Podcasts are an excellent way to have your kids LEARN while being entertained.
And if you listen to podcasts together it can become a special time for the whole family, whether on long car rides or while at home.
There are some amazing podcasts out there! We did the research for you. Below is a list of 40 top growth mindset and character-building podcasts for children, teens, and adults.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our Free Personal & Family Values (PDF). This printable provides a great opportunity for your family to explore and identify values that can help guide you and your children in making the right choices.
The Big Life Kids podcast helps children develop a GROWTH MINDSET! Join Leo and Zara as they explore the world, discover growth mindset strategies, and hear inspiring stories of real-life role models who’ve overcome real challenges. |
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This family-friendly podcast inspires kids (and adults!) to pursue their passions in life and take action to make their dreams a reality. Its 20-30 minute format makes for the perfect length for parents and kids to listen in the car on the way to school, activities, or playdates. |
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This podcast is a new way for families to connect, look up and discover the wonders of the world around them. The hosts Mindy and Guy guide curious kids and their grown-ups away from their screens and on a journey. |
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Short stories that help children calm down and relax by guiding them through visualization and breathing exercises. Perfect for parents or teachers who want to teach mindfulness and self-regulation to kids. |
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Story Time is a fortnightly audiobook podcast for children ages 2-13. Each story is usually less than 20 minutes long, hopefully just long enough to keep your toddler, preschoolers, and little ones engaged. |
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Each week, Mr. Eric takes a "what if?" question from a friend and spins it into a story just for you! |
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This show answers questions submitted by kids. It tackles topics large and small, about nature, words, and even the end of the world. |
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A science podcast for curious kids and adults. Co-hosted each week by kid scientists and reporters from public radio. The topics discussed range from the science behind sneezing to how to translate the purr of cats. |
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A fast-paced fun-filled ethics podcast for kids and their parents that asks those curly questions. From banning lollies to trusting robots, and from colonizing other planets to eating pets, Short & Curly covers it all. |
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Storynory brings you an audio story every week. Each one is beautifully read by Natasha and friends. Let Natasha's voice beguile you with classic fairy tales, new children's stories, poems, myths, adventures, and romance. |
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This podcast stars toddlers Pavlos and Angela Pavlidis and their thirty-something dad Nick Pavlidis. This is the podcast where you get to listen in on a little father-son and daddy-daughter time and learn about great resources to connect with your kids. |
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A fairy tale podcast about the extraordinary women who inspire us. This show is based on Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls, the global best-selling book series written by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo, inspiring millions of girls and women around the world to dream bigger, aim higher, and fight harder. |
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A storytelling podcast for kids ages 3 to 10, tells carefully-selected folktales from around the world with an eye toward inclusivity. Stories are adapted for today's families into 10 to 20 minute diverse episodes that delve into topics such as kindness, persistence, and generosity. |
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Original audio stories for families around the world. |
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The Story Pirates aren’t your typical swashbuckling sailors. We don’t steal gold, pillage villages, or claim land; We’re searching for a different kind of treasure: kids’ wildest, most imaginative stories. |
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Be Calm on Ahway Island features short stories for kids to listen to for free! Each relaxing story contains a guided meditation and a positive message. |
These talks by the world's leading thinkers and doers will inspire, intrigue, and stir your imagination. A great variety of topics for kids and parents. |
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Hosts John and Hank Green (authors and YouTubers) offer both advice about life’s big and small questions. They bring their personal passions to each episode by sharing the week’s news.
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This music-based podcast for teens, by teens, focuses on teenage mental health-related issues. |
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Teen life coach, Sami Halvorsen, discusses topics that many teen girls face including anxiety, self-confidence, and more. |
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Mostly Mindful for Teens & Tweens Podcast This weekly podcast explores strategies and concepts to support teens to build resiliency. The podcast episodes teach age-appropriate mindfulness strategies, based on self-compassion practice. |
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Whether the topic is popcorn or particle physics, you can count on BrainStuff to explore - and explain - the everyday science in the world around us. |
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Will and Mango have lots of questions. Will we ever live without sleep? How do rats keep outsmarting humans? Where are the sunniest tax havens to hide your money? Join these Part-Time Geniuses as they dive into ridiculous topics... and discover some pretty smart stuff along the way. |
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This podcast covers a variety of teen-related topics such as moving, friendships, parents, body image, confidence, managing anxiety, and how to be happier as a teenager. |
Big Life with Alexandra Eidens This podcast is designed to help you program, your brain for abundance, gratitude, and joy. Listen to the audio affirmations once a day to get rid of limiting beliefs that are negatively impacting your life. |
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The Raising Lifelong Learners podcast helps parents -- especially homeschooling parents -- encourage their differently-wired kids to learn, explore passions, cultivate creativity, and become fascinated by the world around them. Join Colleen Kessler -- educational consultant, gifted specialist, author, and speaker for tips and encouragement to help your differently-wired kiddos become lifelong learners. |
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The hosts tell stories of modern dads. These are the guys that are not only involved in their children’s lives, but active and engaged in the decisions, the drudgery, the pain, and the joys of parenthood. |
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Liz Gumbinner and Kristen Chase invite celebrity guests for candid parenting discussions and a good dose of humor. |
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Zen Parenting is a weekly online radio discussion between a spiritual and emotional mom (Cathy Cassani Adams) and a logical and practical dad (Todd Adams). |
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Have a strong-willed child who doesn't respond to consequences, argues like an attorney, and refuses to do things your way? Celebrate Calm Founder Kirk Martin has given over 750,000 parents and teachers around the world practical, life-changing strategies to stop power struggles, yelling, and defiance today. |
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This top podcast focuses on learning disabilities, special education, ADHD, autism, giftedness, twice-exceptionality, and more. It features transformational interviews and conversations with authors, parenting experts, educators, and other parents, as well as insightful conversations between Debbie and her differently-wired child, all aimed at supporting parents raising differently-wired kids. |
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Erin Royer-Asrilant, LA's go-to expert on all things parenting and child development for today’s common challenges, covers way more than just discipline. She dives into topics such as self-esteem, development and health, modern parenting issues, and even education. |
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The pediatrician, mother, & best-selling author engages with experts & parents to take on relevant issues, answer real questions, & provide simple hope & encouragement to every parent. |
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Commonly known as Australia’s ‘queen of common sense’, Maggie is an author, educator, & parenting & resilience specialist. She is a dedicated advocate for quietly changing lives in our families and communities. |
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Janet Lansbury is a parenting expert and the author of two books on babies and toddlers. Her soothing, reassuring advice makes you feel as if you really can be a calm, confident parent. Her approach focuses on respect for the child and acceptance of their emotions and development. |
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The Mindful Kind, hosted by Rachael Kable, shares exciting insights into mindfulness journeys and provides listeners with simple and effective practices to incorporate into their own lives. |
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You ARE the right mom for your kids. Motherhood is too important to do alone and too serious to be so serious all the time. You deserve self-care that isn't hygiene every day. You are a world changer. |
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The Better Behavior Show with Dr. Nicole Beurkens Dr. Beurkens specializes in resolving problems that many families and professionals deem unsolvable. She recognizes that beneath the many challenging symptoms children and young adults exhibit are people capable of more. |
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Join clinical psychologist and mom of three Dr. Becky Kennedy on her weekly podcast, as she takes on tough parenting questions and delivers actionable guidance--all in short episodes. |
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The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast Childhood is finite at just shy of 9.5 million minutes. We only get one shot at it. One of the biggest decisions we make is how will we use that time. |
Need a little inspiration? Look no further. Download the Family Gratitude Challenge!
This activity will help your children count their blessings in life by developing a gratitude state of mind. You can do this together as a family or work on it individually. The result is a beautiful holiday craft to remind us of the many things we have to be thankful for.
Bring the numerous physical and mental health benefits of gratitude to your family!
Make this challenge a part of your night routine or family dinner time for the next 21 days (that's how long it takes to build a habit). Gratitude needs to be cultivated like any other skill. Help your family develop a gratitude mindset by training your default thinking and state of being to focus on deep internal appreciation.
Use this fun printable at the dinner table or before bed to build this important habit.
]]>We recommend journaling together as a bonding experience. Our journals are designed to help people of all ages develop positive mindsets and essential life skills. By encouraging self-love, gratitude, and kindness, our journals can help foster confidence and resilience and ensure that young minds grow into happy and confident adults. Go here to shop our holiday bundles.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE Personal & Family Values. This printable provides a great opportunity for your family to explore and identify values that can help guide you and your children in making the right choices.
Before choosing a gift, think about what goes on in the life of a middle schoolboy. For example, height and weight can change, leaving some young men feeling awkward and clumsy. While others become more in-tune with their fine and gross motor skills, helping them excel at sports.
At this age, children begin to understand the world's rules, including the power of influence. As a result, they can problem-solve better and start using planning skills more regularly. Peer pressure takes form and can become an issue for some. Middle school boys may become moody as they become more introspective and try to deal with emotions that become more intense with the influx of hormonal changes.
If you know your middle schooler's passions, gift-giving becomes easy. Think about traditional areas of interest, like comics, space exploration, and sports, to help get ideas flowing.
1. The Comic Book Mystery Box by Cratejoy offers a sampling of 15 comic books each month. Some are vintage, some are new, and some are first issues. The box is an excellent way for your middle schooler to enjoy their favorites and branch out to discover new ones.
2. Celestron Powerseeker Telescope is the perfect beginner telescope for star-struck middle school boys. The 70mm refractor telescope with glass optics in a lightweight frame is powerful enough for star viewing and the moon and planets.
3. Sports Box Inc. offers subscription boxes for several sports, including baseball, softball, football, soccer, hockey, and basketball. Each box comes with a collection of snacks, gear, swag, and aids to help your middle school boy hone their skills.
Gifts for middle school boys should also get them out and moving. Focus on exercise and enjoying the outdoors for gifts middle schoolers will love.
4. Zumiez Z-flex Bamboo Pin 38-inch Longboard is a great starting board to help your middle schooler explore their neighborhood. Don't forget the helmet, wrist, and kneepads as well.
5. Easy Play Sports has a Bag of Balls sure to please your most active middle schooler. The kit comes with a soccer ball, football, basketball, dodge ball, and pump to keep them all aired and ready.
6. Prospin's 2 Player All-in-One Portable Table Tennis Set provides traveling fun anywhere your pre-teen travels. The set includes two paddles, three ping pong balls, and a 72-inch retractable net.
While blocks are a great starter toy for toddlers, as children age, their skill levels grow. LEGO sets foster growth with more complicated builds that force children to reach higher levels of engineering feats. Other STEM-minded kits can help your middle schooler nurture their love of building and problem-solving.
7. LEGO has the ultimate Star Wars gift with their Imperial Light Cruiser. The 1,336-piece set provides hours of entertainment with a fabulous completed model to showcase. LEGO also has many other themes, including Harry Potter, Marvel, etc.
8. Tinker Crate Engineering Three Pack provides three different activities focusing on friction, electricity, and hydraulics.
9. MEL Science has a fun subscription providing your middle schooler with two to three experiments to delve into. In addition, the subscriptions include monthly live classes with tutors to help guide children.
Don't forget to download our FREE Personal & Family Values printable. These colorful cards will help your family explore values to can help guide you in making the right choices.
For children who aren't interested in athletics, the great outdoors still holds many adventures. So while traditional sports may not be their passion, they may find new skills, such as becoming a kite flyer, which provides competitive fun.
10. Big Man Boomerang has great boomerangs for beginners. The boomerangs increase eye-hand coordination, balance, and control giving middle schoolers a new game to play at a nearby park.
11. Pro Kites USA offers their 60" Raptor Osprey Sport Kite offers a great introduction to kite flying. With nylon and fiberglass construction, this sturdy kit is excellent for beginners and may just ignite a new passion in your middle schooler.
Stress comes into to play during the middle school years. Gifts for middle school boys that help them ease tension and relieve nervous energy not only help with emotional regulation but also focus.
12. The Teen Edition from Big Life Journal provides young men with a way to express themselves and delve into their feelings. It also focuses on growth mindset thinking to help foster self-awareness and self-esteem.
13. Outschool has martial arts classes that offer online classes. These classes not only help increase focus and concentration but provide a way to release nervous energy.
14. SHASHIBO's 3D Magnetic Puzzle Box is the ultimate fidget toy requiring focus, concentration, and patience. With intriguing colors and solid plastic, the puzzle can become 70 different shapes.
15. Mosiac offers Customized Weighted Blankets in several sizes and themes. These blankets are a fantastic way to help tired pre-teens wind down in the evening or after an extra-stressful day at school.
