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Screen Time Reward Tokens

May 28, 2018 by Wifeeclectic 29 Comments

As a parent, I think it can be easy to demonize technology. All of our kids have thrown a tantrum or two about a game they wanted to play. It is easy to feel frustrated and want to cut it out of your life. I have tried to cut it out completely more than once and it has led to fights and hurt feelings. I have decided instead of focusing on my frustrations, I wanted to embrace technology. Find ways to bring it into our house in good ways, enter these Screen Time Tokens.

The DS and Games in this post were provided by Nintendo. I was not obligated to write this post, we just love Nintendo! This post contains affiliate links. 

Screen Time Tokens

We have absolutely loved having this tech minutes system in place. There are tokens and a tracking page. Each kid is allowed to earn as many minutes as they want after all of their daily chores and homework are done. You can download the printables at the end of this post.

Screen Time Tokens

 

Screen Time Tokens

I printed both the tracker and the chips, cut out the chips and then laminated them. I use a dry erase marker to fill in the sheet with extra chores the kids can do to earn minutes and how many minutes they will earn if they complete the chore. You can customize the chores and minutes earned to each child so you can change the difficulty as needed. Each chore has to be checked off by me and then I give her a tech minute chip that she can exchange when she wants for extra game time. In our house, tech minutes can’t be redeemed at bedtime or before homework is done, but can be redeemed anytime during their free time.

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Screen Time Tokens

In our house, minutes are only earned after their daily chores are done. They don’t receive minutes for cleaning their room or doing their homework, but after those things are done they can work for minutes. Here are some of the things we do in our house to earn minutes.

Ideas for earning minutes:

  • Unloading/Loading Dishwasher
  • Sweeping
  • Mopping
  • Cleaning the bathroom
  • Cleaning Mirrors
  • Fold Laundry
  • Put Away Laundry
  • Mow the Lawn
  • Water Plants
  • Pull Weeds
  • Set The Table
  • Wash Windowsills
  • Wash Light Switches
  • Wash baseboards
  • Take Out Trash
  • Clean Microwave
  • Play with siblings (My daughter isn’t old enough to babysit, so we have her play with her sister while parents work.)
One of the biggest ways we are staying ahead of technology is by checking out each and everything that our kids play. It is why I absolutely love Nintendo and why the DS family of systems are the only handheld systems we have in our house. I love that there is a huge selection of E Rated Games that are not only safe for my kids to play, they are fun for them to play too!  My tween hates it when games that I feel are safe to play, are in her words, “lame.” Nintendo solves that problem with a huge list of games that even my husband an I play. Here is our current list of favorites.

 Mario Kart 7 – Who doesn’t Love MarioKart

In the newest installment of the fan-favorite Mario Kart™ franchise, kids can race through the Mushroom Kingdom. For the first time, drivers (aka players) explore new competitive kart possibilities, such as soaring through the skies or plunging into the depths of the sea. New courses, strategic new abilities, and customizable karts bring the racing excitement to new heights. MSRP: $29.99

 Mario Party: The Top 100 – Mario Party is my personal favorite game, so I love this new version

It’s the ultimate Mario party! The top 100 mini-games from the entire Mario Party series home console games are rolled up into one big party you can take on the go. MSRP: $39.99

Super Mario 3D Land

The fan-favorite Tanooki suit makes its first appearance on the Nintendo 3DS family of systems in Super Mario 3D Land. Use the Tanooki suit’s tail to attack enemies or float gently down from great heights. Players can run, jump and stomp on enemies throughout the levels. MSRP: $19.99

 Super Smash Bros.

Super Smash Bros. for the Nintendo 3DS family of systems is the first portable entry in the renowned series, in which game worlds collide. Up to four players battle each other locally or online using some of Nintendo’s most well-known and iconic characters across beautifully designed stages inspired by classic portable Nintendo games. It’s a genuine, massive Super Smash Bros. experience that’s available to play on the go, anytime, anywhere. MSRP: $39.99

The Legend of Zelda: A Link Between Worlds – My kids are all over any Zelda Game

In this newly spun tale, Link™ transforms into a living painting to cross into a dark, parallel dimension mirroring Hyrule. Conquer the puzzles, traps, and hidden rooms of deadly dungeons to save both worlds from certain doom! Dungeons sink deep below the screen as Link and his attacks pop out, highlighting the nonstop action. The pace is faster than ever, especially since you can swap items on the Nintendo touch screen. Shoot an arrow, toss a boomerang, bomb a wall, then merge into a painting to slide between two worlds – all in a matter of seconds. With gameplay, visuals, and controls this smooth and consistent, no Zelda™ adventure has ever been so action-packed. MSRP: $19.99

Pokémon Ultra Sun and Pokémon Ultra Moon – The perfect game for my Pokémon obsessed kids.

