Whether it’s for academics, athletics or some other notable accomplishment, school awards are a big part of the agenda for kids of all ages. They help create confidence and pride and give them something to strive for. Unfortunately, most school awards and the ceremonies that surround them can get a little stale.
Here are a few unique ideas that will inject some fun into all types of school awards.
Customize
While the concept of receiving an award is enough to make kids happy on its own, providing customized mementos that are different from your run of the mill trophy or medal will really make a difference. When customizing awards, consider the reason for the award, how it might be displayed in the student’s home or include individual characteristics of the recipients, if possible. Customizing the awards will require more effort and time, but the end results will be worth it.
Walk-Up Song
It doesn’t take much effort to play little snippets of music as the kids are walking up to get individual awards, but it has a nice effect. If you choose a song that lends itself to the student’s personality or the award itself, it will almost seem like a little theme song just for them.
Eco-Friendly Theme
If you want to project a strong, environmentally friendly kind of feel for your school awards, consider making the awards themselves eco-friendly. Instead of using plastic or metal, seek out a provider that makes them from recycled materials like newsprint, stone, glass or wood.
Focus on Everyday
Creating awards centered around everyday actions and activities will really give students the incentive to help out and help the daily routine run smoothly. You can combine these everyday type of awards with your theme music or eco-friendly pieces to make them even more memorable. Some ideas include awards for being positive, helpful, kind, compassionate or creative. Don’t forget the academics too, because they still deserve recognition.
Outside the Box
For students who may not be especially gifted academically or particularly assertive, create special “most likely to” awards so they don’t feel left out. Try molding the award names to each student’s special talents like art, drama, sports or even video games, so they really feel like it was made just for them.
School awards are given out in every type of school, but no one said they have to be boring. Just use your imagination and stray from the norm and you can create awards that none of your students will ever forget.
