask the educational team working with the student to share any updates from their classes tool.

Email home:

Send a message via email to parents sharing an example of the student’s hard work or when they helped a peer. I copied the student on the email and I often sent the email towards the end of the week to help the student earn a reward at home during the weekend. 

I would also include an image, GIF, or meme to celebrate the win!

Student Rewards Sticker

No cost prizes:

Depending on your school, the ability to purchase prizes might not be an option. There are several no-cost or cheap prizes to provide for middle schoolers.

First in line at lunch:

Create “coupons” or write a pass for the student to be first in line at lunch. Communicate with lunch supervisors about this prize and tell them the day the student is using the prize.

Student Rewards Coupon

Include student’s name & date of when they are first in line

Sit in the teacher’s chair

The ability to swivel in the teacher’s chair might be a prize some students are interested in earning. The teacher’s chair is almost always more comfortable than the student's chair.

Identify and clearly state the amount of time the student will have access to the chair.

Listen to music during class

Students can earn time to listen to music in class during independent work time. If the entire class earns the reward, you can ask for song requests from students ahead of time to check whether the song is school appropriate or you can use playlists on any music streaming site. 

If an individual student(s) earn this prize, they can wear earbuds to not disrupt their peers.

Extra recess time

Extend their current time outside or take them outside for an additional recess time, yes middle schoolers still enjoy recess! Also, I’ve coordinated with the PE staff to borrow sports equipment to use during this time.

Key Takeaways 

In order for prizes for middle schoolers to be of value, it’s essential to ask students what they want to earn. 

Also, it’s key to provide them with the prize on the day it was scheduled to happen, if you delay the prize it will lead to distrust. Keep a calendar of students’ progress towards earning a prize to help you stay on track!

Subscribe via Email

Receive the best school culture resources monthly to inspire your planning.

Using Student Voice to Create Prizes for Middle School

What motivates middle school students? We asked them to find out!
By 
Stella Ikhnana
 | 
November 16, 2022
Motivation is a key factor for success in school. As a middle school teacher, I was often trying to learn about what motivated students. The easiest method to learn what motivated them was to ask them. It was necessary to build a strong connection and get to know their interests before asking “What motivates you at home? What motivates you at school?”

There were different responses to these questions, but I noticed patterns in their responses. Middle school students would either want to earn tangible gifts, rewards where they earned time with their peers, or communication sent home about a job well done. 

Student Sourced Research

Student Voice Sample Survey

Of course, we were not able to accommodate all of these prizes, but most of them are easy to implement. I provided these options for students that had a difficult time articulating what they wanted to earn as a prize.

Tangible Prizes:

The majority of middle schoolers enjoyed earning prizes they can use at school or at home. It’s important to balance prizes, in order to not make students dependent on extrinsic motivation. Students can work towards earning a prize at the end of the week, month or semester.

Gift cards:

Ask your parent community and neighboring business if any are able to contribute gift cards to your school. I was successful in asking for gift cards from local movie theaters, gaming stores, bookstores, and ice cream shops. 

Also, check-in with the PTA to see if they want to partner with your school for a prize system.

Fidgets:

Local dollar stores or party stores have fidgets such as stress balls, slime, toys, etc. for a low price. Ask your principal or team leader if there is a budget to purchase these items.

Food:

Always a winning choice in middle school! Chocolate, gum, candy, and chips were favorites of middle schoolers. I would communicate with parents to alert them when I provided food as a reward for students and they would alert me of any food allergies.

Spirit Wear:

Students interested in representing their school pride are motivated to earn clothing or items with the school’s name or mascot on it. I collaborated with the PTA President to receive school spirit wear (hats, shirts, hoodies, pencils/pens, notebooks, etc.) as prizes for students. 

When working with 8th graders, especially after winter break, students often talk about high school. Therefore, I bought items from the local high school because they were eager to show their high school pride. 

At the start of the year, 8th-grade teams would set aside money in the team budget for high school spirit wear.

Sample PBIS Store


Earning time with peers:

Middle schoolers are extremely influenced by their peers and often ask to earn time with their peers.

Sit next to peers:

Provide an opportunity for students to choose their own seat, you can identify the length of the seating arrangement (one specific class, half-day, or full-day)

Free time with peers:

Identify a specific goal that students work towards that will lead them to have free time with their peers. On Fridays, I used the 50/50 rule: 50% of resource class was spent completing work, and 50% of the class was spent playing games with peers. 

Students earned this reward by completing their work during the week and not have any missing assignments.

Lunch and movie with peers:

Students can earn a specific movie lunch with a few peers, students can bring their lunch from home, buy lunch from the cafeteria, or if there is a budget lunch can be ordered.

I coordinated with the lunch staff for students to earn a pizza day. Students and I brought the food upstairs to eat in the classroom and watched a movie as a reward. 

This was a cost-effective option. We also ordered from a local pizzeria towards the end of the year, as a graduation treat.

Communication sent home:

Some students preferred for their parents to receive positive praise, I often would identify with the student what type of communication was preferred and if there was a specific day to share the update.

Call home:

Make a positive phone call home to highlight the student's effort. Ask the student whether they want to be included in the call. If they want to be involved, identify the time: before school, after school, or lunch. 

Ask the educational team working with the student to share any updates from their classes tool.

Email home:

Send a message via email to parents sharing an example of the student’s hard work or when they helped a peer. I copied the student on the email and I often sent the email towards the end of the week to help the student earn a reward at home during the weekend. 

I would also include an image, GIF, or meme to celebrate the win!

Student Rewards Sticker

No cost prizes:

Depending on your school, the ability to purchase prizes might not be an option. There are several no-cost or cheap prizes to provide for middle schoolers.

First in line at lunch:

Create “coupons” or write a pass for the student to be first in line at lunch. Communicate with lunch supervisors about this prize and tell them the day the student is using the prize.

Student Rewards Coupon

Include student’s name & date of when they are first in line

Sit in the teacher’s chair

The ability to swivel in the teacher’s chair might be a prize some students are interested in earning. The teacher’s chair is almost always more comfortable than the student's chair.

Identify and clearly state the amount of time the student will have access to the chair.

Listen to music during class

Students can earn time to listen to music in class during independent work time. If the entire class earns the reward, you can ask for song requests from students ahead of time to check whether the song is school appropriate or you can use playlists on any music streaming site. 

If an individual student(s) earn this prize, they can wear earbuds to not disrupt their peers.

Extra recess time

Extend their current time outside or take them outside for an additional recess time, yes middle schoolers still enjoy recess! Also, I’ve coordinated with the PE staff to borrow sports equipment to use during this time.

Key Takeaways 

In order for prizes for middle schoolers to be of value, it’s essential to ask students what they want to earn. 