Take on the role of a Pokémon™ Trainer and unravel the mystery of the Legendary Pokémon Necrozma’s new forms: Dusk Mane Necrozma in the Pokémon Ultra Sun game and Dawn Wings Necrozma in the Pokémon Ultra Moon game. You can encounter and battle 400+ Pokémon, including new forms. A brand-new showdown awaits! MSRP: $39.99

Screen Time Tokens

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We have been playing these games on the new Nintendo 2DS XL, which is the latest in handheld systems from Nintendo. It is durable with XL screens. Our absolute favorite part? It allows Co-op play. One of my favorite memories is watching all of my nieces and nephews play a large game of MarioKart, each on their own devices this last Christmas. It is the perfect way to bring social interaction into electronic play.

Just a couple of days ago, I was in the car with my kids for a 2-hour car trip. I handed my older daughter this DS and expected my kids to each go into their own electronic zone. When I looked back my older daughter was sitting next to her little sister teaching her how to play Mario Kart and when her little sister struggled to make her car go and steering at the same time, she held down one of the buttons for her. It was an incredibly sweet moment and one that reminded me that technology can be such a wonderful thing that brings us together if we use it right

I feel like we have struck a pretty good balance with technology in our house. We use it, love it, but don’t let it control us. Between good games like E Rated Games from Nintendo and these tech minutes charts, we are hitting the right tempo for our family.

How do you use technology in your house?

Printables in this post are for personal use and available to subscribers of Housewife Eclectic only. To use this printable, please SUBSCRIBE NOW. Once you have subscribed, click the links below to download the printables.

Tech Minutes Chart
Tech Minutes Chips

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Filed Under: Printables, Tutorials Tagged With: Arts and Crafts, Parenting, Printables, technology

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Masshole Mommy says

    March 29, 2016 at 3:15 pm

    My boys have an allotted time on school days, but mine are older so that is basically their only fun in life these days.

    Reply
  2. Margaret Gallagher says

    March 29, 2016 at 9:23 pm

    Our favourite game is mine craft so much fun and learning tool too

    Reply
  3. Anonymous says

    March 30, 2016 at 12:05 am

    I would have loved this when I was a kid! It makes it more fun to clean and be rewarded versus just cleaning!

    Reply
  4. Kait says

    March 30, 2016 at 12:12 am

    I love the concept of earning minutes! I don't have children, but I love that parents like you get creative with having their kids learn about what it means to earn their "treats", whether it's a game, TV time, etc. Kudos to YOU, I think this rocks.

    Reply
  5. Hil'Lesha O'Nan says

    March 30, 2016 at 3:32 am

    My son doesn't play video games much as he used to, but I love this idea! I'll have to keep it in mind.

    Reply
  6. Mary Madalene says

    March 30, 2016 at 7:41 am

    I know my oldest would love to play that new anime game~ She is into Pokemon and I know this would be right up her alley

    Reply
  7. Monica Maloney Heidler says

    March 30, 2016 at 11:09 am

    This is a great way to teach children to appreciate what they have. If they earn it they appreciate it more and other things that come in life. it's sad to see some who feel they are entitled to these privledges.

    Reply
  8. Veronica Pototska says

    March 30, 2016 at 1:08 pm

    The idea of earning as many minutes as they like is brilliant! I will share it with my friends who already have kids, I think it might become a good solution for many people

    Reply
  9. Author TP Keane says

    March 30, 2016 at 2:59 pm

    I've always gotten my kids to work for their rewards too. It create a sense of achievement for them, but also appreciation for the things they have.

    Reply
  10. Diedre says

    March 30, 2016 at 5:41 pm

    I love this idea! I forwarded to a friend who has twin autistic girls. This can also be a great idea for special needs kids. Love this!

    Reply
  11. Cara W says

    March 30, 2016 at 6:58 pm

    I love your suggestion of setting up how our kids can earn 'tech minutes' through tokens! When my daughter was young we cancelled cable TV altogether. She grew up not watching so much. As she got older we told her no to Facebook account or other social media sites. I know that was pretty hard core, but I didn't think about this tech minutes concept. It would have been a good way to compromise then!

