Token economy
Also called: token board, token system
Definition
A token economy is a reward system in which a child earns a token for each task or step completed and exchanges a full board of tokens for a reward they chose in advance.
By making effort visible — one token per finished step, a full board earns the reward — a token economy supports motivation, patience, and follow-through. It’s a structured, planned form of positive reinforcement, quite different from in-the-moment bribery.
Keep it additive (never take tokens away), start with just a few tokens, and choose a reward your child genuinely wants. See our guide to token boards and rewards.