Happy Chappy

 What's Happy Chappy?

Sorry for the delay in posts; I was lesson planning for October and got a little overwhelmed!  I would LOVE to credit this idea to someone, but I heard about it second hand, so.....thanks to the Music (?) teacher at Ryan's preschool for this idea.

Do your kids love stickers?  Mine do.  They love to peel them off of paper, stick them to their shirts, then peel them off of their shirts and stick them to their hands, then peel them off their hands and so on and so forth until they are stuck to my rainbow carpet, my tile floor, or, my favorite, the seat of my pants, at which point, the children no longer have that reward they were so excited about.

"But stickers are such a great reward!" you might say.  "The fit in your pocket, they're inexpensive, less distracting than a toy, and kids love them!"  And I would agree.  Stickers are great...but not as great as Happy Chappy.

The way I heard about it was that this (sadly, unnamed) teacher would rub a little cherry Chapstick on each child's hand before they went back to their own classroom.  The kids would be able to smell their hand and the Happy Chappy for a good portion of the day.  I heard this and immediately grasped the possibilities.  A reward that was longer lasting than a sticker but not as permanent as a temporary tattoo?  A way to incorporate other senses into the classroom?  A way to get rid of all of those flavored lipglosses I got for Christmas but haven't touched?

"Ms. Betsy's Hugs and Happy Chappy" was born. At the end of each class, I get (and give) some one on one affection and a sweet smelling reward to each child.

I looked through some cosmetics drawers, and visited a few discount shops, and found a variety of six different flavors of lip gloss.  They had a great selection at Gordman's, like boxed sets of candy and cola scents, including the Willy Wonka Brand, Hershey's, Dr. Pepper, Jolly Ranchers, and Bubble Yum flavors.  I got the one on clearance with a coupon, so it cost about $.50 per tube of gloss.  If you have a slightly bigger budget and/or prefer a balm to a gloss, I highly recommend Bonne Bell's Lip Smacker.

Pros and Cons

Happy Chappy isn't perfect, but it is surprisingly versatile.  Here's a quick look at what it can and can't do.

Cons:

• Some children are sensitive to certain cosmetics or fragrances
• It isn't sanitary to use the same gloss/balm on multiple children
• It will be gone after they wash their hands
• Boys and Girls will like different flavors

Luckily, it is easy to come up with alternative awards (I know you didn't throw your stickers AWAY), and a baggie full of Q-tips can turn into single use applicators.  As far as hand washing goes, try smoothing the Happy Chappy onto their wrists or the crook of their elbows, and, at this age, all kids want to smell like bubblegum or watermelon.  If they don't, try more gender neutral scents like chocolate or cola.

Pros:

• The smooth/glossy texture and scent is a sensory experience
• You can use it for right and left recognition (only put it on one hand every single time)
• You can let children choose the flavor for extra incentive
• You can double up two flavors
• You can change scents for the month, season, or theme

*An alternative to scented lip balm is scented lotion.  If you rub the lotion in, this is a great way to incorporate a little massage and one on one time with each student.  If they rub it in, this can increase fine motor control and reinforce movement for hand washing.*

Do you have other creative ways to positively reinforce your students for good behavior?  Be sure to comment!

Also, thanks to all the people who have been adding me to your Pinboards!  Feel free to follow me on Pinterest.  :)

-Ms. Betsy