Finding the perfect gift for your middle school-aged boy can be easy when you consider their passions, interests, and developmental stage. However, gifts don't have to be all fun and games, and pre-teen boys are sure to love science kits, sports-related fun, and age-appropriate engineering activities. Remember to think outside the box and concentrate on what's essential to your middle schooler and how you want to support their needs.
]]>Here are 17 great gifts for preschoolers to get the child in your life something unique they’ll love.
]]>Gift-giving should simply add sustenance to their routines, interactions with the world, and the people around them. Here are 17 great gifts for preschoolers to get the child in your life something unique they’ll love.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE Personal & Family Values. This printable provides a great opportunity for your family to explore and identify values that can help guide you and your children in making the right choices.
Preschool spans infancy through kindergarten and includes children between ages 2 ½ to 4 ½ years old. Gifts should therefore consider your child's needs, strengths, and interests.
Safety is a significant consideration for this age group as choking hazards abound. In addition, children at these ages may still be testing their environment through chewing and sucking on toys, so be mindful of this when choosing a toy. You may also want to consider the ease of cleaning. From blocks to blankets and stuffed animals, cleaning should be accomplished with relative ease.
Frugal parents will appreciate the best gifts for preschoolers will last and grow with their children. These toys should stand up to the wear and tear of little hands allowing children to continue to construct amazing things for years to come.
1. The Duplo Creative Fun Playset is a good starting point for getting your little one excited about building. With a few easy building ideas and a lot of room for creativity, this set provides the perfect canvas for the imagination. Duplo blocks have become the standard with so many choices at any age. They can be used with instructions for specific models or allow free-flow thinking. Additional playsets expand for hours and years of play.
2. The 60 Standard Unit Blocks from KAPLAN are the standard for most preschool learning environments. Built to last for years and to allow for the most creative thinking, this set is a brilliant choice for your little builder. Wooden blocks are an excellent choice with the ability to adapt to and be used with other toys. For example, children can make a wooden block castle for their action figures and dolls.
3. STEM-supporting sets like Robot Engineer allow young children to venture into the world of building robotics. These sets keep 3-4 year-olds occupied even after the creation is complete.
4. The Ultimate Fort Builder by Lakeshore allows children 4+ to construct the perfect fort they can sit in. These sets make buildings your child can enter. With some adult supervision, preschoolers will appreciate the majestic new buildings they can play in.
Children learn through modeling and we see positive outcomes when they are provided opportunities to play house, doctor, and school. For example, they may enjoy dressing up to look like parents or caregivers by wearing big shoes and clothes during play. They may also begin having more of an interest in helping with cooking and other household chores.
5. Helping Hands from Montessori by Mom provides a beautiful starter set of products to promote independence and a sense of community. Children can take part in chores at home and in other environments, fostering teamwork and self-awareness.
6. Manine Montessori's Children's Baking Set is just one of the many pretend play sets that can prepare your child for independence in the kitchen. The collection is made of sturdy wood and is small for little hands, allowing your child to bake next to you while you’re busy in the kitchen.
7. KAPLAN's Career Dramatic Play Garments for Preschool provides child-size clothes representing several careers, from doctor to airline pilot. Multiple sets are available to expand career choices and allow children to emulate essential roles in their community.
Children also enjoy cars and town sets for pretend play - to pick up groceries, go to school, a park, and other places just like their parents or caregivers do. Playsets promote turn-taking and community-focused play while helping introduce directions and positions like left, right, up, down, above, and below.
8. Melissa and Doug's Wooden Town Playset creates the best foundation for teaching children about the world around them. The kit helps your child develop their town to experiment with buildings, trees, and street signs. Expansion sets can add cars and people to the fun.
9. Big Red Barn from Bratta Toys gives children fun on a farm with small hand-friendly animals and farmers, which gives the feeling of live life on a farm. The durable farm opens up to provide space for farm animals and any other toys your child would like to bring into their pretend play.
10. Ikea's Stradsdel Town Rug provides a base with roads and landmarks on which your child can drive their favorite cars and pretend-play with their favorite dolls and action figures. The bright colors draw children in and the durability and cleaning ease will please parents who hadn’t noticed their child drinking juice on the floor.
Gardening with young children is a staple for most preschool settings as are neighborhood hikes. Here are some sets to expand your child’s knowledge of gardening, hiking, and other ways to enjoy nature.
11. The Junior Garden Tote and Tool Set by Discovery Toys offers child-size tools and gloves for working in the yard. Your child can plant seeds and learn responsibility by caring for and nurturing the seedlings. The toys are durable for rough and tumble play; the tools are also easily cleaned and will last for many years of fun.
12. The Camping Gear Toys Tent Set by Mitcien has everything your little explorer needs to experience a campout. The set includes a tent as well as a light-up lantern, and a glowing camping stove.
13. Deuter Pico's Children's Backpack is a top choice for little ones on the go. The child-friendly size and weight allow young children to carry their own water, snacks, and anything significant for their journeys without straining growing bodies.
14. Little Passports offers a monthly subscription to give children the opportunity to experience different parts of the world. For example, the first month starts in Brazil with a pretend suitcase, passport, and map to new adventures.
Educational gifts for preschoolers have to include art materials. Regardless of age, you can never go wrong buying children's art supplies. Art projects not only promote creativity, but they can also become a solid coping skill that grows with your child.
15. Kaplan’s All About Me-Creative Open-Ended Arts Kit includes components for studying basic anatomy, making self-portraits, and more!
16. Big Life Journal has the best journals to enrich art activities for expression and self-identity. They are an excellent starting point to allow children to add their styles with glitter, paints, and even nature items from outside.
17. The Creative Kids Air Dry Clay Modeling Crafts Kit provides hours of art adventuring with all the tools children need to work a piece of clay into a masterpiece. The set comes with 50 packs of clay and tools needed to sculpt and decorate whatever your child chooses to create.
Gift-giving for preschoolers is easy when we pare things down and truly consider what children at this age seek. They are learning how to engage with their environment and the people important to them. Choose the best educational gifts for preschoolers to foster this connection and help them learn to engage with their loved ones and the world around them.
]]>We recommend journaling together as a bonding experience. Our journals are designed to help people of all ages develop positive mindsets and essential life skills. By encouraging self-love, gratitude, and kindness, our journals can help foster confidence and resilience and ensure that young minds grow into happy and confident adults. Go here to shop our holiday bundles.
Empowering Gifts for Middle School Girls
These 15 items make brain-building, confidence-boosting gifts for middle school girls. From inspiring books and journals, to opportunities to develop her hobbies and interests, these unique gifts will certainly motivate and empower middle school girls.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE Your Words Matter Kit. With these 10 popular parenting guides, you will know exactly how to speak to your children to help them develop confidence, internal motivation, and a can-do attitude.
1. Musical Instrument
If your child is musically talented, consider gifting an instrument. Finding and developing a passion is an excellent confidence boost and it gives children a real-world lesson in growth mindset. Plus, creative pursuits reduce anxiety, depression, and stress while increasing positivity. For a unique instrument choice, try a ukulele, harmonica, or harp.
2. Big Life Journal for Tweens and Teens
The Big Life Journal for Tweens and Teens is a science-based, beautifully designed tool for developing resilience and a growth mindset. It empowers teens to set goals, overcome challenges, transform negative self-talk, and realize the power of a growth mindset. Packed with engaging activities and colorful images, it’s a fun way to help middle school girls grow into confident resilient young women.
3. Ultimate Coding Kit
The Ultimate Coding Kit is perfect for young girls interested in STEM. It includes instructions, materials, and coding software for 110 cool coding projects. With “bug hunts,” code “challenges,” and exciting projects like a four-note piano, LCD screen Magic 8 Ball, and LED lights that respond to sound, this kit makes learning to code engaging and fun.
4. You Are a Girl Who Can Do Anything
You Are a Girl Who Can Do Anything: A Very Special Book to Cheer You On and Help You Achieve Greatness reminds girls to believe in themselves and boldly follow their dreams. With uplifting words and whimsical illustrations, it casts young girls as the heroines of their life stories. Readers are inspired to be great, be themselves, and achieve anything in a world of possibilities.
5. Be Mindful Card Deck for Teens The Be Mindful Card Deck for Teens includes three types of cards: Pay Attention With Senses (PAWS); Self-Compassion, Self-Acceptance, Self-Respect, Self-Esteem (SelfCARE), and Always Consider Other Responses Now (ACORN). The cards are an excellent introduction to mindfulness and focus on creating positive relationships, getting unstuck from negative thinking, and being present. They also make great conversation starters you can use with your tween or teen!
6. You Matter! Subscription Box
Give the gift of a monthly You Matter! subscription box to promote self-esteem and positive thinking. The box was developed by a school counselor to encourage and uplift students with therapeutic activities, self-care, and other items to help young people cope with everyday pressure.
7. Tie-Dye Kit
Another cool gift for middle school girls is a tie-dye kit. Young girls with an interest in art, fashion, or messy fun will love the chance to dye their own shirts, socks, pillowcases, or other accessories. Many tie-dye kits use non-toxic materials and some include instructional videos perfect for beginners.
8. The Confidence Code for Girls
The Confidence Code for Girls is a series of books designed to help middle-grade girls become bold, brave, and fearless enough to follow their dreams and reach their goals. Filled with graphic comic strips, challenges, lists and quizzes, and stories about real girls, each book inspires tween girls to embrace challenges and mistakes and live as their authentic selves. These empowering entertaining books make a thoughtful and heartfelt gift for tween girls.
9. Beginner Camera
Spark or deepen an interest in photography with a beginner camera. Photography is a creative way that can foster self-esteem and the development of new skills. Plus, young girls will love displaying their photos and sharing them with others. Owning a camera can lead to all kinds of exciting projects and opportunities, making it one of the best gifts for middle school girls.
10. Dixit
Dixit is an award-winning storytelling game that taps into players’ creativity and imagination. In each round, a player chooses a card from their hand and makes up a sentence inspired by the card’s illustration. Other players select cards from their own hands they think match the sentence. Cards are placed facedown and reshuffled and players then vote for the card that best matches the narrator’s story. The player whose card is selected earns points. This imaginative game includes 84 gorgeously illustrated cards and is best played with 3-6 players.
11. A Strong Girl’s Guide to Being
A Strong Girls’ Guide to Being: Exercises and Inspiration for Becoming a Braver, Kinder, Healthier You is part workbook, part journal. It’s an excellent guide for helping young girls become more confident as they navigate the trials and tribulations of middle school, high school, and life in general. It features inspiring quotes, short biographies, and simple reflective exercises. Exercises include noticing joyful moments throughout the day, practicing kind acts, unplugging from technology, and much more.
12. Calligraphy Set
Girls who love art will enjoy a calligraphy set for beginners. These kits often include calligraphy pens, nibs, colorful ink, and paper or art pages. Calligraphy takes a bit of time to master, teaching young girls they can do difficult things with practice. As her beautiful hand-lettering skills blossom so will her confidence.
13. 3-D Puzzle Globe
Geography and problem solving intertwine with this 540-piece 3-D Puzzle Globe. This challenging puzzle includes hinged and curved pieces that interlock, ultimately creating a 9-inch model of the Earth. After building, it makes an excellent desk display or room decoration.
14. A Year of Lessons
Give the gift of a meaningful learning experience by purchasing a year’s worth of lessons in an activity your teen or tween is interested in. This might include art, singing, a musical instrument, photography, horseback riding, or gymnastics. If your tween’s interests are unique, get creative with a membership to a rock climbing club or a local zoo or aquarium. Sometimes experiences truly make the best gifts for middle school girls!
15. Teen Trailblazers: 30 Fearless Girls Who Changed the World Before They Were 20
The trailblazing young girl in your life will love Teen Trailblazers, which tells the true stories of young women who made a big difference. It features original illustrations, engaging sidebars and quotes, and the empowering stories of 30 young women who changed the world. From inventors to activists to painters and politicians, these stories give young girls proof their choices and voices matter.
If you liked this list of cool gifts for middle school girls, you might also enjoy our lists of gifts for tweens and gifts for kids.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE Personal & Family Values. This printable provides a great opportunity for your family to explore and identify values that can help guide you and your children in making the right choices.
Depending on your child's age, select a gift appropriate for their development stage. This might differ from the recommended age, which is perfectly fine. Here are some gift ideas that can be utilized in a variety of ways.
Crayons and art supplies: From toddler to adulthood, crayons are something children of all ages enjoy. Choose thicker, chunkier crayons, markers, and pencils for little fingers. Items can become more slender as children's fine motor skills are honed. Don't throw away those old crayons - broken crayons are a great way to give fine motor skills a good workout.
