School is in full swing now which means plenty of homework and test grades are rolling in. As parents, we need to make sure they do their homework, study for tests, and strive to do their personal best. Below are fun ways that you can encourage and celebrate your kid’s educational accomplishments, large and small.
This is a sponsored conversation, I received product and a promotional item to facilitate this post.
Surprise Kids with Messages of Encouragement
Pictured above are pencils that I wrote words of encouragement on with a Sharpee marker. I got this idea from a teacher blog who does this for her students – she seems amazing. This is an easy way to wish your child good luck on a test or to remind them of how special they are. Simply place the pencil in your child’s book bag and they’ll be surprised and encouraged when they find it at school and daily while they use it.
Motivate Kids before Tests
After studying for a test or quiz, motivate your child with a quick note or sign that they’ll read first thing in the morning. We have a simple chalk board that we keep in the kitchen. We write all kinds of notes. If my kids have a presentation, test, quiz, or project to turn in, I write a quick note to send them off to school with a positive message in the morning.
Have Fun Baking with Kids
As a reward for a good test grade, all homework being turned in, a project completed, or other educational accomplishments, have fun cooking and baking with your kids. Let them pick out their favorite treat and bake together. Pillsbury makes it easy to celebrate everyday accomplishments by whipping up a homemade treat. Homemade is always better than store-bought cookies. Plus, baking with kids is fun!
Send Homemade Goodies to School
If your child has a test or presentation, give them an extra boost of encouragement in their lunch box or for their school snack. Send a homemade goodie with personal message to really brighten their day. This encourages your child and can help calm down their nerves. I created this delicious Raspberry White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie Recipe using Pillsbury Sugar cookies. It combines two of my kids’ favorites : raspberries and Pillsbury Sugar Cookies!
Or surprise your kids with an extra delicious after-school snack or dessert with a note of congratulations.
Homework Chart
Use a homework chart to keep up with your kids’ homework and reward them after a good week of hard work. Get a free download for a chart where you can write in the homework for each subject from Freebie Finding Mom. For older kids that work more independently, this free homework reward chart works great from Meaningful Mama:
Send a Treat on Testing Day
My kids love bubble gum. For testing days, especially the long standardized testing days, I like to send them a pack of bubble gum with a note of encouragement. Testing days is one of the only times they are allowed to chew gum in school, so it is a special treat that they love.
These are two of my kids’ favorite types of gum. They like my little notes too. I try to come up with something different and fun everytime – something to make them laugh and not get stressed over long tests.
You can download free testing treat labels for test taking for all sorts of candy and treats. I’m not saying to do this every day or every week. It is just a nice surprise for kids when they work extra hard on studying for a test, presentation, or project. It is never expected by my kids but always a surprise that they talk about for days!
Keep Positive Message in Front of Kids
Learning and school work should always be a positive experience. We need to encourage our kids in every way to keep them motivated and thinking positive. One way is to purchase a notebook, magnet, card, and other item that will be seen or used daily with a motivational message. I love this notebook that I found at Hobby Lobby that is titled, “My Brilliant Ideas” because it gives kids the confidence in knowing their ideas not only matter but are brilliant.
Celebrate with Family Night
When my kids get a good report card, we celebrate with an extra special family night. My kids get to pick an activity like movie night, going to the zoo/park/museum, and a special dessert. I love how Pillsbury keeps up with new products for every taste, including Gluten Free. I recently discovered the Pillsbury Girl Scout brand of mixes! They are amazing! I used the Pillsbury Girl Scout Thin Mints Brownie Mix combined with their Warm Fudge Brownie Pudding Recipe for an out-of-this-world dessert! We enjoyed this dessert after a hike to celebrate our mid-term grades this week!
I hope you find these tips helpful in finding fun ways to motivate and encourage your children and their educational accomplishments this school year! Find even more ways to encourage your children on my Pinterest Page and more delicious recipes on the Pillsbury Pinterest Page.