Also, it’s key to provide them with the prize on the day it was scheduled to happen, if you delay the prize it will lead to distrust. Keep a calendar of students’ progress towards earning a prize to help you stay on track!

Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.
Motivation is a key factor for success in school. As a middle school teacher, I was often trying to learn about what motivated students. The easiest method to learn what motivated them was to ask them. It was necessary to build a strong connection and get to know their interests before asking “What motivates you at home? What motivates you at school?”

There were different responses to these questions, but I noticed patterns in their responses. Middle school students would either want to earn tangible gifts, rewards where they earned time with their peers, or communication sent home about a job well done. 

Student Sourced Research

Student Voice Sample Survey

Of course, we were not able to accommodate all of these prizes, but most of them are easy to implement. I provided these options for students that had a difficult time articulating what they wanted to earn as a prize.

Tangible Prizes:

The majority of middle schoolers enjoyed earning prizes they can use at school or at home. It’s important to balance prizes, in order to not make students dependent on extrinsic motivation. Students can work towards earning a prize at the end of the week, month or semester.

Gift cards:

Ask your parent community and neighboring business if any are able to contribute gift cards to your school. I was successful in asking for gift cards from local movie theaters, gaming stores, bookstores, and ice cream shops. 

Also, check-in with the PTA to see if they want to partner with your school for a prize system.

Fidgets:

Local dollar stores or party stores have fidgets such as stress balls, slime, toys, etc. for a low price. Ask your principal or team leader if there is a budget to purchase these items.

Food:

Always a winning choice in middle school! Chocolate, gum, candy, and chips were favorites of middle schoolers. I would communicate with parents to alert them when I provided food as a reward for students and they would alert me of any food allergies.

Spirit Wear:

Students interested in representing their school pride are motivated to earn clothing or items with the school’s name or mascot on it. I collaborated with the PTA President to receive school spirit wear (hats, shirts, hoodies, pencils/pens, notebooks, etc.) as prizes for students. 

When working with 8th graders, especially after winter break, students often talk about high school. Therefore, I bought items from the local high school because they were eager to show their high school pride. 

At the start of the year, 8th-grade teams would set aside money in the team budget for high school spirit wear.

Sample PBIS Store


Earning time with peers:

Middle schoolers are extremely influenced by their peers and often ask to earn time with their peers.

Sit next to peers:

Provide an opportunity for students to choose their own seat, you can identify the length of the seating arrangement (one specific class, half-day, or full-day)

Free time with peers:

Identify a specific goal that students work towards that will lead them to have free time with their peers. On Fridays, I used the 50/50 rule: 50% of resource class was spent completing work, and 50% of the class was spent playing games with peers. 

Students earned this reward by completing their work during the week and not have any missing assignments.

Lunch and movie with peers:

Students can earn a specific movie lunch with a few peers, students can bring their lunch from home, buy lunch from the cafeteria, or if there is a budget lunch can be ordered.

I coordinated with the lunch staff for students to earn a pizza day. Students and I brought the food upstairs to eat in the classroom and watched a movie as a reward. 

This was a cost-effective option. We also ordered from a local pizzeria towards the end of the year, as a graduation treat.

Communication sent home:

Some students preferred for their parents to receive positive praise, I often would identify with the student what type of communication was preferred and if there was a specific day to share the update.

Call home:

Make a positive phone call home to highlight the student's effort. Ask the student whether they want to be included in the call. If they want to be involved, identify the time: before school, after school, or lunch. 

Ask the educational team working with the student to share any updates from their classes tool.

Email home:

Send a message via email to parents sharing an example of the student’s hard work or when they helped a peer. I copied the student on the email and I often sent the email towards the end of the week to help the student earn a reward at home during the weekend. 

I would also include an image, GIF, or meme to celebrate the win!

Student Rewards Sticker

No cost prizes:

Depending on your school, the ability to purchase prizes might not be an option. There are several no-cost or cheap prizes to provide for middle schoolers.

First in line at lunch:

Create “coupons” or write a pass for the student to be first in line at lunch. Communicate with lunch supervisors about this prize and tell them the day the student is using the prize.

Student Rewards Coupon

Include student’s name & date of when they are first in line

Sit in the teacher’s chair

The ability to swivel in the teacher’s chair might be a prize some students are interested in earning. The teacher’s chair is almost always more comfortable than the student's chair.

Identify and clearly state the amount of time the student will have access to the chair.

Listen to music during class

Students can earn time to listen to music in class during independent work time. If the entire class earns the reward, you can ask for song requests from students ahead of time to check whether the song is school appropriate or you can use playlists on any music streaming site. 

If an individual student(s) earn this prize, they can wear earbuds to not disrupt their peers.

Extra recess time

Extend their current time outside or take them outside for an additional recess time, yes middle schoolers still enjoy recess! Also, I’ve coordinated with the PE staff to borrow sports equipment to use during this time.

Key Takeaways 

In order for prizes for middle schoolers to be of value, it’s essential to ask students what they want to earn. 

Also, it’s key to provide them with the prize on the day it was scheduled to happen, if you delay the prize it will lead to distrust. Keep a calendar of students’ progress towards earning a prize to help you stay on track!

There were different responses to these questions, but I noticed patterns in their responses. Middle school students would either want to earn tangible gifts, rewards where they earned time with their peers, or communication sent home about a job well done. 

Student Sourced Research

Student Voice Sample Survey

Of course, we were not able to accommodate all of these prizes, but most of them are easy to implement. I provided these options for students that had a difficult time articulating what they wanted to earn as a prize.

Tangible Prizes:

The majority of middle schoolers enjoyed earning prizes they can use at school or at home. It’s important to balance prizes, in order to not make students dependent on extrinsic motivation. Students can work towards earning a prize at the end of the week, month or semester.

Gift cards:

Ask your parent community and neighboring business if any are able to contribute gift cards to your school. I was successful in asking for gift cards from local movie theaters, gaming stores, bookstores, and ice cream shops. 

Also, check-in with the PTA to see if they want to partner with your school for a prize system.

Fidgets:

Local dollar stores or party stores have fidgets such as stress balls, slime, toys, etc. for a low price. Ask your principal or team leader if there is a budget to purchase these items.

Food:

Always a winning choice in middle school! Chocolate, gum, candy, and chips were favorites of middle schoolers. I would communicate with parents to alert them when I provided food as a reward for students and they would alert me of any food allergies.

Spirit Wear:

Students interested in representing their school pride are motivated to earn clothing or items with the school’s name or mascot on it. I collaborated with the PTA President to receive school spirit wear (hats, shirts, hoodies, pencils/pens, notebooks, etc.) as prizes for students. 

When working with 8th graders, especially after winter break, students often talk about high school. Therefore, I bought items from the local high school because they were eager to show their high school pride. 

