11 Virtual Class Rewards Ideas

I had to get creative when it came to class rewards ideas this year! One of my greatest challenges as a virtual teacher has been motivating my students to participate. Pre-covid, it was easy to encourage student participation because I could take out my big jar of jolly ranchers and they would immediately start raising their hands! As we settle into virtual learning, I’ve noticed the same 5 hands being raised, the same 5 cameras being on, the same 5 students engaged. But, what about the other 25? Nothing. Not a peep. Until I started incorporating these low and no-cost class rewards!

Whole-Class Rewards

1. Among Us

If you have not heard of this game yet, either do a quick google search or ask your students if they play! When I asked my students, the room (Zoom) lit up! They were so excited to tell me all about it! As a reward, you could play a game of “Among Us” with your students for 15 minutes or more at the beginning or end of class. Note: There is a 10 player maximum per game so you could start a few groups. Just have 3 kids start a private game and share the code with the rest of the class in the chatbox. 

2. Pick Your Groups (Breakout Rooms)

This one is a no-brainer. Students love choosing their groups! The groups could either be to play a game or just chat for a few minutes. I suggest planning for this one by having students submit a Google or Microsoft Form with who they’d like to be in their groups. 

3. Lunch Bunch

Have lunch with your students! Middle schoolers are begging for social time, even if it is with you! You can play games or chat while you eat together. 

4. Extra Kahoots

I have never seen a student NOT get excited for Kahoot. These can be academic Kahoots or use some Trivia ones (my students love Disney Trivia). 

Individual Class Rewards

1. Positive Email Home

Students, especially middle schoolers, want to be on their parent’s good side! A positive email home is always a nice surprise for the parents and students live for it! My students often ask that I wait to send the email on Fridays, that way they are sure to have a great weekend!

2. DJ for the Day

I love to play music in my classroom whenever possible. Students often make song requests. DJ for the Day is just how it sounds, the winning student gets to choose the appropriate music that is played during class, with emphasis on appropriate. 

3. Co-Host

Students love love love feeling like they have a little bit of power. Your Co-Host could help monitor chatbox questions and choose who is unmuted during Zoom sessions. 

4. Choose Brain Breaks

For this one, you could let a student choose the brain breaks for the day. In my classroom, we love to do quick dance, stretch, and meditation breaks. 

5. Choose Attendance Question

At the beginning of each Zoom session, I display an attendance question that students answer in the chatbox, for example, “What did you have for dinner last night?” This reward would allow the winning student to choose the question! 

6. Send a Vinyl Sticker

For this one, you can order a set of vinyl stickers from Amazon and mail them inside of a notecard. Students LOVE stickers. My students love TikTok and Among Us stickers linked respectively here and here.

7. Send a Scratch Off Postcard

“You’ve got mail!” You know how excited you get when you have mail? Students are the same way! With this one, you can add a mystery reward (using options #1-6 above) underneath a scratch-off sticker! If you’re interested, I have created a template that you can use, check it out here. 

If you try out one of these individual or whole class rewards, I’d love to hear how it goes!