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Reward Chart Maker for Kids

Choose one behavior your child can do, and write it in words they understand. Let your child help choose a small reward, then pick a sticker target they can reach. Give a star right after the behavior, with specific praise. Keep the chart visible, and change your approach if it is not helping.

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  • Checked against sources October 20, 2026
A toddler pressing a gold star sticker onto a sticker chart on the refrigerator while an adult holds a sheet of stars.
Give the sticker straight after the behavior, with specific praise. AI-generated editorial image. How we use images

1. Set up the chart

Template

Specific and doable, e.g. “I put my shoes by the door.”

Activities and time together work well.

2. Print or tap stars

My star chart

I sit on the potty when I wake up

0 of 7 stars

When the chart is full: Choose a park trip with a grown-up

Kidowear · kidowear.xyz/tools/reward-chart-maker · Give the sticker straight away with specific praise. Earned stars stay on the chart.

How to use the reward chart maker

Choose a template for potty training, bedtime, brushing teeth, tidying toys, or getting dressed. You can also choose a custom goal. Write one specific behavior in your child's words, select 5, 7, 10, 14, or 21 stickers or stars, and add a small reward. Print the chart or tap stars on screen. No signup is needed.

Invite your child to help make the chart and choose the reward. The Welsh Government's Parenting. Give it time guidance recommends involving children in both decisions and putting the chart where they can see it. If you print a chart, choose a visible spot so your child can follow their progress.

When your child does the chosen behavior, give the sticker or star straight away and say specifically what they did well. The CDC's parenting guidance for toddlers describes praise, rewards, and positive attention as ways to encourage desired behavior. Praise small efforts as your child works toward the goal.

Choose one clear behavior

A reward chart for kids is easier to follow when it asks for one behavior at a time. The Welsh Government guidance recommends naming exactly what the child should do. Instead of putting an entire bedtime routine on one line, choose a step your child understands and can do, then write that step in their words.

Look at the template as a starting point, not the full instruction. A brushing teeth chart still needs a clear behavior written on it, and a custom chart needs the same clarity. Before you start, check that you and your child would recognize the moment the behavior has happened.

Keep the goal reachable so your child has a chance to earn stickers. If the behavior turns out to be too much at once, choose a smaller step and make a new chart. Praising small efforts fits the Welsh Government's guidance and helps you respond to what your child actually does.

Pick a small reward your child wants

Ask your child what they would enjoy when the chart is complete, then choose something achievable. The Welsh Government guidance favors free or low-cost rewards, including activities rather than sweets. Time together can be the reward: write the activity plainly on the chart so your child knows what they are working toward.

Keep the reward close enough to the goal that your child can see how their stickers lead to it. The Welsh Government guidance recommends rewarding often with small prizes because long gaps can reduce motivation. A reward does not need to be expensive or elaborate to give the chart a clear finish.

The sticker itself also marks a moment to pay attention to your child's effort. Give it immediately after the chosen behavior, along with specific praise. When the chart is complete, follow through with the reward you chose together, then decide whether the same goal still needs a chart.

How many stickers should a first chart have?

For a first chart, choose a target that suits your child's age, attention span, and the behavior you picked. The maker offers 5, 7, 10, 14, and 21 stars. If your child needs a goal they can reach sooner, start with 5 or 7 rather than a longer row.

If your child can stay interested in a longer goal, consider 10, 14, or 21. Treat these as choices for your family, not age rules. A reachable goal matters more than filling a large chart, especially while your child is learning what the stickers mean.

Watch how the first chart goes. If the reward feels too far away, choose fewer stickers next time or make the behavior easier to do. The Welsh Government guidance advises frequent small rewards and says to try something different if a chart is not working.

Using a potty training reward chart

For a potty training reward chart, choose a step your child can actually do, such as sitting on the potty. The American Academy of Pediatrics explains that toilet training involves several skills, including noticing body signals, understanding them, planning how to reach the potty, staying there long enough, and communicating a need for help.

That is why a small, clear step can be a better chart goal than a result your child cannot always control. Write the step in your child's words, and give the star and specific praise when they do it. Keep the focus on the chosen action rather than on whether every potty visit succeeds.

Do not use the chart to punish accidents or take earned stars away. The Welsh Government guidance says never to threaten to remove stickers or remove them for bad behavior. This guide is not medical advice; if you have persistent toileting concerns, talk with your child's pediatrician.

Common mistakes and when to change the chart

A chart can become confusing when it covers several behaviors, uses vague wording, or asks for a goal that is hard to reach. Return to one specific action and a reachable sticker target. Let your child help choose the reward, and keep the chart somewhere they can see it.

Another mistake is waiting to acknowledge the behavior or using earned stickers as a penalty. The Welsh Government guidance recommends giving a sticker straight after the behavior with specific praise, praising small efforts, and never taking stickers away. If the chart is not working, its guidance is to try something different.

Use the chart as short-term support while your child learns the behavior. Once praise and the routine can carry the habit, you can stop making new charts for that goal. If the habit still needs support, change the behavior, target, or reward so the next chart offers a reachable step.

Frequently asked questions

Do reward charts work?
A chart can help you give praise and rewards for a behavior you want to encourage. The CDC's parenting guidance for toddlers includes rewards, praise, and positive attention as positive consequences. Keep the goal specific and reachable, and give each sticker promptly. If your chart is not helping, the Welsh Government guidance recommends trying something different.
Can I make a printable reward chart for kids?
Yes. Choose a template or custom goal, write one specific behavior in your child's words, select a sticker target, and add a small reward. Then print the chart and display it where your child can see it. The maker also lets you tap stars on screen if you prefer. It does not require signup.
What should I put on a sticker chart?
Put one clear behavior on the chart, along with a reachable number of stickers and a small reward your child helped choose. Write the behavior so your child knows exactly what to do. The Welsh Government guidance recommends choosing one behavior at a time, involving the child, and giving each sticker straight after the behavior with specific praise.
Should I take away a star for bad behavior?
No. The Welsh Government's reward chart guidance says never to threaten to take stickers away or remove them for bad behavior. An earned star marks a behavior your child already did. Keep the chart focused on the chosen action, praise small efforts, and change the goal if the current chart is not helping.
What should a potty chart reward?
Choose a step your child can do, such as sitting on the potty, and praise that step when it happens. The American Academy of Pediatrics explains that toilet training draws on several skills, so a chart should not punish accidents. If you have persistent toileting concerns, speak with your child's pediatrician. This guide is not medical advice.

Sources behind this tool

Numbers and lists in the tool come from these public pages, checked on October 20, 2026. The tool is a planning aid, not medical, developmental or fitting advice.

Spotted a wrong number? Tell us and read our editorial policy.

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