Who prints these
Parents, grandparents, babysitters, homeschoolers, birthday-party hosts and anyone running a summer program for the under-tens. The crayon-border design above is the usual pick for younger kids; the chalkboard, spelling bee and bright traditional borders work for older ones who want something that looks "real."
Awards kids actually care about
A child does not need a reason that would impress an adult. They need their name in large letters and a title that sounds important. Some ideas:
- At home: Super Helper, Dog Walker in Chief, Bed-Making Champion, Tooth-Loss Survivor, Vegetable Taster (First Class).
- Milestones: Official Big Sister or Big Brother, Training Wheels Graduate, First Night Without a Night Light, Learned to Swim.
- Reading and learning: Read 20 Books, Knows All the State Capitals, Finished the Workbook, Counted to 100.
- Parties: every guest gets a title: Fastest Runner, Best Costume, Loudest Laugh, Bravest Balloon Popper. The Longest Name designs in the grid were built for exactly this kind of silly contest.
- Homeschool: end-of-unit certificates make a finished chapter feel finished.
Wording for a young reader
Keep the award title to three or four words so it stays large on the page. In the description, say what happened in plain words a six-year-old can read back: "For feeding the dog every morning for a whole week without being asked." Sign it as yourself: "Mom," "Dad," "Grandpa Joe." The title line under the signature is a good place for a joke ("Head of Snacks").
Printing at home
- Any inkjet will do. Set it to landscape so the certificate fills the page; there is a screenshot of that setting for Mac and Windows under printing tips.
- Bright designs use a lot of color. If the ink is low, the reds go orange and the blues go pale; this is the one time a fresh cartridge is worth it.
- Card stock from a craft store is sturdy enough to survive being carried around for a week. If your printer will not take heavy paper, a dollar-store frame does the same job.
Free and quick
No account, no email, no app to install. Make it on a phone or a laptop in a couple of minutes, print it, and hand it over while the achievement is still fresh.