Alternative to Treasure Chest

Let’s talk treasure chests….rewards are great but can become a headache if not managed properly.  In my position I don’t have a lot of time to devote to treasure chest Friday.  So, I came up with a quick, clever idea that has proven to be both effective and fun for my students.

Welcome to another edition of…

I have 30 minutes with each group…it goes by way too fast as it is so I don’t want to waste valuable time having kids dig through a treasure chest.  This time saver has come in clutch this year and my students have fallen in love with this new take on treasure chest Friday.

It’s pretty simple….I give them three choices, that’s it.  No more digging through a huge treasure chest and digging, and digging.  A large treasure chest can quickly become overwhelming to kids and when you are short on time ( hello, all of us ) well….it can become more of a burden than a fun incentive.

So, what did I do you ask…I’m so glad you asked.  I purchased a little crate with 2 openings, laid velcro across the top and attached fabric with velcro to each opening.  I call it DOOR #1, DOOR #2 and a MYSTERY BAG.  There you have it 3 yep 3 choices.  Not overwhelming, no digging or spilling over – whew, so much easier!

I lift the flap of each ‘door’ so they can see those prizes and then show them the brown mystery bag ( without opening it ).  They decide which one they want and we move on ~ it’s as simple as that!  You know what?!?  So far every child each Friday has chosen the MYSTERY BAG!!!!  How funny is that!?!? 

** If you are interested in grabbing these mini bags you can grab them here on amazon…. #affiliatelink

 If you have one class ( which I would guess would be most of you ) it will be very simple to refill the mystery bags or openings…it’s little trickier for me since I have 8 groups and have to change it out before each group.  But guess what – it still saves me valuable TIME.  

I always say ~ reading groups create urgency – no time to waste, so I want to devote almost every minute of my 30 minutes to literacy.  This helps quite a bit on Fridays believe it or not.

Try it out and let me know how it goes, it has completely transformed my Friday Treasure Chest time.

As always ~~~ 

Happy Teaching my friends,

xoxox,