Best Non-Crafty Rewards for VIPKID Students

I started teaching for VIPKID and immediately noticed that other teachers created awesome reward systems. Their rewards usually included Velcro, cutting and laminating, painting and adding magnets, etc. I had a hard time finding anyone who used rewards that weren’t crafty! So, I decided to make up my own reward systems. I have never used a homemade crafty reward and my students still love me!

If you’re like me, and just can’t even think about doing crafts, then this post is for you! If you’re not like me and you have some craft talents (I think you’re amazing!), but you want to mix it up a little or are looking for something new, this post is for you too! These rewards work great for all ages and levels at VIPKID. That’s what I love about them! They’re simple, require no prep, and you probably even have some in your home!

I have a list of non-crafty rewards for you but I’m going to highlight my top 5!

The first. Bubbles! That’s right. You heard me. Go get the bubbles that you have been hiding in the cabinet in hopes that the children won’t see them or remember they got them in their Easter basket. And stocking. And birthday party favor. No? I’m the only one who hides them in hopes of avoiding a tearful spill of bubbles seconds after they’re opened? lol Ok ok then go borrow your child’s bubbles from wherever they are stored. VIPKID students LOVE bubbles!

I just blow them toward the camera and I sing a little song to the tune of “Lollipop, lollipop oh lolli lolli lolli…” It goes, “Bubble time, bubble time, oh bubble bubble time.” I just sing that one line, then I say, “It’s BUBBLE TIME!!! Way to go!!! Good job!!! You! Get! BUBBLES!!!” And I blow bubbles. Lots of bubbles, lol. I use the mini bubbles that come on necklaces because they don’t take up much desk space and they tend to make tons of mini bubbles which get a great reaction.

Here are my top tips for blowing bubbles around your computer or laptop: Blow toward the camera aiming for them to fly jusssssst over the top of the camera…but not landing/popping directly onnnnnnn the camera. If that happens, no worries, just wipe it off lest you be all blurry/foggy for the rest of the class. Blow them up high, and blow them fast so they fly passssst your laptop and don’t land onnnnnn your keyboard, lest it get all sticky with bubble residue. Blow them away from your mousepad too…it gets slimy. Can you tell I’m speaking from lots of experience here? I’m going to get a bubble gun so that I don’t have to move my mic every time. (Plus, they make bubble guns that light up!) But if you don’t have a bubble gun you will want to move the mic out of the way as well to avoid bubbles on your mic annnnnnd to avoid making a loud blowing sound in your student’s ear.

The second top reward is lollipops! I buy the larger lollipops but you can get a variety to mix it up. I’m planning to get the big big big ones that are all striped that you find at amusement parks and spend 10 bucks on for your kid…then after twenty minutes of trying to get that thing open they take one taste and are done. Yeah. Those. lol They’re gross but they will get a good reaction! Your VIPKID students will light up!

Coming in third are fidget spinners! Students love these!! I always spin it then balance it on one finger. Sometimes I get real fancy and I spin two at once. A student taught me that. They love fidget spinners! They often run and get their own fidget spinner! In fact, they have even taught me how to say fidget spinner in Chinese. It is lull mall how chun. Yep. Pretty sure that’s it. Nailed it. Although, it does sound different every time someone tells me.

My fourth favorite reward is candy from a pez dispenser. I use a truck and a Chewbacca but any pez dispenser will do. I sing the Star Wars song as I’m holding Chewbacca up to the camera and then I pop out a candy at the end. With the truck I make truck noises and pop one out for them right up close to the camera. Fun times! “You get CANDY from Chewbacca!!!!!” It takes about 5 seconds but they love it.

The fifth most popular reward is food. That’s right. Food. And yep, I mean whatever you’ve got in your pantry that day. I give grapes. Blueberries. Strawberries. Bananas. Cookies. Twinkies. Popsicles. Oranges. You name it and I’ve probably given it as a reward. They love it!

Here are more non-crafty rewards you can use. The supply is limitless! Just see what you have in the house and make it an exciting reward!! Anything works if you make it exciting!! “You get TOILET PAPER!!!!!!” Ok…maybe not anything.

The BEST Non-Crafty Rewards for VIPKID Students

Bubbles

Lollipops (also good for teaching colors & unhealthy foods)

Fidget Spinners (also good for teaching colors and shapes)

Pez Dispenser

Food (also doubles as props for lessons on food)

Coins

Dollars

Seashells

Sports balls

Stuffed animals

Erasers

Any cheap party favors

Dice

Blocks

Squinkies

Dinosaurs

Any Plastic Toy Animal

Chips (Cheez-Its come in a pack that has letters on each cracker! They’re called Cheez-It Scrabble Jr. These are very fun and also work for teaching letters/letter sounds!) The list goes on!

I’d love to hear what your best (non-crafty) rewards for VIPKID students are!