At the start of the year, 8th-grade teams would set aside money in the team budget for high school spirit wear.

Sample PBIS Store


Earning time with peers:

Middle schoolers are extremely influenced by their peers and often ask to earn time with their peers.

Sit next to peers:

Provide an opportunity for students to choose their own seat, you can identify the length of the seating arrangement (one specific class, half-day, or full-day)

Free time with peers:

Identify a specific goal that students work towards that will lead them to have free time with their peers. On Fridays, I used the 50/50 rule: 50% of resource class was spent completing work, and 50% of the class was spent playing games with peers. 

Students earned this reward by completing their work during the week and not have any missing assignments.

Lunch and movie with peers:

Students can earn a specific movie lunch with a few peers, students can bring their lunch from home, buy lunch from the cafeteria, or if there is a budget lunch can be ordered.

I coordinated with the lunch staff for students to earn a pizza day. Students and I brought the food upstairs to eat in the classroom and watched a movie as a reward. 

This was a cost-effective option. We also ordered from a local pizzeria towards the end of the year, as a graduation treat.

Communication sent home:

Some students preferred for their parents to receive positive praise, I often would identify with the student what type of communication was preferred and if there was a specific day to share the update.

Call home:

Make a positive phone call home to highlight the student's effort. Ask the student whether they want to be included in the call. If they want to be involved, identify the time: before school, after school, or lunch. 

Ask the educational team working with the student to share any updates from their classes tool.

Email home:

Send a message via email to parents sharing an example of the student’s hard work or when they helped a peer. I copied the student on the email and I often sent the email towards the end of the week to help the student earn a reward at home during the weekend. 

I would also include an image, GIF, or meme to celebrate the win!

Student Rewards Sticker

No cost prizes:

Depending on your school, the ability to purchase prizes might not be an option. There are several no-cost or cheap prizes to provide for middle schoolers.

First in line at lunch:

Create “coupons” or write a pass for the student to be first in line at lunch. Communicate with lunch supervisors about this prize and tell them the day the student is using the prize.

Student Rewards Coupon

Include student’s name & date of when they are first in line

Sit in the teacher’s chair

The ability to swivel in the teacher’s chair might be a prize some students are interested in earning. The teacher’s chair is almost always more comfortable than the student's chair.

Identify and clearly state the amount of time the student will have access to the chair.

Listen to music during class

Students can earn time to listen to music in class during independent work time. If the entire class earns the reward, you can ask for song requests from students ahead of time to check whether the song is school appropriate or you can use playlists on any music streaming site. 

If an individual student(s) earn this prize, they can wear earbuds to not disrupt their peers.

Extra recess time

Extend their current time outside or take them outside for an additional recess time, yes middle schoolers still enjoy recess! Also, I’ve coordinated with the PE staff to borrow sports equipment to use during this time.

Key Takeaways 

In order for prizes for middle schoolers to be of value, it’s essential to ask students what they want to earn. 

Also, it’s key to provide them with the prize on the day it was scheduled to happen, if you delay the prize it will lead to distrust. Keep a calendar of students’ progress towards earning a prize to help you stay on track!

quote icon
Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

There were different responses to these questions, but I noticed patterns in their responses. Middle school students would either want to earn tangible gifts, rewards where they earned time with their peers, or communication sent home about a job well done. 

Student Sourced Research

Student Voice Sample Survey

Of course, we were not able to accommodate all of these prizes, but most of them are easy to implement. I provided these options for students that had a difficult time articulating what they wanted to earn as a prize.

Tangible Prizes:

The majority of middle schoolers enjoyed earning prizes they can use at school or at home. It’s important to balance prizes, in order to not make students dependent on extrinsic motivation. Students can work towards earning a prize at the end of the week, month or semester.

Gift cards:

Ask your parent community and neighboring business if any are able to contribute gift cards to your school. I was successful in asking for gift cards from local movie theaters, gaming stores, bookstores, and ice cream shops. 

Also, check-in with the PTA to see if they want to partner with your school for a prize system.

Fidgets:

Local dollar stores or party stores have fidgets such as stress balls, slime, toys, etc. for a low price. Ask your principal or team leader if there is a budget to purchase these items.

Food:

Always a winning choice in middle school! Chocolate, gum, candy, and chips were favorites of middle schoolers. I would communicate with parents to alert them when I provided food as a reward for students and they would alert me of any food allergies.

Spirit Wear:

Students interested in representing their school pride are motivated to earn clothing or items with the school’s name or mascot on it. I collaborated with the PTA President to receive school spirit wear (hats, shirts, hoodies, pencils/pens, notebooks, etc.) as prizes for students. 

When working with 8th graders, especially after winter break, students often talk about high school. Therefore, I bought items from the local high school because they were eager to show their high school pride. 

At the start of the year, 8th-grade teams would set aside money in the team budget for high school spirit wear.

Sample PBIS Store


Earning time with peers:

Middle schoolers are extremely influenced by their peers and often ask to earn time with their peers.

Sit next to peers:

Provide an opportunity for students to choose their own seat, you can identify the length of the seating arrangement (one specific class, half-day, or full-day)

Free time with peers:

Identify a specific goal that students work towards that will lead them to have free time with their peers. On Fridays, I used the 50/50 rule: 50% of resource class was spent completing work, and 50% of the class was spent playing games with peers. 

Students earned this reward by completing their work during the week and not have any missing assignments.

Lunch and movie with peers:

Students can earn a specific movie lunch with a few peers, students can bring their lunch from home, buy lunch from the cafeteria, or if there is a budget lunch can be ordered.

I coordinated with the lunch staff for students to earn a pizza day. Students and I brought the food upstairs to eat in the classroom and watched a movie as a reward. 

This was a cost-effective option. We also ordered from a local pizzeria towards the end of the year, as a graduation treat.

Communication sent home:

Some students preferred for their parents to receive positive praise, I often would identify with the student what type of communication was preferred and if there was a specific day to share the update.

Call home:

Make a positive phone call home to highlight the student's effort. Ask the student whether they want to be included in the call. If they want to be involved, identify the time: before school, after school, or lunch. 

Ask the educational team working with the student to share any updates from their classes tool.

Email home:

Send a message via email to parents sharing an example of the student’s hard work or when they helped a peer. I copied the student on the email and I often sent the email towards the end of the week to help the student earn a reward at home during the weekend. 

I would also include an image, GIF, or meme to celebrate the win!

Student Rewards Sticker

No cost prizes:

Depending on your school, the ability to purchase prizes might not be an option. There are several no-cost or cheap prizes to provide for middle schoolers.

First in line at lunch:

Create “coupons” or write a pass for the student to be first in line at lunch. Communicate with lunch supervisors about this prize and tell them the day the student is using the prize.