Playdough, clay, and slime: Once a staple in preschool classes, this medium expands with children's creativity. Now used as a sensory integration item, playdough, and slime help children, young and older, work through frustrations, such as anger, while fostering their creativity. Fine motor skills also get an excellent workout.
Expression and emotional development: Think about ways to foster communication and self-expression like journal writing. For toddlers and preschoolers, pads of drawing paper are good ways for children to draw about their day. At around six years of age, journals with prompts for an older child to help foster emotional regulation.
Looking for a useful and fun way to introduce your child to journaling? The Big Life Journal - Daily Edition (ages 5-11) is a science-based journal that helps children grow resilient, confident, and emotionally healthy. The daily activities inside the journal help your child focus on encouraging, self-loving thoughts and wire their brain for growth mindset, resilience, confidence, gratitude, kindness, and self-love.
Caregivers are likely to enjoy toys that last while children will appreciate toys that can withstand rough play. Fun educational gifts for children are best when they stand the test of time.
LEGO bricks: These plastic blocks come in various sizes, dependent on the audience. Duplo blocks are an excellent starter for little ones, while Lego blocks progress in difficulty as children age.
Tinkertoys: These classic blocks are an excellent choice for fostering creativity. Children can also search online for directions to make famous sites of interest and buildings.
Lincoln Logs: These classic blocks are great for building first home creations but adapt and grow with your child's imagination. A starter kit will help preschoolers with fine motor skills, while older children will find fun using the logs alongside other toys. In addition, Lincoln Logs can build the perfect home for action figures and even dolls.
As children age, their needs and desires change. One option is toys that remain interesting for the long haul. Toys should not only be able to hold your child’s interest, but also remain adaptable for your child’s needs.
Experience Gifts: These gifts provide a live experience for children and families. Whether taking a ceramics class or going horseback riding, these gifts are flexible and can adapt to the ages and needs of your little one.
Building materials: Toys like blocks are highly adaptable and toys such as LEGO bricks can provide your child with hours of joy from preschool through adulthood.
Crafting toys: Providing children with a new hobby or craft gives your child opportunities to expand their abilities and fosters a love of learning. Crocheting and knitting, sewing, carpentry, and painting are just a few crafting ideas to ignite your child's next passion. For example, a child who begins painting in grade school may find themself winning art contests in high school, perhaps acquiring an art scholarship later.
There are several technologically-minded toys to choose from, so be aware of how you feel about your child using technology. Screen time is a consideration many caregivers forget.
If your child has a 30-minute screen time limit and you give them a game that requires more time to master, you may end up with lots of frustration and tears. Tech-minded gifts stimulate your child’s brain while also nurturing cause-and-effect thinking. The games can aid hand-eye coordination and motor skill-building. However, it is best to be mindful of screen time and make sure to set time limits appropriate for your child’s age.
Keep screen time to a minimum toward bedtime as blue screens can hinder the natural circadian rhythm.
Computers: Computers have become a less expensive choice for many families, with units like the Chromebook meeting even the most fiscal budgets. Computers do require parents to maintain a connection with children and computers to ensure safety and protection.
Tablets: Like computers, tablets also require safety and protective features. They do provide intriguing apps and programs that allow children to research and engage with unique opportunities. Science-focused children can enjoy partaking in chemical experiments without danger or conducting dissections without actually harming animals.
Computer Games: While children can become addicted to games and spend hours mindlessly playing, parents can provide guidelines and rules to ensure appropriate play. Games like Minecraft allow children to foster creativity and imagination (think video-version Lego bricks). Computer games also allow children to interact and play with others in person and online. Social groups allow children with similar interests in games to meet up in person and online, to share what they are building, as well as tricks and tips for the game.
Don't forget to download our FREE Personal & Family Values. These colorful and easy-to-use cards will help guide you and your family in making the right choices.
Making sure your child is learning is essential, but you also want to be certain children are drawn to the toy and use it. Be sure you find items that are both educational and fun. Choose toys that embrace your child's interests but also promote critical thinking and problem-solving.
Problem-solving: Toys requiring problem-solving, like puzzles, are a fantastic way to maintain attention. From hand puzzles and jigsaws to brain teasers, these clever games provide hours of learning and entertainment.
Embrace hobbies and interests: Books are usually a safe gift, but make it memorable by honing their interests. A stack of dinosaur-focused material will become a gift that keeps giving for the little paleontologist in your life.
Bet on science: Science kits are another option to maintain a child's interest. Items to support science experiments and learning the scientific method are a great choice. Think about telescopes, microscopes, or chemistry sets. Be sure to keep age appropriateness in mind.
It's wonderful when a toy serves multiple purposes. From a financial standpoint and for maintaining children’s interests. Gifts that serve multiple roles usually remain high on the lists of toys which serve as your child’s faves.
Dolls and action figures: These items serve multiple purposes. They can teach colors, body parts and foster socialization. They also help children act out their feelings and talk about things that might be difficult to express otherwise.
Magnetic play pieces: These can be made up of stories, places, or professions. They can also include words and names for older children wanting to piece together sentences.
Planes, trains, and automobiles: Like dolls, these gifts will provide a means for safely acting out feelings as well as your child's own stories. They can help children work through fears. For example, a child afraid of flying can become better acquainted with a toy plane to lessen the anxiety.
A child's success often hangs on their environment and the support they receive for their individual needs. The best educational gifts for kids consider their needs. Children with sensory considerations may require more thoughtful ideas when looking at how that child interacts best with their environment. For example, children may be sensitive to loud noises or flashing lights. Other children may benefit from that type of toy.
Gift buying becomes easier when you know your child's interests and abilities and you find items that complement their uniqueness. Even thinking back to your childhood can help you consider gifts you enjoyed and ones that kept your interest. For example, to choose cool educational gifts for kids, think if you had a toy you hated to part with, then consider something similar for your child.
If you’re looking for games that make great gifts, we’ve curated a list of 13 educational games for kids here!
]]>All games can be educational. It comes down to how we approach them.
While some have obvious academic elements, they can also teach kids how to develop a healthy competitive mindset as well as positive social skills.
Here, we'll explore 13 of our favorite educational games for kids, including apps and online games, board games, games requiring no equipment, and options for the playground.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE Personal & Family Values. This printable provides a great opportunity for your family to explore and identify values that can help guide you and your children in making the right choices.
Though there are benefits to outdoor play over screen time, all parents know sometimes you need to allow screen time so you can keep one eye on your tasks and one eye on your kids.
Instead of enduring the sounds of that TV show all day—you know the one! —consider giving one of these computer or mobile games a try.
ABCmouse.com is a site with educational games for kids. It has over 10,000 activities to teach children between ages two and eight about art, math, science, and reading. It has won awards from both parent and teacher organizations and you can find dozens of testimonials in its favor.
ABCYa aligns with Common Core standards for pre-K through grades 6+. The games cover school subjects like art, English, math, science, and more.
One unique educational game offering is typing: unlike in years past, typing isn't often taught in schools—despite most standardized tests requiring the skill. Thankfully, ABCYa can help teach your child this necessary skill.
ABCYa offers free and paid subscription options.
Alt: Kahoot game open on a cell phone screen. It says Kahoot at the top, then has four squares of different colors so players can answer questions.
Unlike the other games on this list, Kahoot! offers both pre-made games and the option of creating your own. (As a bonus, they have an entire set of growth mindset lessons ready to go, which you can use to supplement your materials from Big Life Journal!)
This trivia game allows learners to play on their computer, phone, or tablet. Players sign into a game using a unique code and answer questions as quickly as possible. You can add explanations of answers between each question, too, making it a good way to study for tests.
Kids can also create their own Kahoot! trivia sessions, allowing them to create the best educational game for kids in their class.
With users in over 200 countries, this site and app are among the most popular educational game platform in the world.
Alt: Screenshot from new Oregon Trail app game showing settlers with an ox and covered wagon walking through a green field on a sunny day with a rainbow in the sky
The Oregon Trail has been one of the most popular educational games for kids for decades. In addition to learning about U.S. history, children also learn how to make decisions about money, safety, and resources.
The game has undergone many innovations over the years. The most recent version was created in collaboration with Indigenous historians to help make the game more historically accurate and lessen stereotypes about Native Americans.
You can find several older versions online (without the recent accuracy and inclusivity updates), but the newest one is available for Apple devices.
Whether cooperative or competitive, board games of all stripes can be educational. They teach how to be good winners, good "losers," and, with cooperative games, teamwork.
Board games can also help children (and adults) improve their spelling, math, and deduction skills. Whether you’re hosting a family game night or a fun classroom activity, consider playing one of these educational board games for kids.
Scrabble is one of the best educational games for kids because it challenges their spelling skills while also teaching them patience. While playing, kids need to learn to control their frustrations when they have only vowels to play with.
Scrabble is available in a variety of languages, too. So if you're teaching a Spanish class, for instance, it could be a good way to get your kids thinking about language in a new way.
Younger children may prefer the Scrabble Junior version, and, if you're interested in taking the game with you when you travel, there is also a mobile app version of the game.
The original Codenames game is competitive and collaborative, allowing players to work on both sets of skills simultaneously. Players also must make creative connections between words to win, expanding vocabulary and problem-solving skills.
Since the original version was released, Codenames has seen many spin-offs from its creator, Czech Games. These include options with just pictures, themed after brands like Disney, as well as a two-person version. No matter which version you choose, the educational value of these games remains.
Yahtzee teaches math, logic, and the ability to make educated guesses. So, whether you are playing a family game, teaching math, or learning about probability, this educational game for kids and adults may help.
This game also offers a variety of themed Junior editions, including Toy Story 3 and Spongebob Squarepants. As with Scrabble, they offer an app version called Yahtzee With Buddies on both Android and Apple.
DIY games are any games that require no equipment—or at least no equipment you wouldn't usually have on hand. Most of these games can be played indoors or outdoors, assuming you have enough room inside. (In schools, you might play these games in the gym, in an empty cafeteria, on the playground, or on an auditorium stage.)
With these educational games for kids, you can teach a variety of skills at no cost to you. In addition, they are highly interactive and usually allow you to create "house rules," meaning you can alter them to your liking since there isn't a rule book to follow. What's not to love?
In Red Light, Green Light, children practice active listening, watching for nonverbal cues, and gross and fine motor skills.
Here’s how it’s played:
A variation in this game involves giving the players a "style" in which to move. For instance, they all have to move like dinosaurs, birds, or anything else you can imagine. This doesn't typically involve new ways to get "out" (though you can add that layer if you want, in a way that works for your group). However, it adds novelty and creativity many children enjoy.
Simon Says, a classic educational game for kids, teaches listening skills, quick-thinking, and dexterity.
Here’s how to play:
For larger or more advanced groups, here is a variation:
You don't need to have any theatre background to teach improvisation (improv) games. You just need to be willing to make yourself look a bit silly, as active participation from adults—at least at the beginning—helps kids feel more comfortable.
There are hundreds of improv games available, all of which you can adapt for your children's needs. Improv offers some of the best educational games for kids because it helps with social skills, thinking on one's feet, and learning to laugh at yourself and with others.
Instead of going through a long list of games, here are a few resources to help you find the right options for your children:
Whether it's time for recess, a trip to the park, or even just playing in backyards, in most cases, these games must be played outside. While there are plenty of outdoor games that could be DIYs, such as tag or hide and seek, the ones below are some of our favorite educational playground games for kids.
Follow the leader can help improve motor skills, attention skills, and empathy. The motor and attention skills have to do with following the leader precisely. The empathy skills come from the leader and classmates taking what they know about each other and, without calling others out, choosing actions and paths everyone can follow.
This variation involves kids using playground equipment. Students follow each other upstairs, down slides, across monkey bars, and so forth.
There are dozens of jump rope games and activities, all of which work on children's dexterity, physical fitness, focus, and stamina.
Kids can learn the joys of playing alone from solo jump rope games, either with or without competition. Group jump rope games allow a lot of opportunity for collaboration, learning people's nonverbal cues, and chances to try again when things go wrong.
For a fun educational twist, you can hold a jump rope spelling bee where the jumper must spell a word, one letter at a time with each hop. You can also use jump roping as a fun way to practice counting for younger children or multiplication series for older kids.
Spelling ball is a simple educational game that encourages teamwork and creativity while teaching your kids how to spell. You can use Spelling ball to practice your class' spelling words or leave it more free form.
Here’s how it works:
For example,
You can make the game more difficult by requiring that each word have a minimum of four or five letters.
You could also do versions of this game that target different educational areas. With each pass of the ball, kids might count by fives, name a U.S. state, or recite the words of a poem—whatever works for you.
On top of practicing academic skills, Spelling Ball helps kids work on hand-eye coordination because it involves tossing a ball and maintaining focus. After all, they never know when the ball may come to them.
