Incentives to get Kids Involved

🎁 Cheap (or Free!) School Fundraising Incentives That Actually Work

Let’s be honest: we’d all love to think kids would get involved in fundraising just because it helps their school or community. And sometimes they do. But more often than not, a little incentive goes a long way when it comes to getting those permission slips signed and those dollars rolling in.

While some fundraising companies include prize packs to keep motivation high, many school groups go the DIY route - and that means getting creative with low-cost or no-cost rewards that still feel special. Whether you’re running a school fun run, raffle, donation drive, or recycling program, here are some tried-and-true fundraising incentive ideas to encourage kids to take part and give it their all.

🧑‍🏫 Be the Boss for a Day

Let your top fundraiser or star helper become the “Principal for a Day” (or teacher, or office helper). They can make the morning announcements, run roll call, sit at the teacher’s desk, or even park their bike in the principal’s car spot for the day. Trust us - this one’s a winner.

✉️ Mystery Envelope Magic

For fundraisers that run over a few weeks, keep kids engaged with a weekly draw. Create a bunch of “mystery envelopes” (or boxes or bags) filled with little surprises like canteen vouchers, novelty stationery, or a chocolate frog. Drop in a few “wow” prizes for extra excitement. You can even ask local businesses if they’ll donate something small.

🎉 Class Party Time

If you’re running a class-based challenge, reward the winning group with a class party - think pizza lunch, BYO snacks and tunes, or a picnic on the oval. You could even throw in a free dress day for the whole class as part of the prize.

🪑 Best Seat in the House

Got a school assembly coming up? Set up a comfy VIP seat - maybe a beanbag, the principal’s office chair, or a couch borrowed from the staff room. For in-class rewards, create a “fancy desk” setup with a cushion, flowers, and special pens just for the winner of the week.

🍦 Ice-Cream Incentives

When you need lots of little prizes, canteen vouchers for ice-creams, jelly cups or icy poles are always a hit. Print your own tokens that kids can redeem at recess or lunch - cheap, cheerful and very motivating.

🏃 Extra Playtime

Offer the winning class some bonus recess or a "playtime power hour". This works especially well in term time when everyone’s feeling the mid-week slump.

🔥 Principal Sausage King

This one’s a favourite in our Facebook group: the Principal cooks a BBQ for the winning class. Nothing fancy - just sausages in bread with sauce and a bit of sizzle. The smell of sausages drifting across the playground is surprisingly effective at motivating the other classes for next time.

🍰 Eat Your Cake (and Win It Too)

Have a keen baker in your community? Get them to whip up a giant cake (or tray of cupcakes) each week to be awarded to the winning class at assembly. Display it in the staffroom window all morning for maximum temptation!

🎨 Choose the Next Theme Day

Here’s a double whammy: the winning class gets to pick the theme for the next gold coin mufti day. Beach party? Crazy hair? Pyjama day? Superheroes? Not only do the kids love being in charge - it’s also another chance to raise money for your school. Here are some more ideas!