Student Rewards Coupon

Include student’s name & date of when they are first in line

Sit in the teacher’s chair

The ability to swivel in the teacher’s chair might be a prize some students are interested in earning. The teacher’s chair is almost always more comfortable than the student's chair.

Identify and clearly state the amount of time the student will have access to the chair.

Listen to music during class

Students can earn time to listen to music in class during independent work time. If the entire class earns the reward, you can ask for song requests from students ahead of time to check whether the song is school appropriate or you can use playlists on any music streaming site. 

If an individual student(s) earn this prize, they can wear earbuds to not disrupt their peers.

Extra recess time

Extend their current time outside or take them outside for an additional recess time, yes middle schoolers still enjoy recess! Also, I’ve coordinated with the PE staff to borrow sports equipment to use during this time.

Key Takeaways 

In order for prizes for middle schoolers to be of value, it’s essential to ask students what they want to earn. 

Also, it’s key to provide them with the prize on the day it was scheduled to happen, if you delay the prize it will lead to distrust. Keep a calendar of students’ progress towards earning a prize to help you stay on track!

Using Student Voice to Create Prizes for Middle School

What motivates middle school students? We asked them to find out!
By 
Stella Ikhnana
 | 
November 16, 2022

There were different responses to these questions, but I noticed patterns in their responses. Middle school students would either want to earn tangible gifts, rewards where they earned time with their peers, or communication sent home about a job well done. 

Student Sourced Research

Student Voice Sample Survey

Of course, we were not able to accommodate all of these prizes, but most of them are easy to implement. I provided these options for students that had a difficult time articulating what they wanted to earn as a prize.

Tangible Prizes:

The majority of middle schoolers enjoyed earning prizes they can use at school or at home. It’s important to balance prizes, in order to not make students dependent on extrinsic motivation. Students can work towards earning a prize at the end of the week, month or semester.

Gift cards:

Ask your parent community and neighboring business if any are able to contribute gift cards to your school. I was successful in asking for gift cards from local movie theaters, gaming stores, bookstores, and ice cream shops. 

Also, check-in with the PTA to see if they want to partner with your school for a prize system.

Fidgets:

Local dollar stores or party stores have fidgets such as stress balls, slime, toys, etc. for a low price. Ask your principal or team leader if there is a budget to purchase these items.

Food:

Always a winning choice in middle school! Chocolate, gum, candy, and chips were favorites of middle schoolers. I would communicate with parents to alert them when I provided food as a reward for students and they would alert me of any food allergies.

Spirit Wear:

Students interested in representing their school pride are motivated to earn clothing or items with the school’s name or mascot on it. I collaborated with the PTA President to receive school spirit wear (hats, shirts, hoodies, pencils/pens, notebooks, etc.) as prizes for students. 

When working with 8th graders, especially after winter break, students often talk about high school. Therefore, I bought items from the local high school because they were eager to show their high school pride. 

At the start of the year, 8th-grade teams would set aside money in the team budget for high school spirit wear.

Sample PBIS Store


Earning time with peers:

Middle schoolers are extremely influenced by their peers and often ask to earn time with their peers.

Sit next to peers:

Provide an opportunity for students to choose their own seat, you can identify the length of the seating arrangement (one specific class, half-day, or full-day)

Free time with peers:

Identify a specific goal that students work towards that will lead them to have free time with their peers. On Fridays, I used the 50/50 rule: 50% of resource class was spent completing work, and 50% of the class was spent playing games with peers. 

Students earned this reward by completing their work during the week and not have any missing assignments.

Lunch and movie with peers:

Students can earn a specific movie lunch with a few peers, students can bring their lunch from home, buy lunch from the cafeteria, or if there is a budget lunch can be ordered.

I coordinated with the lunch staff for students to earn a pizza day. Students and I brought the food upstairs to eat in the classroom and watched a movie as a reward. 

This was a cost-effective option. We also ordered from a local pizzeria towards the end of the year, as a graduation treat.

Communication sent home:

Some students preferred for their parents to receive positive praise, I often would identify with the student what type of communication was preferred and if there was a specific day to share the update.

Call home:

Make a positive phone call home to highlight the student's effort. Ask the student whether they want to be included in the call. If they want to be involved, identify the time: before school, after school, or lunch. 

Ask the educational team working with the student to share any updates from their classes tool.

Email home:

Send a message via email to parents sharing an example of the student’s hard work or when they helped a peer. I copied the student on the email and I often sent the email towards the end of the week to help the student earn a reward at home during the weekend. 

I would also include an image, GIF, or meme to celebrate the win!

Student Rewards Sticker

No cost prizes:

Depending on your school, the ability to purchase prizes might not be an option. There are several no-cost or cheap prizes to provide for middle schoolers.

First in line at lunch:

Create “coupons” or write a pass for the student to be first in line at lunch. Communicate with lunch supervisors about this prize and tell them the day the student is using the prize.

Student Rewards Coupon

Include student’s name & date of when they are first in line

Sit in the teacher’s chair

The ability to swivel in the teacher’s chair might be a prize some students are interested in earning. The teacher’s chair is almost always more comfortable than the student's chair.

Identify and clearly state the amount of time the student will have access to the chair.

Listen to music during class

Students can earn time to listen to music in class during independent work time. If the entire class earns the reward, you can ask for song requests from students ahead of time to check whether the song is school appropriate or you can use playlists on any music streaming site. 

If an individual student(s) earn this prize, they can wear earbuds to not disrupt their peers.

Extra recess time

Extend their current time outside or take them outside for an additional recess time, yes middle schoolers still enjoy recess! Also, I’ve coordinated with the PE staff to borrow sports equipment to use during this time.

Key Takeaways 

In order for prizes for middle schoolers to be of value, it’s essential to ask students what they want to earn. 

Also, it’s key to provide them with the prize on the day it was scheduled to happen, if you delay the prize it will lead to distrust. Keep a calendar of students’ progress towards earning a prize to help you stay on track!

No items found.

Subscribe via Email

Receive the best school culture resources monthly to inspire your planning.
Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

About the Presenter

Stella Ikhnana has 10 years experience as a Special Education Teacher. Social emotional learning, self-advocacy and executive functioning were her top priorities throughout her teaching career. As an English Language Learner, she brought her experience to the classroom and kept students first in mind in her decisions. She earned a bachelor's degree from Loyola University Chicago and master's degree in Literacy Education from Northeastern Illinois University. She currently works as a Client Success Manager at a marketing software company.

About the Event

There were different responses to these questions, but I noticed patterns in their responses. Middle school students would either want to earn tangible gifts, rewards where they earned time with their peers, or communication sent home about a job well done. 

Student Sourced Research

Student Voice Sample Survey

Of course, we were not able to accommodate all of these prizes, but most of them are easy to implement. I provided these options for students that had a difficult time articulating what they wanted to earn as a prize.