Games not only provide a much-needed break from life's pressures, but they also incorporate academic, social, and emotional education skills without kids realizing they are still in class.
As most games require kids to interact with one another, they can help with social anxiety, learn how to treat others well when they win or lose a game, and develop a growth mindset.
Games aren't the only effective addition to kids' learning needs, though. Arts and crafts, music and movement, and more are good options for enhancing children's skills.
]]>Below, we’ve compiled a fun list of gifts for tweens ages 9-12 to support the development of a growth mindset.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE Your Words Matter Volume 2 Kit. With these 10 one-page parenting guides, you will know exactly how to speak to your child to help them stand up for themselves, be more confident, and develop a growth mindset.
Each of these 19 items makes a fun, engaging, and empowering gift for tweens! Whether they’re building, creating, or doing some inspirational reading, these gifts will help the tween in your life feel confident and accomplished.
The Crayola Color Chemistry Set combines art and science into dozens of colorful experiments. Each experiment was designed by Crayola scientists. Activities include erupting volcanoes, sticky slime, tornadoes in a bottle, bouncing colored bubbles, color separation, and much more. With an easy-to-read instruction booklet, your tween will feel like a proud and successful color scientist!
The Big Life Journal for Tweens and Teens helps older children develop resilience and a growth mindset so they can become confident, happy adults. It empowers tweens to transform negative self-talk, set goals, learn to overcome challenges and setbacks, and realize the importance of their mindset. With colorful images and engaging activities, this science-based journal is a fun way to give tweens the gift of a growth mindset. Plus, learn how to make the most of the Big Life Journal with this helpful guide.
ZOOB is a 3-D modeling system with five different styles of pieces that pop, click, and snap together. Tweens can create designs that solve challenges, like bouncing a ball or hitting a target. It includes five instruction guides to build 40 creations, plus 35 engaging ZOOB challenges. Kids can build monsters, vehicles, or almost any creation their imaginations can dream up.
Daily Brain Games puzzles are fun but they’re also scientifically designed to improve brain function. The brain teasers range in difficulty from easy to difficult, providing an enjoyable challenge each day. Puzzles involve words, numbers, logic, and more. It’s a great family activity and one of our favorite educational gifts for tweens!
String Art Kits make beautiful, fun gifts for creative tweens. With string art kits, children use embroidery floss, pattern templates, and step-by-step instructions to create gorgeous pieces of art. Hang the designs in your home or classroom to provide an extra confidence boost!
Encourage your tween to build their visual perception and reasoning skills with this dynamic challenging Gravity Maze Falling Marble Logic Game. To win, players strategically place the Gravity Maze towers on the game grid with a path for the marble to reach its target. This fun maze game includes 60 different challenges, providing plenty of skill-building fun for tweens.
Learning the basics of coding, engineering, and robotics has never been more fun. The LEGO BOOST Creative Toolbox allows young builders to bring their creations to life with a free easy-to-use app. Your tween can build Vernie the Robot, Guitar4000, Frankie the Cat, or other exciting options. In the app, tweens learn basic coding to make Vernie talk, sing and rock out with their guitar, or take good care of Frankie the Cat. The app includes over 60 exciting educational activities that encourage creative problem solving, social play, and imagination.
Another gift for tweens that combines hands-on learning and digital fun is the Osmo Genius Kit. The kit includes tangrams, wordplay, creative physics problems, art activities, and number games. Download the app and have your tween use the tactile pieces to support positive and educational screen time. Children receive real-time feedback and learn the valuable lesson that there are multiple ways to solve a problem, making learning a creative and fun growth mindset experience.
Quadrillion puts a modern twist on the classic game of solitaire. Solo players use magnetic grids to create game boards and then solve the puzzle by fitting the game’s 12 colorful pieces onto their board. There is always at least one solution! This game stimulates logic, spatial insight, problem-solving, visual perception, and concentration—and it’s fun! Like many of the other gifts listed here, Quadrillion will teach your tween challenges are solvable and they can do difficult things. They will also see that, with practice, their brain becomes sharper and the game gets easier.
Mistakes That Worked is a wonderful book to teach tweens about the value of making mistakes. This collection of strange and delightful stories shows that many of our favorite inventions wouldn’t exist without mistakes. The book is packed with hilarious cartoons, amazing facts, and proof mistakes can actually make a positive difference in the world.
Jigsaw puzzles offer another fun way for tweens to build skills, solve challenges, and gain a confidence-boosting sense of accomplishment. If you think your tween won’t enjoy a standard jigsaw puzzle, try 3-D puzzles. Options include Hogwarts towers, the Empire State Building, Sydney Opera House, a space shuttle, the Titanic, and more.
The Confidence Code for Girls is a series of books designed to help middle-grade girls become bold, brave, and fearless enough to follow their dreams and reach their goals. Filled with graphic comic strips, challenges, lists and quizzes, and stories about real girls, each book inspires tween girls to embrace challenges and mistakes and live as their authentic selves. These empowering entertaining books make a thoughtful and heartfelt gift for tween girls.
Give the gift of monthly science kits and STEM boxes to the young science enthusiast in your life. Hands-on science kits called “crates” are delivered monthly, with each crate exploring a concept in technology, engineering, or science. All projects include easy-to-follow explanations, instructions, and all the materials needed for a successful experiment. Not only do these kits make big ideas accessible and fun, but they also nurture children’s curiosity, creativity, and growth mindset.
Origami is part puzzle and part artwork, making an origami kit a perfect growth mindset gift for tweens. You can find a wide variety of origami kits online, both general and tailored to specific interests or passions. The kit we have linked here includes step-by-step instructions with photos. Tweens learn the art of paper folding and creative expression using fun patterned paper and colorful stickers. It even includes a link to online paper folding videos for tweens who learn best by example!
Stories for Boys Who Dare to Be Different features 75 inspiring stories about “boys who changed the world without killing dragons.” It teaches boys they’re free to be sensitive, introverted, expressive, and innovative—there’s no one correct way to be masculine or successful. Examples of featured stereotype-smashers include Beethoven, Salvador Dali, and Jesse Owens.
Tweens will love creating their very own window art to proudly display. This kit features 12 shapes, eight vibrant paints, and an acetate sheet to create customized window clings. If you aren’t into this kit, you can find a wide variety of window art kits online with varying themes like animals, emojis, and stained glass.
With the Piper Computer Kit, tweens can build their own fully functioning computer. Once the computer is built, children can participate in challenges, play Minecraft, and explore a vast number of cool activities and projects. It’s an exciting and confidence-building approach to developing knowledge of coding, computer science, electronics, and the inner workings of technology. Piper offers additional products like a Mini for beginners and a Monthly Makers Club for tweens who want to keep the innovation and invention going.
The best-selling novel Wonder teaches tweens it’s okay to be different and that it’s important to treat others with empathy and kindness. It tells the story of August, a boy born with a severe facial difference who longs to be treated like a normal kid. In this story of heart and hope, August is a true hero. Author R.J. Palacio accurately describes her book as “a meditation on kindness,” as it offers tweens an important message about courage and compassion.
Self-confidence activities offer another fun engaging way to build confidence and self-esteem in children.
Try these 9 self-confidence activities with your students to empower their sense of self-worth.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE 5-Day Self Love Challenge for Kids (ages 5-11). These creative, science-based exercises will help your child train their brain to become more self-loving, confident, and capable of dealing with challenges and setbacks.
Understanding and accepting yourself is key to developing self-esteem, as is the ability to reflect. Writing letters to themselves can help children build these essential skills.
Here are a few different letter-writing activities you can try with students:
Tell older children to divide a sheet of paper into three columns. In the middle, students list negative self-talk they find themselves using. Examples might include, “I can’t do this,” “I’m not smart/cool/funny enough,” or, “I’m just too shy/boring/bad at school.”
In the column on the left, tell students to list situations or thoughts that trigger the negative self-talk they wrote in the middle column. For example, thoughts about being “dumb” or bad at school may be triggered by earning a bad grade or comparing their own performance in school to their peers.
Finally, students write a positive statement in the right column to replace the negative statement on the left. They could simply reverse the statement on the left (e.g., “I can do this,” or, “I’m good enough”). Alternatively, they can use a growth mindset statement, such as, “I can improve my grades and get better at school if I study more and ask for help when I need it.”
Negative self-talk is often at the root of low self-esteem. Learning to recognize what triggers negative self-talk and how to reframe these thoughts positively is a powerful way to overcome these thoughts and boost confidence. When students find themselves slipping into negative self-talk, they can work to replace them with more empowering thoughts. Encourage students who struggle with this exercise to start by asking themselves, “What if [the negative thought] isn’t true?”.
Begin this activity by assigning each student a classmate to observe for a week. Students should not share who they are observing for the week. At the end of the week, students create a Certificate of Recognition celebrating their assigned classmate for something they’ve done during the week. It may be a kind or helpful act, actively participating in the class, etc.
The following week, tell students that, this time, they are observing themselves. At the end of the week, they’ll make a Certificate of Recognition to celebrate something positive they’ve done. This activity trains the brain to look for the positive and celebrate even small achievements and accomplishments.
Research shows people who practice gratitude tend to have higher self-esteem. Intentionally noticing the positive in others and in the world helps children notice the positive in themselves too.
Students can write in gratitude journals daily or weekly. There are a few different ways to approach this exercise:
Have class-wide discussions about gratitude using gratitude journals at least 2-3 times a month. Consistently writing and talking about gratitude yields more positive thoughts and feelings, in turn increasing self-esteem.
Be sure to check out our Best Sellers Bundle PDF (ages 5-11). It includes our three most popular printable kits packed with science-based growth mindset activities, guides, and crafts for children. With over 50 pages, this kit will help your children or students understand they have the capacity to learn anything.
Another type of positive confidence-building journal for students is a goals journal. Setting and achieving goals (or even making significant progress toward them) is a major confidence boost for children of all ages.
Each month, or each quarter of the school year, have students record one measurable achievable goal in their journal. Students should also write down how they will know when they’ve achieved their goal and what steps they’ll need to take to get there. Finally, write down potential obstacles and a plan for what they will do if the obstacle arises.
At the end of each week, have students record their progress toward the goal. Do they need to make any adjustments to their plan? Is there anything they’ll do differently next week? As a class, celebrate the progress toward the goals you’ve recorded.
Each time a student reaches their goal, lead a class-wide celebration. It can be something simple like having the student take a lap around the room and high-five their peers.
Don't forget to download our FREE 5-Day Self Love Challenge for Kids (ages 5-11) to help your child become more self-loving and confident!
Children who feel valued and are comfortable in social situations are more confident. In addition, positive relationships are an essential foundation for self-esteem. Positive experiences with activities like cooperative board games encourage more cooperation in the future. The result is improved social skills, positive relationships, and greater self-esteem.
Fun cooperative board games for the classroom include The Secret Door, Stone Soup, and Race to the Treasure! Or, keep it simple by having groups of students work together to build something specific with Lego bricks, categorize words as nouns/verbs/adjectives, classify animals into appropriate groups, etc.
Start by asking students to make a list of all their “wins” or achievements so far in life. Explain this could include awards, athletic and academic achievements, or times they were kind and helpful to others. Wins also include reaching goals, facing an obstacle or challenge, and persisting through mistakes and setbacks.
Once the list is complete, have students create a collage of their achievements on a sheet of poster board. Provide magazines for children to cut pictures from or ask them to bring in items or photos from home. When complete, hang the posters in your classroom or ask students to display them in their bedrooms as a reminder of their many accomplishments.
Ask students to draw a picture of themselves (or paste a photo) in the center of a sheet of paper or poster board. Around the picture, students write roles that define them (e.g., son/daughter, sibling, student, soccer player, friend, etc.).
In a wider circle around the picture and the roles, students write positive traits to describe themselves. This activity helps students reflect on their identity and self-image. It also gives them the opportunity to recognize their positive qualities.
Afterward, students share with a partner or group how each trait represents them. An additional option is to have their partners or group members add positive qualities they see in the student.
Being of service to others and spreading kindness is another way to build students’ confidence. Encourage students to practice a random act of kindness each day for a week, then discuss the experience as a class.
Random acts of kindness may include completing a chore or task for someone without being asked, holding open a door, writing an encouraging note, sharing with others, or comforting someone who feels sad.
Along with these nine self-confidence activities, you may want to use confidence quotes and self-confidence affirmations. Plus, read our recent post on what confidence is and how to build it in children and teens. Confidence is both vital and teachable and these resources will help your children’s or students’ confidence soar!
