Banana Split Incentive Chart

Welcome to part one of “Incentive Chart April”, Duck-os. The Banana Split is sort of the central piece to my entire incentive system, so it seemed the obvious place to start. In the coming weeks, I’ll branch out and show you several ideas for incentive charts, chore charts, or just plain cool wall art that all work together like cogs in a well oiled machine. Of course, you can use my system exactly or adapt it to your own needs. I recommend doing it my way…come on, not only has the work been done already, but could *anyone* do a better job?!? (Never mind. Don’t answer that. Actually, do. Comment if you have improvements or suggestions for your fellow duck-os!)

There is some additional info and tips that I promise in video to provide, but just know now that some of it is coming in future posts. Watch the video first, then puruse the info underneath at your leisure. As always, if you have questions, comment or see that little blue “f” at the top of the page? You can now find Art-Duck-o on FaceBook! (swoooon!)

Thanks for watching, Ducko-s…

So, I watched the video and I have a few questions..

First of all, didn’t you promise you’d post a link for the magnets?

Why, yesI did. Here is my pick for the best/most affordable/most versitle magnet I have found thus far:K&J Magnets

How big do I need to make my chart, and how big do I make each section in the banana?

For mine, I used an oil drip pan that measured 24″ X 46″. The middle sections were cut at 6 1/2 inches, overlapped each other by 1″, for a total finished size of 5 1/2 inches. The ends of the banana were a total of 11″ , which left me trimming room.

If you have less people in your family, you can buy a 24″x36″ sheet of metal at Home Depot. It comes in cardboard packaging, which makes it easier to not bend the thing on the way home.

For a little itty bitty chart, you could use a cookie sheet, but they’re pretty little for a banana split. Unless you didn’t want this to be the centerpiece of your dining room like me, that is, and then it might be just about right! I’ll be using a cookie sheet for a chart later this month.

To figure how long each section is, use the following formula:

mS=~(D-o+1)/bL

Where mS is defined as middle Section

D-o as Duck-0

bL as board Length

Which is, translated, just means the middle Section is equal to the number of sections you want total, plus one, divided by the length of your board. Then, reduce the number down a tad to “normal” measurements so you don’t have to work with .34532 inches or something crazy.

So, for mine, it was 7 duck0-s, +1 = 8. 8 divided by 46″ is 5.75″. Reduce to 5 1/2 as the finished size. Adding an inch for overlap, the final cut size was 6 1/2 inches.

For a smaller board, say 4 ducko-s on a 36″ board, it would be 4 ducko-s, plus 1 = 5. 36″/5 = 7.2 . Reduce to 7″ for your finished size, and add one inch for cutting at 8″.

For the ends of the banana, just roughly double your finished length of the middle section and then reduce by an inch or so to leave a little bit of wiggle room on either side.

What types of tasks are you writing on the backs of those ice cream scoops?

Stay tuned. I will do a tutorial at the end of this series that shows the whole system working together and the all the charts in play. I will also post the specifics of my

different charts at that time. Obviously, you can do whatever you want with them. List specific chores, tasks, lists, whatever. You could even use this as a weekly calendar.

Um…is that a taco on that scoop of ice cream?!?

Yes. And yes to the basket of laundry, too. There are certain tasks that rotate through, and laundry and dinner are two of them. Again, check back for more info on all the systems working together.