Reward ideas for kids that aren't toys
The best rewards for kids are often not things at all. Time with you, a choice they get to make, or a small privilege like staying up late can mean more to a child than another toy, and they cost little or nothing. In Little Streaks, your child earns a star for every day they finish a routine, and saves those stars up for rewards you choose.
What makes a good reward?
- Your child actually wants it. Ask them. The rewards kids pick themselves are the ones they work towards.
- You're happy to give it. If a reward is something you'd rather not do, it tends to get put off, and a reward that keeps being put off stops working.
- It can happen soon after it's earned. A trip to the park this weekend is easier to wait for than a holiday next year.
- It's the right size. Small rewards that come often, and a bigger one to save up for, keep things going between the two.
What rewards cost nothing?
- Choose what's for dinner one night
- Stay up 15 minutes later
- Choose the movie for family movie night
- Pick the music in the car
- A pyjama day on the weekend
- Have breakfast in the backyard, or a picnic dinner on the lounge room floor
- Skip one job on the chore list
- Choose the family game after dinner
- Build a cubby house in the lounge room and sleep in it
- Be the one who decides the weekend outing
- Have a friend over to play
- Extra screen time (there's more on screen time as a reward)
What rewards are time together?
For many kids, time alone with a parent is the reward they ask for most, especially with brothers and sisters around.
- A trip to the park or the playground
- Baking something together
- An extra bedtime story, or a chapter of a longer book
- A bike ride or a walk with just Mum or Dad
- A board game or a puzzle together
- A hot chocolate date at a café
- A trip to the library to choose new books
- Helping to plan and cook a meal
- A visit to the beach, the pool or a favourite playground further away
- An afternoon doing their favourite thing, their way
What about bigger rewards?
A bigger reward gives your child something to save up for over a few weeks. A sleepover, a day trip, the cinema, a new book or a small toy can all work. Keep one or two small rewards going at the same time, so there's always something close enough to reach.
How many stars should a reward cost?
In Little Streaks, a child earns one star for each day they finish a routine. A child with a morning routine and a bedtime routine can earn two stars a day, so up to fourteen in a week.
A good starting point is to price the first reward so it can be earned in about a week. That first one matters most: it shows your child that the stars really do turn into something. When you add a reward, Little Streaks suggests a few to start with, each with a price you can change:
- Trip to the park: 5 stars
- Choose dinner: 7 stars
- Extra screen time: 10 stars
- Stay up late: 10 stars
- Baking together: 12 stars
- Movie night: 15 stars
- A small toy: 25 stars
- Sleepover: 40 stars
You can set any price from 1 to 200 stars. If a reward is taking too long, lower it. If stars are piling up, add something bigger to save for.
How do rewards work in Little Streaks?
- You add a reward with a name, an icon or emoji, and its price in stars.
- Your child sees how many stars they have and how close they are to each reward.
- When they have enough, they tap the reward and are asked to find a grown-up.
- You pass the grown-up check and give the reward. The stars come off their total.
You decide when a reward happens, so "movie night" can still wait until Friday. You can also give or take stars yourself, with a short note, for something helpful done outside a routine. There's more on how this works in grown-up controls.
Each child has their own stars and rewards. Little Streaks is free for one child with one reward, and Little Streaks Family adds more children and as many rewards as you like.
Should kids get a reward for every task?
Little Streaks rewards finishing the routine, not each task in it. Every finished routine earns a star, and stars add up to the rewards you choose.
Can my child choose their own rewards?
Your child can't add or change rewards themselves, because that needs a grown-up. But asking them what they'd like to work towards, then adding it together, is a good way to start.
What if my child wants a reward they don't have enough stars for?
They can see how many more stars they need, which is part of the point. If a reward feels out of reach, lower its price or add a smaller one to reach first.
Little Streaks is a routines and rewards app for kids, for iPhone and iPad. Free to start, with up to two routines.