Are you looking for other resources to support your child's confidence and growth mindset journey? The Big Life Journal - Daily Edition (ages 6-11) is a science-based journal that helps children grow resilient, confident, and emotionally healthy. The daily activities inside the journal help your child focus on encouraging, self-loving thoughts and wire their brain for growth mindset, resilience, confidence, gratitude, kindness, and self-love.
Confidence is vital for success, regardless of age. For adults, success presents itself as high self-esteem, the ability to adapt, and the ability to fail gracefully. Confidence isn't just about winning; it is about learning and taking on new challenges. It is about making mistakes and learning from them. Check out our self-confidence quiz to see where your child stands.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE Affirmation Bracelets printable. It’s important for children to be surrounded by loving and encouraging messages. These affirmation bracelets will boost your child’s confidence and help them feel like they can do anything.
To take our Self-Confidence Quiz, click on “Take Quiz” and answer the 20 questions with yes or no.
See where your child falls by comparing their results to the group their number falls under.
16-20 Blooming Self-Esteem
These children have strong confidence born from feelings of safety and security. They are adventurous and like to try new things. Not only do they provide themselves with positive self-talk, but they also cheer on others. These children may not always win, but they are likely to brush themselves off and try again.
11-15 Growing Self-Esteem
These children have mostly learned to accept failure graciously. They are more willing to try new things but may need a little adult nudge to keep going. Nevertheless, these children have a good foundation and will continue to grow confident with experience.
6-10 Budding Self-Esteem
These children are starting to show confidence and are beginning to come into their own. They may be starting to talk about their likes and dislikes with enthusiasm. These children may need some adult encouragement, but they are becoming more confident after failures. They may stay back and watch from afar for a while but eventually step out into the spotlight.
1-5 The Seed is Planted
These children may be shy and quiet. They may take a little more time to try new things, but they will continue to step outside their comfort zone with encouragement. These children may be learning coping skills to calm anxiety and are building a solid confidence foundation. They benefit from hearing others encourage them and you will likely see them cheering on others more than themselves. Think of a whole tiny seed planted; these children are about to burst into confidence growth with a bit of time, patience, and modeling.
Don't be discouraged if your child answered with “no” more than “yes”. Like wildflowers, all children grow and bloom at their rate. Meet children where they are and consider their needs and abilities. Some children require more modeling and adult encouragement, while others may benefit from being allowed to watch from afar until they are ready to dive in.
Here are some creative ways to boost your child’s confidence. Introduce your child to the growth mindset and help them reword their negative self-talk. Help them create daily empowering self-confidence affirmations and intentions that focus on their strengths. Create time every day for family members to each share their highs and lows and what they are looking forward to or excited about.
Even children with high confidence can require support at times. Perfectionism can rear its head and cause confident children to doubt their abilities. To avoid this, ensure children are accepting loss and failure and rolling with mistakes. If children begin to feel the need to be perfect, use modeling and communication to help them see the benefits of errors.
Looking for a resource to boost your child's confidence? Our popular Big Life Journal - 2nd Edition (ages 7-10) helps children develop strong Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and growth mindset skills through inspiring stories, colorful illustrations, and engaging guided activities. In this beautifully illustrated journal, children learn how to believe in themselves, face challenges with confidence, and use mistakes as opportunities to grow!
So, what exactly is confidence? And how can we help children understand confidence and integrate it into their lives?
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE 5-Day Self Love Challenge for Kids (ages 5-11). These creative, science-based exercises will help your child train their brain to become more self-loving, confident, and capable of dealing with challenges and setbacks.
Confidence is the belief you are capable. It means viewing mistakes as learning opportunities, saying “I can” instead of “I can’t,” and believing you can face life’s challenges and succeed.
When defining confidence, it is also helpful to speak about what confidence is not. Confidence is not:
There are many strategies you can use to build a child’s confidence. But how can you help a child consciously understand what confidence looks and feels like? Try the helpful tips below!
Start by explaining confidence using child-friendly language. For instance, say, “Confidence is when you believe you can do something, even if it’s difficult.” Or, “Being confident means you’re brave enough to try new things and to keep going after you make a mistake.”
It is also helpful to give examples, especially from the child’s own life. Think of a time the child was confident enough to try a challenging task, learn from a mistake, or face a fear (for example, speaking in front of the class or joining a new soccer team).
The best way for a child to understand and emulate confidence is to spend time with confident adults. If your confidence needs a boost, focus on building your own confidence first. It’s not a process that will happen overnight but start by avoiding self-critical comments in front of your children or students.
Practice positive self-talk, surround yourself with positive people, and stop comparing yourself to others. Treat yourself with kindness and take care of your physical and mental health. Face your fears and try new hobbies and reflect on your achievements, strengths, and talents.
When you can do this confidence-building work for yourself, you’ll find it much easier to help children do the same. You will naturally teach confidence through both modeling and direct interactions with the children in your life.
Be sure to check out our Best Sellers Bundle PDF (ages 5-11). It includes our three most popular printable kits packed with science-based growth mindset activities, guides, and crafts for children. With over 50 pages, this kit will help your children or students boost confidence and understand they have the capacity to learn anything.
Book and movie examples are another way to help children learn an abstract concept. Check out our list of growth mindset movies for many films that demonstrate confidence. These films are all about pursuing your dreams, overcoming obstacles, and never giving up.
A few books to teach confidence include:
When you watch or read with children, ask them what lessons they learned about confidence. Have them write down and/or illustrate favorite quotes or moments, then hang them in your home or classroom. Refer to their favorite confidence movies or books when a reminder about confidence is needed!
When children demonstrate confidence, make sure to recognize and celebrate it! Demonstrating confidence can include trying something new, showing effort and persistence, and having a positive attitude about making mistakes.
These celebrations can be as simple as, “High five! You stuck with it! That took a lot of confidence,” or, “You were confident enough to try something brand new, good job!” Use variations of self-confidence affirmations too, like, “Look at you! You can do hard things!”
Finally, help children recognize the value of confidence by discussing how it feels to practice it. What are the results of approaching life challenges and situations with confidence?
When children show bravery, persistence, and the ability to overcome mistakes, ask them how the experience felt. Were they proud? Happy? Excited? Even more confident than before? Explain how the more we practice confidence, the more confident we become.
Don't forget to download our FREE 5-Day Self-Love Challenge for Kids (ages 5-11) to help your child become more self-loving and confident!
Even children who understand and practice confidence may begin to struggle in their teens. The teen years are filled with challenges, change, and comparison. We have a full article on how to help teens build confidence, but here is an overview of some of our top tips:
Looking for another confidence-boosting resource for your child? Our popular Big Life Journal - 2nd Edition (ages 7-10) helps children develop strong Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and growth mindset skills through inspiring stories, colorful illustrations, and engaging guided activities. In this beautifully illustrated journal, children learn how to believe in themselves, face challenges with confidence, and use mistakes as opportunities to grow!
But kids and teens aren’t just born with resilience. It’s something they must learn and practice.
The resilience activities and strategies below are based on the 7 Cs of Resilience:
Practice these strategies with the kids and teens in your life to help them become more resilient.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE When I Feel Worried Poster. Use this popular printable to make a plan with your child for when their worry shows up. Your child will have a list of their own coping strategies to calm their worry and anxiety.
Competence is being able to look at stressful situations and say, "I've got this." Kids and teens who exhibit competence stay calm under pressure and, when issues arise, can tackle them. Feeling competent in one's abilities can increase resilience for teens and children because even when something does go wrong, they know they can do better next time.
Confident young people are competent and know it. They have the skills to handle the challenges life throws at them without much hesitation. Instilling confidence is the cornerstone of raising resilient kids and teens
Connection in this sense means they feel like they belong somewhere. When young people feel connected, they are less likely to hurt themselves or others and instead show greater empathy. It's difficult to go it alone, so resilience for children and teens heavily involves knowing they have people they can turn to.
Having character is knowing right from wrong and sticking with your values. Teens and kids with strong character have higher self-esteem, show empathy, and feel they can make good choices. All these traits help children and teens build resilience.
Don't forget to download our FREE When I Feel Worried Poster so your child has a list of their own coping strategies to calm anxiety and worry.
Contribution is what we give to the world via attitude and behavior. Therefore, building resilience in children and teens must include lessons in contribution. Knowing they make the world better—even on bad days—encourages them to bounce back.
How often do we tell kids (or even adults) "deal with it" or even "get over it," not realizing they may not know how to cope with their situation? Resilience for teens and children can't exist without adequate coping skills, which must be taught.
When it comes to building resilience in children and teens, control is about knowing what you're in charge of and what you're not. There are things in this life that are simply out of our hands, but we can control how we react to them.
Building resilience in children and teens takes time and patience. With the strategies above and a lot of practice, you’ll start to see a more resilient child.
Remember, as a parent or teacher, you also need to exhibit the 7 Cs of Resilience and set an example. Don’t give up!
Looking for additional resources to help your child build resilience? Check out our Best Sellers Bundle PDF (ages 5-11). It includes our three most popular printable kits packed with science-based growth mindset activities, guides, and crafts for children. With over 50 pages, this kit will help your children or students understand they have the capacity to learn anything.
There are many ways to build a child’s confidence. One simple strategy is to use inspiring confidence quotes. In this post, we’ve collected 41 empowering confidence quotes to share with children.
Here are a few confidence-boosting activities to try with the self-confidence quotes below:
The more children hear about confidence, talk about it, see it modeled, and begin to practice it in their own lives, the more self-confident they’ll become.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE 5-Day Self Love Challenge for Kids (ages 5-11). These creative, science-based exercises will help your child train their brain to become more self-loving, confident, and capable of dealing with challenges and setbacks.
1. “Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world.” -Lucille Ball
2. "If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves." -Thomas Alva Edison
3. “Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit at home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” -Dale Carnegie
4. “Always remember you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” -Christopher Robin
5. “Low self-confidence isn't a life sentence. Self-confidence can be learned, practiced, and mastered--just like any other skill. Once you master it, everything in your life will change for the better." -Barrie Davenport
6. "It is confidence in our bodies, minds, and spirits that allows us to keep looking for new adventures." -Oprah Winfrey
7. "To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment." -Ralph Waldo Emerson
8. "Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be?" -Marianne Williamson
9. “The most beautiful thing you can wear is confidence.” -Blake Lively
10. "Nothing can stop the man with the right mental attitude from achieving his goal; nothing on earth can help the man with the wrong mental attitude." -Thomas Jefferson
11. "If you hear a voice within you say, 'You cannot paint,' then by all means paint, and that voice will be silenced." -Vincent van Gogh
12. "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." -Eleanor Roosevelt
13. “The greatest mistake you can make in life is continually fearing that you’ll make one.” -Elbert Hubbard
14. “Nurture your mind with great thoughts, for you will never go any higher than you think.” -Benjamin Disraeli
15. “Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence.” -Helen Keller
16. “The way to develop self-confidence is to do the thing you fear and get a record of successful experiences behind you.” - William Jennings Bryan
17. “Success is not final, failure is not fatal; it is the courage to continue that counts.” -Winston Churchill
18. “As is our confidence, so is our capacity.” -William Hazlitt
19. “Confidence comes not from always being right, but from not fearing to be wrong.” -Peter T. McIntyre
20. “Believe in yourself! Have faith in your abilities! Without humble but reasonable confidence in your own powers, you cannot be successful or happy.” -Norman Vincent Peale
21. “Confidence is a lot of this game or any game. If you don’t think you can, you won’t.” -Jerry West
Don't forget to download our FREE 5-Day Self-Love Challenge for Kids (ages 5-11) to help your child become more self-loving and confident!
22. “You have to have confidence in your ability and then be tough enough to follow through.” -Rosalynn Carter
23. “When you have confidence, you can do anything.” -Sloane Stevens
24. “Successful people often exude confidence--it’s obvious that they believe in themselves and what they’re doing. It isn’t their success that makes them confident, however. The confidence was there first.” -Travis Bradberry
25. “Have confidence that if you’ve done a little thing well, you can do a bigger thing well too.” -David Storey
26. “When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And when you have fun, you can do amazing things.” -Joe Namath
27. “I was always looking outside myself for strength and confidence, but it comes from within. It is there all the time.” -Anna Freud
28. “Trust yourself. You know more than you think you do.” -Benjamin Spock
29. “Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit.” -e.e. Cummings
30. “Noble and great. Courageous and determined. Faithful and fearless. That is who you are and who you have always been. And understanding it can change your life because this knowledge carries a confidence that cannot be duplicated any other way.” -Sheri L. Drew
31. “Think like a queen. A queen is not afraid to fail. Failure is another stepping stone to greatness.” -Oprah Winfrey
32. “Self-confidence is the first requisite to great undertakings.” -Samuel Johnson
33. “Whatever we expect with confidence becomes our own self-fulfilling prophecy.” -Brian Tracy
34. “Don’t wait until everything is just right. It will never be perfect. There will always be challenges, obstacles, and less-than-perfect conditions. So what? Get started now. With each step you take, you will grow stronger and stronger, more and more skilled, more and more self-confident, and more and more successful.” -Mark Victor Hansen
35. “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson
36. “It doesn’t matter if thousands of people believe in you unless you believe in yourself.” -Maddy Malhotra
37. “You have to expect things of yourself before you can do them.” -Michael Jordan
38. “As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live.” -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
39. “Believe it can be done. When you believe something can be done, really believe, your mind will find the ways to do it. Believing a solution paves the way to solution.” -David J. Schwartz
40 “Stop thinking you’re doing it all wrong. Your path doesn’t look like anybody else’s because it can’t, it shouldn’t, and it won’t.” -Eleanor Brownn
41. “Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.” -Golda Meir
Quotes about self-confidence are just one tool you can use to boost children’s confidence. It’s important to model confidence, spend quality time, cultivate a sense of belonging, and help children discover their passions and interests.
