Kid Pointz Reward System for Kids

My children have four weeks left of school, how did we get to this point in the year? Four weeks and it’ll be time to put into action plans for keeping them busy, productive and off each other’s nerves. I usually answer boredom and fighting with work and I like to reward that work when possible. Some things in our house are just expected and no reward is given, but other things earn a special incentive. I find myself using charts and tracking systems more often in the summer than any other time of year. If you use a “points” or rewards system in your home then you’ll be interested in taking a look at the app Kids Pointz Reward System for Kids.

Kids Pointz allows you to set up separate accounts for each of your children. Each child has a “View Kid” screen where you can see their current points and access those points, their rules, rewards, reports and requests. Children can also be allowed to access KidPointz and this can be established on a case by case basis. Each can have their own username and password, more about that in a minute. When you are setting up the account for your child you’ll need to add in their “Rules”. First give the rule a name and then enter the amount of points to be awarded if the rule is followed and the amount that will be taken away if it’s not. These amounts don’t have to be the same. Once you’ve added in rules you’ll be able to award points. From the “View Kid” screen tap on points and you’ll see the list of rules for that child. Tap on the rule you want to reward and then tap the followed or not followed button. Depending on which you chose points will either be added or deducted from your child’s total. If you want to save time when you are setting up the rules and rewards you’ll find buttons of the same name at the bottom of the screen. You can add in the rules and rewards here and then assign them to the children from this screen. Also, rules and rewards you added from the View Kid screens will show up here. I found it to be a nice time saver. In the points section there’s also a “Quick Points” option. Choose this and you can quickly add or subtract points from the child’s total, no need for the points to be assigned to a rule. You’ll be able to add notes when you do this.

Each child has their own rules but they also have individual rewards. Setting the rewards up is much like setting up the rules. Add in the name and the number of points it will take to receive the reward. You’ll have the ability to take a photo of the reward so children can visualize what they’re working towards. From the “View Kid” screen you can access reports that outline the rules children have been following (or not) and you can also view the requests your children have made if you’ve granted them access to Kid Pointz. Now for more about that and what happens if you’ve given your children access to Kid Pointz. When you first start up Kid Pointz you’ll be asked to created a login and password, this will connect you to KidPointz.com. You’ll notice as you use the app that it will frequently say “syncing with kidpointz.com”. You can login online and manage your account (kids, rewards, rules, etc.) there and then have that information sync with the app. Online is where children will be able to access Kid Pointz. When they use their login they access a special, pared down version of the reward system. It allows them to make requests for points, rules and rewards. When they do this it will show up on your app. They can also view their reports.

I found Kid Pointz to be extremely user friendly, especially when you add in the website. I really like being able to add my children to the account online (for me it’s much faster to type them in there) and having that sync with my phone. With just a little bit of setup you’ll quickly have a rewards system up and running and it’s nice that the developers have included children in the process. For my older children this is important. Being able to login and participate in the reward system will help them buy into it. The reward system is a terrific tool but you’ll also find a variety of bonus resources on the website. Behavior tools like reward charts, stickers, checklists and parent coaching information. Articles and videos, activities and a blog called “Oh Behave”. The entire Kid Pointz package is a wonderful resource for parents and will work for children of all ages. Well done!

Price when Reviewed: $2.99

See the app in iTunes

Requirements: Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad.Requires iOS 4.3 or later.

Seller: Kid Pointz, LLC

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this app for review purposes.