Tangible Prizes:

The majority of middle schoolers enjoyed earning prizes they can use at school or at home. It’s important to balance prizes, in order to not make students dependent on extrinsic motivation. Students can work towards earning a prize at the end of the week, month or semester.

Gift cards:

Ask your parent community and neighboring business if any are able to contribute gift cards to your school. I was successful in asking for gift cards from local movie theaters, gaming stores, bookstores, and ice cream shops. 

Also, check-in with the PTA to see if they want to partner with your school for a prize system.

Fidgets:

Local dollar stores or party stores have fidgets such as stress balls, slime, toys, etc. for a low price. Ask your principal or team leader if there is a budget to purchase these items.

Food:

Always a winning choice in middle school! Chocolate, gum, candy, and chips were favorites of middle schoolers. I would communicate with parents to alert them when I provided food as a reward for students and they would alert me of any food allergies.

Spirit Wear:

Students interested in representing their school pride are motivated to earn clothing or items with the school’s name or mascot on it. I collaborated with the PTA President to receive school spirit wear (hats, shirts, hoodies, pencils/pens, notebooks, etc.) as prizes for students. 

When working with 8th graders, especially after winter break, students often talk about high school. Therefore, I bought items from the local high school because they were eager to show their high school pride. 

At the start of the year, 8th-grade teams would set aside money in the team budget for high school spirit wear.

Sample PBIS Store


Earning time with peers:

Middle schoolers are extremely influenced by their peers and often ask to earn time with their peers.

Sit next to peers:

Provide an opportunity for students to choose their own seat, you can identify the length of the seating arrangement (one specific class, half-day, or full-day)

Free time with peers:

Identify a specific goal that students work towards that will lead them to have free time with their peers. On Fridays, I used the 50/50 rule: 50% of resource class was spent completing work, and 50% of the class was spent playing games with peers. 

Students earned this reward by completing their work during the week and not have any missing assignments.

Lunch and movie with peers:

Students can earn a specific movie lunch with a few peers, students can bring their lunch from home, buy lunch from the cafeteria, or if there is a budget lunch can be ordered.

I coordinated with the lunch staff for students to earn a pizza day. Students and I brought the food upstairs to eat in the classroom and watched a movie as a reward. 

This was a cost-effective option. We also ordered from a local pizzeria towards the end of the year, as a graduation treat.

Communication sent home:

Some students preferred for their parents to receive positive praise, I often would identify with the student what type of communication was preferred and if there was a specific day to share the update.

Call home:

Make a positive phone call home to highlight the student's effort. Ask the student whether they want to be included in the call. If they want to be involved, identify the time: before school, after school, or lunch. 

Ask the educational team working with the student to share any updates from their classes tool.

Email home:

Send a message via email to parents sharing an example of the student’s hard work or when they helped a peer. I copied the student on the email and I often sent the email towards the end of the week to help the student earn a reward at home during the weekend. 

I would also include an image, GIF, or meme to celebrate the win!

Student Rewards Sticker

No cost prizes:

Depending on your school, the ability to purchase prizes might not be an option. There are several no-cost or cheap prizes to provide for middle schoolers.

First in line at lunch:

Create “coupons” or write a pass for the student to be first in line at lunch. Communicate with lunch supervisors about this prize and tell them the day the student is using the prize.

Student Rewards Coupon

Include student’s name & date of when they are first in line

Sit in the teacher’s chair

The ability to swivel in the teacher’s chair might be a prize some students are interested in earning. The teacher’s chair is almost always more comfortable than the student's chair.

Identify and clearly state the amount of time the student will have access to the chair.

Listen to music during class

Students can earn time to listen to music in class during independent work time. If the entire class earns the reward, you can ask for song requests from students ahead of time to check whether the song is school appropriate or you can use playlists on any music streaming site. 

If an individual student(s) earn this prize, they can wear earbuds to not disrupt their peers.

Extra recess time

Extend their current time outside or take them outside for an additional recess time, yes middle schoolers still enjoy recess! Also, I’ve coordinated with the PE staff to borrow sports equipment to use during this time.

Key Takeaways 

In order for prizes for middle schoolers to be of value, it’s essential to ask students what they want to earn. 

Also, it’s key to provide them with the prize on the day it was scheduled to happen, if you delay the prize it will lead to distrust. Keep a calendar of students’ progress towards earning a prize to help you stay on track!

Register Now

About the Event

There were different responses to these questions, but I noticed patterns in their responses. Middle school students would either want to earn tangible gifts, rewards where they earned time with their peers, or communication sent home about a job well done. 

Student Sourced Research

Student Voice Sample Survey

Of course, we were not able to accommodate all of these prizes, but most of them are easy to implement. I provided these options for students that had a difficult time articulating what they wanted to earn as a prize.

Tangible Prizes:

The majority of middle schoolers enjoyed earning prizes they can use at school or at home. It’s important to balance prizes, in order to not make students dependent on extrinsic motivation. Students can work towards earning a prize at the end of the week, month or semester.

Gift cards:

Ask your parent community and neighboring business if any are able to contribute gift cards to your school. I was successful in asking for gift cards from local movie theaters, gaming stores, bookstores, and ice cream shops. 

Also, check-in with the PTA to see if they want to partner with your school for a prize system.

Fidgets:

Local dollar stores or party stores have fidgets such as stress balls, slime, toys, etc. for a low price. Ask your principal or team leader if there is a budget to purchase these items.

Food:

Always a winning choice in middle school! Chocolate, gum, candy, and chips were favorites of middle schoolers. I would communicate with parents to alert them when I provided food as a reward for students and they would alert me of any food allergies.

Spirit Wear:

Students interested in representing their school pride are motivated to earn clothing or items with the school’s name or mascot on it. I collaborated with the PTA President to receive school spirit wear (hats, shirts, hoodies, pencils/pens, notebooks, etc.) as prizes for students. 

When working with 8th graders, especially after winter break, students often talk about high school. Therefore, I bought items from the local high school because they were eager to show their high school pride. 

At the start of the year, 8th-grade teams would set aside money in the team budget for high school spirit wear.

Sample PBIS Store


Earning time with peers:

Middle schoolers are extremely influenced by their peers and often ask to earn time with their peers.

Sit next to peers:

Provide an opportunity for students to choose their own seat, you can identify the length of the seating arrangement (one specific class, half-day, or full-day)

Free time with peers:

Identify a specific goal that students work towards that will lead them to have free time with their peers. On Fridays, I used the 50/50 rule: 50% of resource class was spent completing work, and 50% of the class was spent playing games with peers. 

Students earned this reward by completing their work during the week and not have any missing assignments.

Lunch and movie with peers:

Students can earn a specific movie lunch with a few peers, students can bring their lunch from home, buy lunch from the cafeteria, or if there is a budget lunch can be ordered.