If you're looking for an additional resource to bolster your child's confidence, check out our popular Big Life Journal - 2nd Edition (ages 7-10). The journal helps children develop strong Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and growth mindset skills through inspiring stories, colorful illustrations, and engaging guided activities. In this beautifully illustrated journal, children learn how to believe in themselves, face challenges with confidence, and use mistakes as opportunities to grow!
Affirmations are a simple and effective way to boost confidence in children. Studies link affirmations to a whole host of health benefits too, from lowered stress to an improved outlook on life. Research at Stanford found that affirmations can even foster a sense of belonging in school.
Read on to discover more about confidence affirmations, and learn 25 powerful phrases to create a positive and healthy foundation for your child.
Simply put, affirmations are statements that encourage and motivate. They can come from others (“You are capable of great things”) or from ourselves (“I can do anything I set out to accomplish”).
Self-affirmations are especially empowering for kids. Children can generate their own positive emotions rather than relying on others to boost their self-esteem. Think of self-affirmations as acts of love kids can send to themselves throughout the day — and in especially tricky moments.
As with any skill, self-confidence affirmations take consistent practice. Psychologist Ronald Alexander, Ph.D., recommends repeating affirmations three times a day for several minutes. Adding them to your child’s morning or bedtime routine can help maintain the habit.
While affirmations are typically stated aloud, it’s natural for your child to feel uncomfortable at first. Instead, they can choose to:
Alexander explains that affirmations work because the brain does not distinguish between reality and fantasy. The same neuroplasticity that lets us get engrossed in a film or book allows us to believe our affirmations are already coming true.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE Affirmation Bracelets. It’s important for children to be surrounded by loving and encouraging messages. These affirmation bracelets will boost your child’s confidence and help them feel like they can do anything.
Using confidence affirmations that are both simple and empowering is key, so check out the list we’ve cultivated below. Your child can choose one or two that resonate, or use ours as a springboard to create their own!
1. I Can Do Hard Things
The ability to face and overcome obstacles is crucial to self-confidence and developing a growth mindset. This affirmation reminds kids they can tackle whatever comes their way.
2. Mistakes Help Me Learn
Rather than something to avoid, mistakes and even failure are where real learning happens. This powerful phrase reminds your child that mistakes are a natural step in the process.
3. I Can Try New Things
Most children are hesitant to try (and possibly fail) at something new or unfamiliar. Your child can recall all the many “firsts” they have experienced, and feel confident to try the next new thing.
4. I Speak With Kindness
Children (and adults) often need reminders about the power of words. We cannot control how others speak, but we can always choose words that are kind and helpful — both to ourselves and others.
5. I Was Born To Learn
Growth mindset means recognizing that everyone can grow and develop. No one is born knowing how to walk, write, or do most anything. But with time and effort, anyone can learn.
6. I Try Different Strategies Until I Get It
Problem-solving skills are key in developing self-confidence. This affirmation encourages your child to keep trying and never give up.
7. My Brain Is a Muscle — It Gets Stronger With Practice
Just as muscles strengthen from being challenged, the brain grows from the struggle. The more we practice and work hard, the greater our growth.
8. I Am Always Growing and Learning
For the child who often feels “stuck” or struggles to learn new things, reminders that growth and development are always happening can be particularly powerful.
9. I Am Grateful For Who I Am
Gratitude requires shifting to a new perspective — from see what’s wrong to seeing what’s right. This affirmation is a reminder to focus on what’s going well, and for your child to notice the strengths and abilities they already have.
10. I Choose to Focus On What I Can Control
When things go wrong, it’s crucial for your child to focus on the aspects they can control: their words, reactions, and behavior. Affirming they can choose what to focus on reduces anxiety about the things they cannot change.
11. I Am Brave
Children often think of brave as the opposite of scared. But bravery only exists when your child is scared — and faces it! Affirmations about being brave in the face of worries and obstacles will help even the most anxious of children move forward with confidence.
12. I Can Ask For Help When I Need It
Far from weakness, asking for help when needed is an effective (and brave) practice. While it’s important to also try things on our own, knowing there are others to support us in difficult moments is a confidence booster.
Don't forget to download our FREE Affirmation Bracelets. The affirmation bracelets are great for boosting a child's confidence!
13. I Can Feel All My Feelings
Feelings aren’t good or bad, they just are. When children allow themselves to feel and experience whatever arises, they gain confidence in their ability to handle every emotion.
14. I Have Creative Ideas
Creativity can take many forms — from writing and art to thinking and problem-solving. When children see their ideas as creative, they gain the freedom to explore and try new things.
15. I Am Resilient
Resilience means bouncing back from challenges big and small. Affirming that kids have the power to pick themselves up and start again is a confidence builder.
16. I Am A Helper
Repeating affirmations about helping others connects children to their families and communities. Seeing themselves as useful to others brings a sense of confidence and control.
17. I Believe In My Dreams
Growth mindset means having big dreams and reaching for goals. This affirmation reminds kids to believe in the power of their minds, and have the confidence to make their dreams a reality through hard work.
18. I Have Everything I Need To Make Today a Great Day
Many kids engage in negative thinking. When one scenario goes wrong, it sets the stage for a bad day. This affirmation prompts your child to remember that any day can be turned around with a positive attitude.
19. I Am Grateful For Another Day To Make a Difference
Opportunities to make a difference are limited only by our imagination. From a daily good deed, like setting the table, to starting a community garden, each morning presents a new opportunity for your child to make a positive difference in the world.
20. I Follow My Heart
Listening to their heart is critical to a child’s confidence. This affirmation reminds them to tune in and be mindful of their inner voice — wherever it leads.
21. I Am a Good Friend
In order to make a good friend, children must be a good friend. This affirmation supports your child in developing the qualities they’d like to see in others and is especially useful for those with social anxiety or trouble making friends.
22. I Get Better Every Single Day
Each day, we build on the effort and learning of previous days. Each day, we grow from our mistakes and hard work.
23. Today I Will Face My Fears
When we hide from worries and fears, they only get stronger. Affirmations about facing what frightens us — from a math test to a playdate — help us regain control.
24. I Choose To Compare Myself To Myself
Comparing themselves to others is normal for kids. But it often leads to feeling “less than” and lacking in confidence. This affirmation notes the difference between being THE best and being THEIR best.
25. I Am Enough
It’s common for children (and adults) to feel they are lacking in some way. When we declare that we are enough exactly as we are, amazing things happen — self-acceptance, self-love, and the confidence to soar.
Affirmations are one of the best tools for boosting your child’s self-confidence and establishing their growth mindset. Encourage your child to pick one or two of our simple and effective affirmations, and repeat them daily. These affirmations for confidence will improve your child’s outlook, help them manage big emotions, and believe in the power of their dreams.
Looking for an additional resource to bolster your child's confidence? Our popular Big Life Journal - 2nd Edition (ages 7-10) helps children develop strong Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and growth mindset skills through inspiring stories, colorful illustrations, and engaging guided activities. In this beautifully illustrated journal, children learn how to believe in themselves, face challenges with confidence, and use mistakes as opportunities to grow!
Studies show the mindset associated with a full, happy life is called a growth mindset. Psychologist and researcher Carol Dweck created this term after decades of studying children who faced obstacles with curiosity and excitement rather than fear or avoidance.
But what exactly does growth mindset mean and how can we help children understand it? Read on to learn a simple way to explain this critical concept, as well as four key elements of growth mindset to instill in your child and family.
Dweck discovered two ways of viewing traits we are born with, like intelligence and personality. One is they are fixed, unable to be changed or developed over time. Known as a fixed mindset, this way of thinking is associated with fear of failure and avoiding challenges.
Alternatively, a growth mindset means qualities like intelligence and talents are only a starting point. Seeing the brain as a muscle that gets stronger with practice, those with a growth mindset persist despite obstacles. They welcome feedback as a vehicle for self-growth.
Recently, my six-year-old daughter discovered something amazing. “I learned to ride my scooter by falling off over and over!” she proudly exclaimed. I knew she had begun to grasp the meaning of a growth mindset.
When explaining growth mindset to children, it’s helpful to start with the basics. Note that all of us have beliefs about our skills or intelligence. Everyone our children know — friends, teachers, and families — has a mindset. Believing we can learn and grow better from hard work and struggles is a special kind of mindset: a growth mindset.
You might say, “A growth mindset means believing in the power of yourself and your brain. Like a plant or any living thing that grows, our brains are capable of changing and adapting to new information. Our brains get stronger when they do difficult things and even when they make mistakes. This is why trying something new or challenging can actually make us more intelligent.”
Early in her career, Dweck intentionally gave her students a problem that was slightly too difficult for them. Some reacted with enthusiasm (“I love a challenge!”) and set to work, while others quickly gave up.
The excited students — those embodying a growth mindset — recognized the challenge as an opportunity to learn and get better. They believed effort and persistence would eventually lead to solving the problem.
”In this mindset, the hand you’re dealt is just the starting point for development. This growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts.” -Carol Dweck, Mindset
So how do we cultivate perseverance? Start by considering the way you praise. Praising children for their effort and hard work, known as process praise, inspires perseverance.
Process praise sounds like:
A fixed mindset is often at the root of a child’s fear of failure. Believing they are born with a certain amount of ability or intelligence makes any mistake feel risky. Each challenge presents a potential threat to “looking smart.”
Conversely, children with a growth mindset tend to love learning and all that comes with it. Rather than avoiding mistakes and errors, they view them as a crucial part of the learning process. A growth mindset means seeing mistakes as evidence of a developing brain.
“Think about your biggest mistakes….They probably taught you more courage, strength, and wisdom than any success could have.” -Rachel Simmons, Resilience Expert
Some simple ways to promote acceptance of mistakes include:
Our popular Big Life Journal - 2nd Edition (ages 7-10) helps children develop strong Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and growth mindset skills through inspiring stories, colorful illustrations, and engaging guided activities. In this beautifully illustrated journal, children learn how to believe in themselves, face challenges with confidence, and use mistakes as opportunities to grow!
There is a reason this 3-letter word is considered magic. Adding it to any phrase creates a monumental shift in perception: “I can’t do this...YET.”
No other word captures the meaning of growth mindset quite like it. Dweck notes “YET” can “give children greater confidence, give them a path into the future that creates greater persistence.”
Encourage your child to add “YET” to the end of any statement about learning. Watch how their feelings shift and potential grows with the addition of this powerful word.
Instead of:
I can’t write a paragraph
Try:
I can’t write a paragraph YET
Instead of:
I don’t know how to ride a bike
Try:
I don’t know how to ride a bike YET
Instead of:
I can’t get anyone to play with me
Try:
I can’t get anyone to play with me YET
Other ideas for harnessing the power of YET:
YET recognizes good things are coming, it’s just a matter of time and effort.
If you need some tips on how to encourage a growth mindset in your child, don't forget to download our FREE Your Words Matter Kit Vol. 2.
Resilience, or the ability to bounce back, cannot exist without obstacles. We all face trauma, challenges, and stressors from which we can grow.
Not surprisingly, studies show growth mindset promotes resiliency. When children believe their intellectual and social abilities can be developed, they perform better academically and experience less stress. They stand tall in the face of challenges.
Like my daughter hopping back up each time she falls from the scooter, children can practice building this critical skill.
Consider the following tips for cultivating resilience at home:
Cultivating the right kind of mindset can make the difference between a successful life and one limited by fear of failure. A growth mindset means acceptance (and even celebration of) struggles, with an emphasis on the effort and hard work that lead to success. Children with growth mindsets believe they can learn anything and use the power of YET.
