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Reward chart for kids: how to make one that actually works
Debs · Updated 28 September 2026
The short answer
A reward chart works best with three to five small, clear jobs your child can do alone, a star straight away each time, and a reward they choose that's reachable within a week. Keep the chart where they'll see it, tick it together, and change the jobs once they become habits.
Every reward chart starts the same way. Monday: a laminated masterpiece, a fresh sheet of star stickers, a child vibrating with enthusiasm. Wednesday: two stars and a sticker on the dog. By the following Monday the chart is behind the fruit bowl, and the only thing anyone's been rewarded for is finding the stickers. It isn't you, and it isn't your child. Most charts fail for boring, fixable reasons.
What to put on a reward chart
Pick jobs that are small, specific and in your child's control. "Be good" isn't a job (nobody, including adults, knows when they've finished being good). "Shoes on the rack" is a job. Start with the things that cause the most friction in your house, because that's where the chart earns its place on the fridge.
- Three to five jobs to start. Ten is a chart; three is a habit.
- Make each one visible: "teeth brushed", not "get ready".
- Mix easy wins with one stretch job.
- Split it into morning, after school and bedtime if mornings are the battle.
If you can't tell whether it's done, it doesn't belong on the chart.
Left: a morning job with an obvious finish line. Right: the tiny jobs are the ones that stop the 8:40am hunt for a second shoe.
How many stars, and what rewards?
Give the star straight away. A star promised for later is, to a five-year-old, a rumour. Set the first reward so it's reachable within a few days, then make the bigger ones take a week or two. Let your child choose from a short list you're happy with, because a reward they picked is worth twice one you picked.
The best rewards are often time, not things: choosing Friday's film, an extra story, baking together, a trip to the park with just one parent. They cost nothing and don't turn every job into a transaction for sweets.
The reward isn't the point. Noticing is the point. The star is just how you notice.
How to keep it going past week two
Charts die when adults forget them, not children. Tick it together at the same times each day, say what they did ("you packed your bag without me asking"), and never take stars away for bad behaviour, because a chart that goes backwards stops being worth trying for. When a job has become automatic, swap it for a new one and say so: that's a promotion, not a loss.
Rewards by how many stars they take
A starting point. Adjust to your child and what they care about.
| Stars | Reward idea | Why it works |
|---|---|---|
| 5 | Choose the pudding or the bedtime story | Reachable in a day or two, so the chart feels real |
| 10 | Extra 30 minutes of screen time | Popular, costs nothing, easy to give |
| 20 | Pick the family film or a park trip | Time together, and they chose it |
| 40 | A small treat or a day out | Worth saving for over a couple of weeks |
Mistakes we've all made
- Putting twelve jobs on the chart on day one, including "be kind to your sister".
- Promising a reward so big (a new bike) that nobody believes they'll ever reach it.
- Taking stars off for shouting, so the chart becomes a punishment board.
- Keeping the chart in one parent's head, so the other parent never ticks anything.
When a chart on the wall beats a chart on the fridge
Debs, your own school admin assistant, has Chores & stars built in: morning, after-school and bedtime routines, chores worth more stars, and rewards you set. Children tick jobs off themselves on the family wall display or tablet, the stars go up straight away, and both parents see the same chart. It even knows what the day needs, so "Get dressed" says PE kit on PE day and "Bag packed" lists the football boots. See everything Debs can do.
Questions parents ask
What age is a reward chart for?
Most children from about three to ten respond well to a reward chart. Younger children need pictures and very quick rewards; older children can save stars for bigger rewards over a week or two.
How many things should go on a reward chart?
Start with three to five small, specific jobs. Add more only once the first ones have become habits, so the chart never feels impossible.
Should you take stars away?
It's usually better not to. A chart that can go backwards stops feeling worth trying for, so deal with bad behaviour separately and keep the chart for noticing the good.
What are good rewards that aren't sweets?
Time and choices work well: picking the film, an extra story, a trip to the park, baking together or extra screen time. They cost little and feel special.
How long should you use a reward chart?
Use it until the jobs are automatic, then swap in new ones. Many families keep a chart going for years, changing the jobs as children grow.