I coordinated with the lunch staff for students to earn a pizza day. Students and I brought the food upstairs to eat in the classroom and watched a movie as a reward. 

This was a cost-effective option. We also ordered from a local pizzeria towards the end of the year, as a graduation treat.

Communication sent home:

Some students preferred for their parents to receive positive praise, I often would identify with the student what type of communication was preferred and if there was a specific day to share the update.

Call home:

Make a positive phone call home to highlight the student's effort. Ask the student whether they want to be included in the call. If they want to be involved, identify the time: before school, after school, or lunch. 

Ask the educational team working with the student to share any updates from their classes tool.

Email home:

Send a message via email to parents sharing an example of the student’s hard work or when they helped a peer. I copied the student on the email and I often sent the email towards the end of the week to help the student earn a reward at home during the weekend. 

I would also include an image, GIF, or meme to celebrate the win!

Student Rewards Sticker

No cost prizes:

Depending on your school, the ability to purchase prizes might not be an option. There are several no-cost or cheap prizes to provide for middle schoolers.

First in line at lunch:

Create “coupons” or write a pass for the student to be first in line at lunch. Communicate with lunch supervisors about this prize and tell them the day the student is using the prize.

Student Rewards Coupon

Include student’s name & date of when they are first in line

Sit in the teacher’s chair

The ability to swivel in the teacher’s chair might be a prize some students are interested in earning. The teacher’s chair is almost always more comfortable than the student's chair.

Identify and clearly state the amount of time the student will have access to the chair.

Listen to music during class

Students can earn time to listen to music in class during independent work time. If the entire class earns the reward, you can ask for song requests from students ahead of time to check whether the song is school appropriate or you can use playlists on any music streaming site. 

If an individual student(s) earn this prize, they can wear earbuds to not disrupt their peers.

Extra recess time

Extend their current time outside or take them outside for an additional recess time, yes middle schoolers still enjoy recess! Also, I’ve coordinated with the PE staff to borrow sports equipment to use during this time.

Key Takeaways 

In order for prizes for middle schoolers to be of value, it’s essential to ask students what they want to earn. 

Also, it’s key to provide them with the prize on the day it was scheduled to happen, if you delay the prize it will lead to distrust. Keep a calendar of students’ progress towards earning a prize to help you stay on track!

Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

Motivation is a key factor for success in school. As a middle school teacher, I was often trying to learn about what motivated students. The easiest method to learn what motivated them was to ask them. It was necessary to build a strong connection and get to know their interests before asking “What motivates you at home? What motivates you at school?”

There were different responses to these questions, but I noticed patterns in their responses. Middle school students would either want to earn tangible gifts, rewards where they earned time with their peers, or communication sent home about a job well done. 

Student Sourced Research

Student Voice Sample Survey

Of course, we were not able to accommodate all of these prizes, but most of them are easy to implement. I provided these options for students that had a difficult time articulating what they wanted to earn as a prize.

Tangible Prizes:

The majority of middle schoolers enjoyed earning prizes they can use at school or at home. It’s important to balance prizes, in order to not make students dependent on extrinsic motivation. Students can work towards earning a prize at the end of the week, month or semester.

Gift cards:

Ask your parent community and neighboring business if any are able to contribute gift cards to your school. I was successful in asking for gift cards from local movie theaters, gaming stores, bookstores, and ice cream shops. 

Also, check-in with the PTA to see if they want to partner with your school for a prize system.

Fidgets:

Local dollar stores or party stores have fidgets such as stress balls, slime, toys, etc. for a low price. Ask your principal or team leader if there is a budget to purchase these items.

Food:

Always a winning choice in middle school! Chocolate, gum, candy, and chips were favorites of middle schoolers. I would communicate with parents to alert them when I provided food as a reward for students and they would alert me of any food allergies.

Spirit Wear:

Students interested in representing their school pride are motivated to earn clothing or items with the school’s name or mascot on it. I collaborated with the PTA President to receive school spirit wear (hats, shirts, hoodies, pencils/pens, notebooks, etc.) as prizes for students. 

When working with 8th graders, especially after winter break, students often talk about high school. Therefore, I bought items from the local high school because they were eager to show their high school pride. 

At the start of the year, 8th-grade teams would set aside money in the team budget for high school spirit wear.

Sample PBIS Store


Earning time with peers:

Middle schoolers are extremely influenced by their peers and often ask to earn time with their peers.

Sit next to peers:

Provide an opportunity for students to choose their own seat, you can identify the length of the seating arrangement (one specific class, half-day, or full-day)

Free time with peers:

Identify a specific goal that students work towards that will lead them to have free time with their peers. On Fridays, I used the 50/50 rule: 50% of resource class was spent completing work, and 50% of the class was spent playing games with peers. 

Students earned this reward by completing their work during the week and not have any missing assignments.

Lunch and movie with peers:

Students can earn a specific movie lunch with a few peers, students can bring their lunch from home, buy lunch from the cafeteria, or if there is a budget lunch can be ordered.

I coordinated with the lunch staff for students to earn a pizza day. Students and I brought the food upstairs to eat in the classroom and watched a movie as a reward. 

This was a cost-effective option. We also ordered from a local pizzeria towards the end of the year, as a graduation treat.

Communication sent home:

Some students preferred for their parents to receive positive praise, I often would identify with the student what type of communication was preferred and if there was a specific day to share the update.

Call home:

Make a positive phone call home to highlight the student's effort. Ask the student whether they want to be included in the call. If they want to be involved, identify the time: before school, after school, or lunch. 

Ask the educational team working with the student to share any updates from their classes tool.

Email home:

Send a message via email to parents sharing an example of the student’s hard work or when they helped a peer. I copied the student on the email and I often sent the email towards the end of the week to help the student earn a reward at home during the weekend. 

I would also include an image, GIF, or meme to celebrate the win!

Student Rewards Sticker

No cost prizes:

Depending on your school, the ability to purchase prizes might not be an option. There are several no-cost or cheap prizes to provide for middle schoolers.

First in line at lunch:

Create “coupons” or write a pass for the student to be first in line at lunch. Communicate with lunch supervisors about this prize and tell them the day the student is using the prize.

Student Rewards Coupon

Include student’s name & date of when they are first in line

Sit in the teacher’s chair

The ability to swivel in the teacher’s chair might be a prize some students are interested in earning. The teacher’s chair is almost always more comfortable than the student's chair.

Identify and clearly state the amount of time the student will have access to the chair.

Listen to music during class

Students can earn time to listen to music in class during independent work time. If the entire class earns the reward, you can ask for song requests from students ahead of time to check whether the song is school appropriate or you can use playlists on any music streaming site. 

If an individual student(s) earn this prize, they can wear earbuds to not disrupt their peers.