Looking for additional resources to support your child's growth mindset journey? Our Best Sellers Bundle PDF (ages 5-11) includes our three most popular printable kits packed with science-based growth mindset activities, guides, and crafts for children. With over 50 pages, this kit will help your children or students understand they have the capacity to learn anything.
They're all skills to be taught, practiced, and reinforced. Of course, we also mess up and learn from our mistakes with all three. And they're all things we can get better at, no matter our age.
Today, we're rounding up one month's worth of kindness activities for kids.
Make sure you stay on track by downloading and printing our complete calendar of kindness activities listed below.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE 21-Day Family Gratitude Challenge. Make this challenge a part of your night routine or family dinner time for the next 21 days (that's how long it takes to build a habit).
Kindness must be intrinsically motivated.
According to Psychology Today, several studies have shown that "providing children with a reward for behavior is almost like telling them that the behavior itself is not much fun. So if you want to promote intrinsic motivation—if you want to teach your kids that learning in school or helping others are enjoyable in and of themselves—using rewards might be the wrong strategy."
Furthermore, those studies found that when the rewards stop, the positive behaviors often stop; however, when rewards weren't offered in the first place, the behaviors often continue.
Even praise should be used sparingly, as too much can create external motivation—though it shouldn't go unused. Instead, reserve your feedback and encouragement for when it's most beneficial.
(These studies were primarily done with neurotypical children; speak to an expert about your child's individual needs.)
Keep this in mind when going through each activity. Now, let's get started!
On day one of your month of kindness activities for kids, teach them the difference between "nice" and "kind."
Create a poster with a column for "kind" and a column for "nice." Have the kids write suggestions on sticky notes (or offer pre-written options) and put them in the column where they think the options belong.
Discuss each note to agree if they are in the correct columns. It's okay to put a few in the middle—context can matter.
Once you've agreed upon which notes go in which column, hang the poster on the wall.
"T.H.I.N.K." means before you say anything, you should ask yourself if what you're about to say is:
Consider showing your kids an actual social media post (or a made-up one for younger children). Look at the post and comments and have the kids determine how much the person used T.H.I.N.K before they posted—how many letters did they get?
Many grown-ups don't realize how impactful they are in a child's life. This next kid-friendly kindness activity teaches children gratitude while making someone’s day.
Ask your kids, "Name an adult (other than me) who is important to you.? Why?" When they decide—and this does need to be their decision so their gratitude is genuine—have them write a note or draw a picture that tells the adult specifically why they appreciate them.
Letters can be mailed or hand-delivered depending on the parameters you set. If you are a teacher, consider asking your kids to write a letter to another staff member at school.
You can teach your child empathy from day one by modeling it for them. As your kids get older, you can help them identify emotions, embrace diversity, and understand current events through the lens of kindness.
Spend this day focusing on teaching empathy skills—and keep this up as time goes on.
Rather than saying your kids must volunteer at a specific location, talk to them about what matters to them. Animals? Older adults? The environment?
Once they've decided who to help, research locations where you can volunteer together.
After you've finished your day of volunteerism, discuss the experience with your children. If the volunteer spot was a good fit, consider going back regularly. If it wasn't, try somewhere new!
Turn an average day of errands into a kindness activity for your kids by making them aware of their surroundings and behavior.
If you go to a store and see items on the floor or tables that customers should have picked up or left tidy, your kids could pick them up. If they don’t know where items go, they can place them in a neat pile.
Have your child take the lead at checkout. (Be sure you've already practiced things you say to a store worker.) Positive interactions can make a worker's day!
If your child is older, fill them in on what a day in customer service can involve. Ask how they'd want to be treated if this was their job and remind them to think about that when they're out.
On this day, teach your children how to help other kids.
You can create a “partner project” where each child reads a story or learns a skill, which they then need to teach their partner. You can also encourage older kids to help younger kids with schoolwork.
When kids help other kids meet their goals and learn new skills, they learn patience, kindness, and responsibility.
Keep an eye out for performances in your area. Read their synopses and determine if kindness could be a theme. If the play has a relevant online study guide available, even better!
A few live theatre options to help teach kindness (and frequently performed) are:
People who grow plants are involved in their entire life cycles. For kids, this kindness activity may be the first time they've ever done something like it and they learn how everything needs love and attention.
Try to choose a hardy plant (e.g. succulents), particularly for younger or more forgetful kids. Make the plant their full responsibility, supervising only as necessary.
If the plant dies? This is a time for a growth mindset, not shame. Even the best gardeners' plants die from time to time. Talk about what may have gone wrong (and whether or not it was in the child's control) and try again with a new plant.
Truly effective kindness activities for kids will challenge children to dig deep and really think about what they appreciate about others. A compliment board can be a great avenue for generating kind thinking patterns.
Create a spot in your house or classroom where children can put notes saying something positive about, or giving thanks to, someone else. If you're in a classroom, you could use envelopes for individual students.
Leave this up for the rest of the month or longer if you like.
These notes should be sincere and never forced; they should be written when someone wants to say something kind.
Try to keep it from becoming a competition. Perhaps make the notes anonymous or decide ahead of time who will receive compliments from the rest of the group that day or week.
Note to teachers: Is there someone who'll never get these notes? Get to the root of the issue and make sure it's fixed before starting this activity.
Don't forget to download our FREE 21-Day Family Gratitude Challenge and make this challenge a part of your family's routine!
Growth mindset rocks are stones kids paint and write messages on. The message could be something as simple as "You rock!" or something more profound.
Place the painted rocks in a public location (with permission) or your yard with a sign telling people they can take one.
What better activity for teaching kids kindness than a good old-fashioned game?
A cooperative game is a game or puzzle where you must work as a team. Winning only happens through active listening and group decision-making. Some of these games are:
There are books about kindness for every age group and they don't have to be totally on the nose to be effective. Find books kids can relate to and be prepared to discuss kindness using the book.
Some books may take longer to read. Treat these like you're in a book club and space the reading out over the month.
You can find the theme of kindness in a variety of books, including:
One of the most effective kindness activities for kids is discussing diversity and more importantly inclusivity in an open and honest manner. While you should focus on similarities, it's essential to acknowledge differences exist.
Explain what you can. If a question stumps you, research it in real-time. Admitting you don't know everything models a growth mindset.
Discuss what we should do or say if we notice someone different than us and give kids the opportunity to ask you questions in a safe space or do their own research.
Sometimes an act of kindness may not be as kind as we think.
For instance, someone may assume a person with a visible disability needs help. Author Rebekah Taussig discusses this topic in an article for Time. You could summarize the article for younger kids and have older ones read it themselves.
Other acts of "misguided kindness" can be based on assumptions about race. For example, complimenting someone's English or touching someone's hair to say how much you like it can be unkind.
Even giving someone a hug they don't want can be an act of misguided kindness as it invades their personal space.
While kindness is about being selfless, there is a selfish aspect to it: When you do something kind, you feel good. This is because your brain releases the "happy chemicals" of serotonin, oxytocin, and dopamine.
On this day, focus on teaching your children or students about how the brain works. We have a lesson plan on neuroplasticity to get you started.
For something to be classified as bullying, it must be repeated, intentional, and have a power imbalance of some kind.
Kids should learn the signs of bullying, when and how to intervene, and the causes of bullying behavior.
Learning about the root causes of bullying behavior can help kids choose the kindest routes. Knowing and understanding people, who exhibit these behaviors, are most likely in pain may help stop negative reactions and, instead, find productive ways to use that energy.
Inspiring kids movies like Inside Out, Finding Nemo, and even The Karate Kid show characters overcoming obstacles and often those obstacles include unkind people or the desire to be unkind.
After watching your chosen film together, talk about the kindness (and lack thereof) shown in the film. Let the kids guide the conversation.
There are few better times for kids to practice kindness than when they have to make decisions about activities and solve problems as a team.
If you're a teacher, this could be letting the kids run around outside for a while or giving free play time—teenagers even secretly love being allowed to play! If you're a parent, arrange a playdate or sleepover for your child and a friend or two.
Have an open discussion about times you were unkind because of what was happening around you and talk about what you could have done differently. Discuss the importance of acting on what’s in your control and accepting what is not.
Find a competitive board game, card game, or video game your whole family enjoys and play it together. Before starting, discuss how to be a good winner—as well as a good "loser".
Don't let your kid win, at least not every time. Instead, allow them to navigate the waters of both winning and losing at a game.
Attend a public event organized by people of a different background than your child or family.
This doesn't necessarily have to be an education-focused event—you can attend a parade, a festival, etc. But, if there is an educational booth available, visiting it can improve this kindness activity for your kids.
Striving to understand people who are different from oneself is an important step toward kindness as it goes deeper than "tolerance" and "acceptance."
There are a ton of ways to find pen pals for your kids.
Meeting a new person, without the immediacy of conversation or texting, gives kids time to think about what they want to say before saying it, which can help them internalize this skill.
Talk to your kids about why loving yourself is important.
After all, it is much easier to be kind to others when you are kind to yourself. You can discuss the science of this with older children and teens or keep it to the basics with younger ones.
Mindfulness helps you reconnect with yourself in a meaningful way. In addition, this activity helps kids with kindness because feeling overwhelmed or disconnected can make you lose focus on what matters.
This activity looks different for every person, so you should investigate different mindfulness resources to decide what works best for your children.
This next exercise aims to help kids understand when kindness must be overruled for safety.
There are times when being kind is unsafe and standing up for yourself is more important.
Helping a stranger "look for their dog" in a park? Kind, but unsafe. Letting someone hug you when you're not comfortable with them doing so? Kind to them, unkind to yourself.
This is the day when kids learn to say "no" and leave a situation where something doesn't feel right. Empowering kids to set boundaries allows them to be kind to themselves.
You never know when you may need to help someone—or yourself—when injured. Therefore, learning first aid is a great kindness activity for kids.
If possible, arrange for a professional (such as someone from the American Red Cross) to run this lesson.
When you feel grateful for the world around you, you're more likely to take care of yourself and others. There are a ton of ways to show gratitude for things big and small.
Even something as simple as a gratitude journal can go far. Have your kids write one to three things they are grateful for at the end of each day.
Alternatively, you can create a gratitude jar, where kids write what they’re grateful for on slips of paper to place in the jar. Watch as the jar—and their kindness—fills up!
If we're honest, choosing kindness every day is difficult. We don't always want to take the high road—in fact, that low road looks great sometimes.
Grit and resilience are how we push through those times and steer ourselves back to the higher and kinder road.
No matter how many kindness activities kids practice, no one is kind all the time. Even when they are, someone else may not reciprocate. These conflicts can be difficult to navigate.
Spend some time going over "I feel" statements, model conflict resolution skills, and then have the children roleplay these new abilities.
Today, summarize the kids' kindness activities over the past month. Then, work out what your children or students have learned and which types of activities they have preferred.
After wards, keep it going with more acts of kindness, both modeled and practiced, as time goes on.
As a reminder, Big Life Journal encourages you to read, watch, or play anything you plan to engage children in before involving them so you can ensure appropriateness and be prepared to discuss.
Additionally, we recommend vetting individuals or locations for anything involving other people, e.g., pen-pals, store workers, and volunteer positions. We cannot be responsible for any challenges arising from interactions with people involved in these suggestions.
Looking for additional resources to support your child's growth mindset journey? Check out our popular Sibling Kit PDF (ages 5-12)! This printable kit is designed to help your children build a strong bond, mutual trust, and deep connection they will be able to count on for the rest of their lives.
Your children learn how to work through the conflicts, manage their BIG feelings, choose respectful behavior, and build long-lasting mutual trust. And YOU will have a happier and more peaceful home.
While many people are familiar with these definitions, they are sometimes unsure exactly how to put these concepts into daily practice. What do growth mindset beliefs and language look and sound like? How can you replace a fixed mindset belief with a healthier growth mindset belief? Explaining the difference to children can also be a tricky task.
Read through the fixed mindset vs. growth mindset examples below for clarity, then share with your children or students to help them understand the difference. You can also check out our Fixed Mindset versus Growth Mindset quiz!
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE Your Words Matter Volume 2 Kit. With these 10 one-page parenting guides, you will know exactly how to speak to your child to help them stand up for themselves, be more confident, and develop a growth mindset.
We have divided these fixed mindset vs. growth mindset examples into three categories: Identity and Self-Improvement, Comparing to Others, and Learning Something New.
Many people have specific fixed mindset triggers, like comparisons or tough challenges. Do some of the fixed mindset examples sound familiar? They may help you identify the triggers of your children or students, and help you work together to improve. With each example, you’ll find a helpful tip for supporting the shift from fixed mindset to growth mindset.
Fixed Mindset: I’m either good at something or I’m not.
Growth Mindset: I can improve my skills with effort and practice.