    Reply
  12. April Grant says

    March 30, 2016 at 8:23 pm

    What an innovative way to track time. We were looking for something for my kids and this just might be it.

    Reply
  13. Shelly C. says

    March 30, 2016 at 9:12 pm

    I LOVE the idea of reward tokens! Right now my daughter is 4 and has minimal chores, however, we do use a chore chart. Each day she has a set of chores (clean her room, make bed, put clothes away, brush teeth twice a day). On the chart we put stickers next to each completed chore. When she gets all her chores done, I use that as an incentive to buy her a new toy she's been wanting.

    Reply
  14. Heather says

    March 30, 2016 at 9:30 pm

    This is an awesome idea! I have banned technology several times in our home, and it ends up coming back with a vengeance. It probably doesn't help that I can't completely get rid of tech in my own life…since my business is online 🙂 I love the idea of reward tokens though, I think my kids would love this!

    Reply
  15. Fatima Lora says

    March 30, 2016 at 10:48 pm

    I love the reward system you have going on here. It's worth trying on my iPad obsessed toddler. He helps around the house from time to time, but lately he's been addicted to the iPad.

    Reply
  16. Roxanne Ferber says

    March 31, 2016 at 1:06 am

    Really great system!! Great way to help kids internalize self control. Is that a Norwex dusting MIT I see? 🙂

    Reply
  17. alexandria waning says

    March 31, 2016 at 1:36 am

    This is a great idea. I dont mind my daughter playing on her pad for a while because she loses interest pretty quick anyways. So her playing for too long, is never an issue.

    Reply
  18. Michele ~ West Via Midwest says

    March 31, 2016 at 1:45 am

    I wonder if this would work for my husband too…. lol I never get to use netflix so it would be a win for me! I love this idea…. I am definitely going to implement it!

    Reply
  19. LeAnne Matlach says

    March 31, 2016 at 2:51 am

    Think i can use these on my husband? haha he's a video game addict and i need him to cut the cord.

    Reply
  20. Julie @ Girl on the Move says

    March 31, 2016 at 3:14 am

    Absolutely love this system! I agree that technology shouldn't be made to be the bad game…sometimes it's nice to just play a game or watch a show but I love teaching kids to get the work done first!

    Reply
  21. Nikka Shae says

    March 31, 2016 at 12:35 pm

    What a good way to teach your daughter to do her chores. I have three teenagers and they want their chore money at the end of the week.

    Reply
  22. Laura - Eye Candy Creative Studio says

    March 31, 2016 at 3:54 pm

    This is such a great idea & a useful one to get them started early on the benefits of 'earning;. It helps so much as they get older and then hopefully makes them able to budget later 😉

    Reply
  23. Angela Ricardo. says

    April 2, 2016 at 9:23 am

    This is definitely a great way to encourage kids. I love that this also promotes a better relationship between parents and kids. Thank you for sharing.

    Reply
  24. nicole says

    April 3, 2016 at 5:42 am

    So cute what a great way to get the kids to help out around the house. We did the same when our kids were younger. It's rewarding for them and they feel better too.

    Reply
  25. Erin Shebish says

    April 3, 2016 at 9:47 pm

    You ever have a moment when the world comes full circle for you? Yeah, that just happened. My husband was seriously JUST talking about a token system for screen time and I grumbled about having to figure out how to make it work. And hello, its right here!!! So awesome!

    Reply
  26. Ali Nicole says

    April 4, 2016 at 3:05 am

    My favorite video game is Mario anything and donkey kong

    Reply
  27. Jennifer Pilgrim says

    April 7, 2016 at 5:14 pm

    Cool idea! I had not thought of using tokens. I bet it works like a charm. Their own form of currency! Love!

    Reply
  28. Sara Syrett says

    April 10, 2016 at 5:11 am

    This is such a great idea! Thanks for sharing on Merry Monday!

    Reply
  29. Jennifer says

    June 3, 2017 at 6:19 am

    I really enjoyed your idea of the screen time reward tokens. I will do that with my 9 year old. I just wanted to let you know that your link above for the token printables is broken. I would love to download them if you ever fix it.
    Thank much for the idea.

    Reply

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Debra Hawkins - Housewife EclecticHi, I'm Debra. I am a craftaholic photographer married to a web-programming amateur chef with two sassy littles keeping it interesting. It gets crazy around here. Read More…

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