Extra recess time

Extend their current time outside or take them outside for an additional recess time, yes middle schoolers still enjoy recess! Also, I’ve coordinated with the PE staff to borrow sports equipment to use during this time.

Key Takeaways 

In order for prizes for middle schoolers to be of value, it’s essential to ask students what they want to earn. 

Also, it’s key to provide them with the prize on the day it was scheduled to happen, if you delay the prize it will lead to distrust. Keep a calendar of students’ progress towards earning a prize to help you stay on track!

All Reward Ideas for Students

🎉
👑
🎁
School Dance
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Emcee the Announcements
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Student Spotlight Board
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Hat Pass
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Pen Pouch
Grades K-8
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Class Pet
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
House Induction
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Kickback Vibes
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Donate $1
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Homework Pass
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Art Contest
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Play Games
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Special Pen
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Awards Show Afterparty
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Parking Spots
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Backpack
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe

All Reward Ideas for Elementary School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Student Spotlight Board
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Design the Bulletin Board
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Read Across America
Grades K-8
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Silly Science Experiments
Grades K-5
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Books
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Family Feast
Grades K-8
Class/House
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch Fast Pass
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Movie Posters
Grades 3-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Stuffed Animal in Class
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Holiday Delivery
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Free Dress
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Pie a Teacher
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Q&A
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Line Leader
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Passing Period Music
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Ice Cream Sundae Party
Grades K-12
Class/House
Event
Deluxe

All Event Ideas for Schools

All Free Reward Ideas for Schools

🎉
👑
🎁
Classroom DJ
🎉
👑
🎁
Tutor
🎉
👑
🎁
Podcast
🎉
👑
🎁
Be a Comedian.
🎉
👑
🎁
Game of Thrones
🎉
👑
🎁
Vote
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Field Trip
🎉
👑
🎁
House Induction

All Reward Ideas for High School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Ice Cream Sundae Party
Grades K-12
Class/House
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Sweatshirt
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Music Fest
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Loudspeaker Shoutout
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Certificate of Achievement
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Early Lunch Dismissal
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Backpack
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Art Contest
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Books
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Firebird of the Month
Grades K-12
Student
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Snacks
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch with an Admin
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
School Dance
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Wristband
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Lost & Found Fashion Show
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Dance Party
Grades K-12
Student
Event
Free

All Reward Ideas for Middle School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
School Spirit Day
Grades K-12
School
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Tech Time
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Brain Break
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Holiday Delivery
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Class Pet
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Create the Seating Chart
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Cut the Principal’s Tie
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher v Student Competition
Grades 6-12
School
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Talk Time
Grades 6-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Pen Pouch
Grades K-8
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Design the Bulletin Board
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Career Day
Grades 3-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Decades Party
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Get-to-Know-You Bingo
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
School Supplies & Merch
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch Reservations
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY

All Student Reward & Incentive Ideas

💰
🎨
Sports Tickets
Grades 3-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
💰
🎨
Extra Recess
Grades K-5
Class/House
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Drop Lowest Quiz
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Hat Pass
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Classroom DJ
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Digital Escape Rooms
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Deluxe
💰
🎨
Show & Tell
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Color a Teacher’s Hair
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Lunch with an Admin
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Lunch With the Teacher
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Talk Time
Grades 6-8
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Special Screening
Grades K-12
School
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Teacher Serenade
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Vote
Grades 6-8
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Principal for a Day
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Be a Comedian.
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free

All Virtual Reward Ideas for Schools

🎉
👑
🎁
Social Media Reporter
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Q&A
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Classroom DJ
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Show & Tell
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Talent Show. 🎤
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Field Trip
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Positive Note or Call Home
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Certificate of Achievement
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Student Spotlight Board
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Computer Games
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Digital Escape Rooms
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Morning Meeting Leader
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Podcast
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Brain Break
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Host a Virtual Party. 🎶
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Donate $1
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
See all Rewards

Want more ideas?

Rewards that Rock 🎸 has 100+ rewards, incentives, and event ideas to build your school culture.
Find Rewards
Learn more about the author, 
Stella Ikhnana
 
Let’s take this to your inbox
We’ll send you our monthly newsletter which is fully stocked with free resources like articles, videos, podcasts, reward ideas, and anything else we can think of to help you make your school awesome.

Motivation is a key factor for success in school. As a middle school teacher, I was often trying to learn about what motivated students. The easiest method to learn what motivated them was to ask them. It was necessary to build a strong connection and get to know their interests before asking “What motivates you at home? What motivates you at school?”

There were different responses to these questions, but I noticed patterns in their responses. Middle school students would either want to earn tangible gifts, rewards where they earned time with their peers, or communication sent home about a job well done. 

Student Sourced Research

Student Voice Sample Survey

Of course, we were not able to accommodate all of these prizes, but most of them are easy to implement. I provided these options for students that had a difficult time articulating what they wanted to earn as a prize.

Tangible Prizes:

The majority of middle schoolers enjoyed earning prizes they can use at school or at home. It’s important to balance prizes, in order to not make students dependent on extrinsic motivation. Students can work towards earning a prize at the end of the week, month or semester.

Gift cards:

Ask your parent community and neighboring business if any are able to contribute gift cards to your school. I was successful in asking for gift cards from local movie theaters, gaming stores, bookstores, and ice cream shops. 

Also, check-in with the PTA to see if they want to partner with your school for a prize system.

Fidgets:

Local dollar stores or party stores have fidgets such as stress balls, slime, toys, etc. for a low price. Ask your principal or team leader if there is a budget to purchase these items.

Food:

Always a winning choice in middle school! Chocolate, gum, candy, and chips were favorites of middle schoolers. I would communicate with parents to alert them when I provided food as a reward for students and they would alert me of any food allergies.

Spirit Wear:

Students interested in representing their school pride are motivated to earn clothing or items with the school’s name or mascot on it. I collaborated with the PTA President to receive school spirit wear (hats, shirts, hoodies, pencils/pens, notebooks, etc.) as prizes for students. 

When working with 8th graders, especially after winter break, students often talk about high school. Therefore, I bought items from the local high school because they were eager to show their high school pride. 

At the start of the year, 8th-grade teams would set aside money in the team budget for high school spirit wear.

Sample PBIS Store


Earning time with peers:

Middle schoolers are extremely influenced by their peers and often ask to earn time with their peers.

Sit next to peers:

Provide an opportunity for students to choose their own seat, you can identify the length of the seating arrangement (one specific class, half-day, or full-day)

Free time with peers:

Identify a specific goal that students work towards that will lead them to have free time with their peers. On Fridays, I used the 50/50 rule: 50% of resource class was spent completing work, and 50% of the class was spent playing games with peers. 

Students earned this reward by completing their work during the week and not have any missing assignments.

