Using Scented Rewards With Students
It's no secret that I am not a fan of the treasure box.
I don't like spending money on trinkets and toys that will immediately be lost, stolen, or broken. Even more disappointing is when a child looks into the treasure box and says, "This is all you've got?!" I'm not even a big "giver of candy". I must be really popular with the kids, right? Well, actually I am. 😂
You don't NEED toys or treasures or candy to be able to reward your students. In fact, some SLPs would argue that you don't need anything at all (and for some students, I don't use anything- I'm looking at you, 5-minute speech kids!)
However, I've come to love giving scented rewards. It's unique because no other teacher in my school uses rewards of this type, so it's kind of a big deal when they get it from me.
HERE ARE MY FAVORITES
Scented Lip Balm
These are crowd-pleasers, for sure. We call them "smellies". I keep a mix of various scents of Chapstick in a container in my room. I like to rotate out some of the scents with the seasons, and I've also found soda and candy scented lip balms! When speech therapy is over and it's time to reward your student, put a smudge of lip balm on the back of their hand. Throw in a little language by having them request a specific smell, guess the smell, or make a choice between two smells.
Read more about how I use scented lip balm (smellies) here!
Mr. Sketch Scented Markers
If lip balms aren't your thing, or you want to mix it up a little, try scented markers. Not only are there markers scented like grapes and watermelon, oh no... you can also get stinky markers (we're talking old books and scallions). Both are HUGE hits with students. Draw a heart or a smiley face on a student's hand with a scented marker as a quick and easy reward.
Smelly Stickers
This is a tried and true. We all know kids love stickers and kids love smelly things. Combine the two, and you've got smelly stickers! My favorites are bubblegum and chocolate for year-round use, but I've even found themed holiday stickers in scents like peppermint, vanilla, and pumpkin. Thankfully, you can get some large packs that are sure to last a LONG time for a very affordable price.
Of course, keep your students in mind. If you have a student who is highly sensitive to smells, this would NOT be the reward system you'd want to use. You know your students best!
You can find all of my favorite rewards here, on my Amazon page, or find more of my favorite preschool activities here!
Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases, but it doesn't cost you anything. Now, go get you some "scent"sational rewards!