Lunch and movie with peers:

Students can earn a specific movie lunch with a few peers, students can bring their lunch from home, buy lunch from the cafeteria, or if there is a budget lunch can be ordered.

I coordinated with the lunch staff for students to earn a pizza day. Students and I brought the food upstairs to eat in the classroom and watched a movie as a reward. 

This was a cost-effective option. We also ordered from a local pizzeria towards the end of the year, as a graduation treat.

Communication sent home:

Some students preferred for their parents to receive positive praise, I often would identify with the student what type of communication was preferred and if there was a specific day to share the update.

Call home:

Make a positive phone call home to highlight the student's effort. Ask the student whether they want to be included in the call. If they want to be involved, identify the time: before school, after school, or lunch. 

Ask the educational team working with the student to share any updates from their classes tool.

Email home:

Send a message via email to parents sharing an example of the student’s hard work or when they helped a peer. I copied the student on the email and I often sent the email towards the end of the week to help the student earn a reward at home during the weekend. 

I would also include an image, GIF, or meme to celebrate the win!

Student Rewards Sticker

No cost prizes:

Depending on your school, the ability to purchase prizes might not be an option. There are several no-cost or cheap prizes to provide for middle schoolers.

First in line at lunch:

Create “coupons” or write a pass for the student to be first in line at lunch. Communicate with lunch supervisors about this prize and tell them the day the student is using the prize.

Student Rewards Coupon

Include student’s name & date of when they are first in line

Sit in the teacher’s chair

The ability to swivel in the teacher’s chair might be a prize some students are interested in earning. The teacher’s chair is almost always more comfortable than the student's chair.

Identify and clearly state the amount of time the student will have access to the chair.

Listen to music during class

Students can earn time to listen to music in class during independent work time. If the entire class earns the reward, you can ask for song requests from students ahead of time to check whether the song is school appropriate or you can use playlists on any music streaming site. 

If an individual student(s) earn this prize, they can wear earbuds to not disrupt their peers.

Extra recess time

Extend their current time outside or take them outside for an additional recess time, yes middle schoolers still enjoy recess! Also, I’ve coordinated with the PE staff to borrow sports equipment to use during this time.

Key Takeaways 

In order for prizes for middle schoolers to be of value, it’s essential to ask students what they want to earn. 

Also, it’s key to provide them with the prize on the day it was scheduled to happen, if you delay the prize it will lead to distrust. Keep a calendar of students’ progress towards earning a prize to help you stay on track!

All Reward Ideas for Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Family Feast
Grades K-8
Class/House
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Certificate of Achievement
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
“Let's Make A Difference Week"
Grades 9-12
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
School Spirit Day
Grades K-12
School
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Old School Cookout
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Wild ‘N Out High School Edition
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Karaoke Night
Grades 9-12
Class/House
Event
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Sports Tickets
Grades 3-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Water Bottle Stickers
Grades 6-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Partner Work
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch Reservations
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Uber by a Principal
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Seating Choice
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Homework Pass
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Morning Meeting Leader
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Game Week
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY

All Reward Ideas for Elementary School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Trip to the Treasure Box
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Positive Note or Call Home
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Show & Tell
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Partner Work
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Talent Show. 🎤
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Class Book
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Class Jobs
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Career Day
Grades 3-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Computer Games
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Movie Posters
Grades 3-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Game of Thrones
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Holidays Around the World
Grades K-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Line Leader
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Trunk or Treat
Grades K-8
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
STEM Field Day
Grades K-8
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Drop Lowest Quiz
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free

All Event Ideas for Schools

All Free Reward Ideas for Schools

🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Serenade
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Field Trip
🎉
👑
🎁
Camp Read Away
🎉
👑
🎁
Talk Time
🎉
👑
🎁
Partner Work
🎉
👑
🎁
Game of Thrones
🎉
👑
🎁
The Big Ticket
🎉
👑
🎁
Stairway Messages
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Recess
🎉
👑
🎁
Parking Spots
🎉
👑
🎁
Seat Swap

All Reward Ideas for High School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Awards Show Afterparty
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Field Trip
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Dress Up or Down Day
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
House Induction
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Music Fest
Grades 9-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
“Let's Make A Difference Week"
Grades 9-12
Class/House
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Certificate of Achievement
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Design the Bulletin Board
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Decades Party
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher for the Day
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Operate Equipment.
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Host a Virtual Party. 🎶
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Video Game Rewards
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
The Love Soiree
Grades 6-12
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Wristband
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Play Games
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free

All Reward Ideas for Middle School Students

🎉
👑
🎁
Pie a Teacher
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Play Games
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Certificate of Achievement
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Free Dress
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Classroom DJ
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Final Fridays
Grades K-8
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Snack Party
Grades 3-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Trunk or Treat
Grades K-8
School
Event
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Field Trip
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Picnic Lunch
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher for the Day
Grades 6-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch with an Admin
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Camp Read Away
Grades K-8
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Lunch Concert
Grades 6-8
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Computer Games
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Positive Note or Call Home
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free

All Student Reward & Incentive Ideas

💰
🎨
Pie a Teacher
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Virtual Field Trip
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Class Book
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Vote
Grades 6-8
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Drop Lowest Quiz
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Morning Meeting Leader
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Teacher Serenade
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
The Big Ticket
Grades 9-12
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Show & Tell
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Tutor
Grades 6-8
Student
Privilege
Free
💰
🎨
Movie Posters
Grades 3-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Video Game Rewards
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Water Bottle Stickers
Grades 6-12
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
💰
🎨
Sweatshirt
Grades K-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
💰
🎨
Technology
Grades 6-12
Student
Tangible
Deluxe
💰
🎨
Passing Period Music
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free

All Virtual Reward Ideas for Schools

🎉
👑
🎁
Brain Break
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Classroom DJ
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Social Media Reporter
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Show & Tell
Grades K-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Student Spotlight Board
Grades K-5
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Morning Meeting Leader
Grades 3-8
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Digital Escape Rooms
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Privilege
Deluxe
🎉
👑
🎁
Certificate of Achievement
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Donate $1
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Stickers
Grades K-5
Student
Tangible
Low Cost/DIY
🎉
👑
🎁
Podcast
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Positive Note or Call Home
Grades K-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Extra Computer Games
Grades 3-12
Student
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Host a Virtual Party. 🎶
Grades 6-12
Class/House
Event
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Virtual Field Trip
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
🎉
👑
🎁
Teacher Q&A
Grades K-12
Class/House
Privilege
Free
See all Rewards

Want more ideas?

Rewards that Rock 🎸 has 100+ rewards, incentives, and event ideas to build your school culture.
Find Rewards
Learn more about the author, 
Stella Ikhnana
 

Bring a positive culture to life with school-wide points

Schedule a Demo