Tip: Ask children if they have ever struggled to master a skill, and then improved over time. Examples may include reading, writing neatly, riding a bike, or playing an instrument. You can also provide examples from your own life or the lives of famous people. Children will see clear evidence that no one starts out as an expert and they are capable of improvement.
Fixed Mindset: When people give me feedback, it feels like criticism.
Growth Mindset: I appreciate when people give me feedback. It helps me learn and grow.
Tip: Consider making feedback a two-way conversation in your classroom. On students’ writing, for example, ask them to reply to your comments with a comment saying, “I learned _____________.” Alternatively, provide students with a way to immediately implement the feedback they receive. This makes it easier to link feedback with progress and growth.
Whether at home or in the classroom, ask for feedback in addition to providing it (e.g., “How could I have made that lesson better?” or, “Is there anything I can do to support you more?”). Model gracefully accepting and learning from feedback.
Fixed Mindset: I’m just not good at math.
Growth Mindset: Math is challenging for me, but I know I can improve.
Tip: If a child struggles with a specific subject at school, provide extra support and track progress. Parents can collaborate with the child’s teacher and look for educational resources online or in-person. As the child’s grades improve, emphasize how far they have come. Celebrate their hard work and progress and continue to encourage the belief that there is always room to learn and grow.
Fixed Mindset: I’m too shy to speak in front of the class.
Growth Mindset: With practice, I can become more confident and improve my public speaking skills.
Tip: When children express a specific concern, ask, “What steps can we take to work on that?” If the child is unsure, help them brainstorm.
For example, a child who fears speaking in front of large groups can first practice with partners or in a small group setting. They can gain public speaking experience in a fun way, like improv or drama classes. As always, celebrate incremental progress and remind the child of how far they have come.
Fixed Mindset: I’m already a really good writer. I don’t need to get any better.
Growth Mindset: There’s always room for improvement.
Tip: If a child excels in a subject, make sure they are being challenged enough. Children who have mastered grade-level skills without having an opportunity to move beyond grade-level may feel improvement isn’t possible.
With young writers, for instance, you can encourage them to expand their vocabulary or begin incorporating figurative language into their work. Ask them to write paragraphs instead of just a sentence, or have them enter local writing competitions. Parents can introduce additional enrichment experiences.
Fixed Mindset: People who are naturally smart don’t need to try hard to succeed.
Growth Mindset: No one is born smart. We can all improve with time, effort, and persistence.
Tip: Give examples of people considered geniuses who had to put time and effort into their achievements. For example, Thomas Edison’s teachers thought he was “too stupid to learn.” He was fired from his first two jobs and he made thousands of unsuccessful attempts at inventing the lightbulb before succeeding. Edison wasn’t born a genius; he overcame obstacles, persisted, and worked hard for his intellectual successes.
Fixed Mindset: Other people’s successes make me feel bad about myself.
Growth Mindset: Other people’s successes encourage and inspire me. They show me what is possible.
Tip: When children feel discouraged by another person’s successes, teach them to ask, “How did this person get there?” When we see someone’s success, we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg. We don’t know what is “under the water,” or all the rejection, failure, effort, persistence, and learning that went into their achievements.
If you need some tips on how to encourage a growth mindset in your child, don't forget to download our free Your Words Matter Kit Vol. 2
Fixed Mindset: Successful people are lucky/talented and have never experienced failure.
Growth Mindset: Failure is part of success. Most successful people have failed many times, but they succeeded because they didn’t quit.
Tip: It’s important to teach children failure is part of every success story. The people who succeed aren’t the ones who magically got it right the first time; they are the ones who failed and kept trying anyway.
Famous examples include Michael Jordan, Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, Walt Disney, Steven Spielberg, and many more. If these names don’t resonate with children, ask them to name a successful person they admire, then research the failures and obstacles they had to overcome.
Fixed Mindset: I wish I was as good at baseball as you. It’s not fair.
Growth Mindset: Your skills as a baseball player inspire me. Do you have any tips to help me improve?
Tip: Encourage children to ask themselves, “What can I learn from this person?” when they see someone else succeeding. As mentioned above, they can also ask, “How did this person get there?” From a fellow baseball player, for example, children can learn both specific techniques and information about the training and hours of practice that contributed to their success.
We can view other people’s success stories as inspiring blueprints” rather than condemnations of our own abilities. When the opportunity arises, model this mindset for your children or students.
Fixed Mindset: It’s embarrassing when I make a mistake.
Growth Mindset: Everyone makes mistakes and mistakes are opportunities to learn.
Tip: Try celebrating mistakes with an action and/or phrase like, “High five, you’re learning!” Consistently connecting mistakes with learning will help children shift their mindset. When you make mistakes, verbally acknowledge them and think out loud about what you learned from the experience.
Fixed Mindset: If I don’t try new or hard things, then I won’t fail.
Growth Mindset: I have to try new and difficult things in order to grow, even if I fail at first.
Tip: Ask, “What would happen if you never try anything new?” Make a list of all the foods, experiences, movies, and hobbies your children or students would never have discovered if they hadn’t try.
Discuss skills that have become second nature, like riding a bike, but were once difficult or even scary. If we try to avoid failure, we also miss out on much of the joy, excitement, and growth life has to offer.
Fixed Mindset: When I fail, I get frustrated and give up.
Growth Mindset: When I fail or get frustrated, I try again using the lessons I’ve learned.
Tip: When Sarah Blakely, the billionaire founder of Spanx, was growing up, her father led weekly dinner table conversations about failure. He asked his children what they had failed at that week, then high-fived them and said, “Way to go!” In addition to celebrating his children’s efforts, he told them to write down the “hidden gifts” they got out of each failure and the lessons they had learned.
Blakely said this reframed her definition of failure to “not trying,” versus an undesirable outcome. Try implementing a similar ritual at your family dinners or in small groups in your classroom.
Fixed Mindset: Failure means it is time to give up.
Growth Mindset: I only truly fail when I stop trying.
Tip: What if Thomas Edison had stopped trying to invent the lightbulb after the first failed experiment—or even the first 500? What if Oprah Winfrey, Steve Jobs, or Walt Disney had decided they were failures after getting fired from early jobs? Or if Steven Spielberg and Michael Jordan had given up movies and basketball after experiencing rejection? These failures weren’t really failures after all because they didn’t give up.
Fixed Mindset: I can’t do that!
Growth Mindset: I can’t do that yet. I’m going to keep going, try new strategies, and/or ask for help until I understand it.
Tip: Teach children about the power of “yet.” When they say they don’t know how to do something, remind them they simply don’t know how to do it yet.
Brainstorm a list of alternatives children can refer to when they feel like giving up. For instance, they can ask a friend for help, ask a teacher for help, research on the Internet or in a textbook, or try a new strategy. Ask children to choose a favorite from the list, then fill in the blank in the following sentence starter: “Next time I get stuck, I will _________________.”
Fixed Mindset: If I don’t improve right away, I get frustrated. I start to criticize myself.
Growth Mindset: I know improvement takes time and I celebrate the small steps. Even a little progress makes a difference!
Tip: Whether you are at home or in the classroom, always emphasize the process over the outcome. Celebrate effort, new ideas, bouncing back from failure and mistakes, and so on. Learning is a process and an ongoing journey and every child’s goal should be to take steps toward improvement every day. When they take those steps, recognize and encourage their efforts. Meanwhile, use the other tips listed here to shift children’s mindsets around failures and help them transform negative self-talk.
These fixed mindset vs. growth mindset examples will help you and your children or students not only understand the difference, but also put these powerful concepts into practice. Consider writing your favorite growth mindset examples on sentence strips and hanging them on a bulletin board as a daily reminder.
Looking for additional resources? Have a look at our growth mindset journal. As the children in your life develop this mindset, you’ll notice a huge difference in their confidence, motivation, and resilience!
If your child has a Big Life Journal, we also recommend the Big Life Journal Buddies video series to make the journaling experience even more meaningful and memorable. The 22-episode video series introduces Buddie, your child’s journal buddy and growth mindset mentor!
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE Your Words Matter Volume 2 Kit. With these 10 one-page parenting guides, you will know exactly how to speak to your child to help them stand up for themselves, be more confident, and develop a growth mindset.
This short, inspiring clip from Khan Academy explains no one is born smart, however, we are born to learn. It highlights important mindset shifts we can all make. For example, failing is growing and every wrong answer makes your brain a little bit stronger. It’s great for a quick moment of motivation and inspiration!
This appropriately titled growth mindset video for children starts with a discussion of Steve Jobs. He initially struggled in school and dropped out of college before going on to start some of the world’s most successful and influential businesses. And it’s because he had a growth mindset! The video then explains how you can train your brain to get smarter, like a muscle. It briefly introduces the concept of neurons and then gives child-friendly tips on training your brain. The most important tip of all? Don’t give up!
In this TedX Talk, 8-year-old Noah Martinez shares the inspiring story of how he started his own business at the age of seven. Noah points out children are often placed in a box, with limits on what they’re capable of accomplishing. Instead, Noah says, imagine a world where children believe they can accomplish anything they put their mind to—because they truly can, regardless of age.
Janelle Monae sings about the Power of Yet in a fun growth mindset video clip from Sesame Street. Several Sesame Street characters make mistakes, including Cookie Monster, who is disappointed when he burns his cookies. They express fixed mindset beliefs, like, “I’ll never get it right!” Enter Janelle Monae, who sings, “You didn’t get it yet, but you’ll make it soon I bet.” Other encouraging lyrics include, “Just breathe, don’t lose control; keep trying and you’ll reach your goal!”
Created by Class Dojo, The Mojo Show is actually a five-episode video series. Children will love watching the struggles and triumphs of Mojo, a cute animated character. Each video in the series highlights the power of growth mindset and how children can develop this superpower. Topics include the magic of mistakes, neurons, the power of yet, and the brain’s similarity to a muscle. Each video is accompanied by a discussion guide and take-home questions to get parents involved too. Plus, you’ll find several lesson and activity ideas to deepen children’s understanding of growth mindset.
Featuring the failures of Michael Jordan, Walt Disney, and Steve Jobs, this video shows everyone experiences failure. Even more importantly, these failures can lead to success if we persist. The video also includes inspirational quotes about failure from each famous person, such as Michael Jordan’s statement, “I’ve failed over and over again in my life…that is why I succeed.”
This growth mindset video clip from the BBC documentary The Human Body provides a helpful analogy to illustrate neuroplasticity. The clip explains how establishing new neural pathways between brain cells is like gradually building a bridge to cross a ravine. The first trip across is the most difficult, but the process becomes easier and easier over time. Eventually, crossing the ravine (or using a new skill) is effortless.
Two seeds are planted on the same day in the same soil. Although one of the seeds is fearful and remains stagnant, the other demonstrates curiosity, optimism, and a desire to reach the outside world. After capturing children’s attention with this animated story, the video goes on to explain the difference between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset. Learning is a big adventure, with plenty of challenges and obstacles along the way!
Frankie is a young learner who faces challenges, then struggles with her inner “critical critter” in this animated growth mindset video clip. Luckily, she meets Gromo, a friendly growth mindset monster, who coaches her with the power of yet and the importance of courage in developing her abilities. The video is for children, but parents and teachers can also learn some coaching tips from the wise Gromo!
Neurons are personified as adorable, animated characters in this short and simple growth mindset video for children. Ned, a weightlifting neuron, is the star. Children will learn about how challenges grow and strengthen their brains. The more difficult the challenge, the more our brains can grow.
This informative and entertaining video opens with Dr. Nagler celebrating a failed experiment. When his young assistant asks, “Why are you celebrating? Didn’t you just mess up?”, Dr. Nagler explains, “I just discovered another way that doesn’t work! And I learned something in the process!” He’s proud he didn’t give up and he’s excited about growing a lot of neurons. Throughout the video, the young assistant represents common misconceptions about mistakes and failure and Dr. Nagler gently corrects him. He also offers growth mindset tips, like “talking to your brain” to figure out the best learning style and learning strategies for you.
With these growth mindset videos, your children or students will understand and internalize the concept of growth mindset. As a result, they will have the confidence to try new things and persist through tough challenges.
To continue learning, browse our lists of growth mindset YouTube channels and growth mindset movies. If you find videos and movies are a great way for your child to learn valuable skills, try our other film recommendations too, like our movies about kindness list!
]]>Why do some children seek out challenges and others avoid failure at all costs? Psychologist and researcher Carol Dweck set out to answer this question over 30 years ago. And what she discovered has big implications for the way we live and parent.
There are two ways of looking at human traits like intelligence and personality. One way is they are carved in stone, unable to be changed. Known as a fixed mindset, this often leads to extreme fear of failure and mistakes.
Alternatively, we can view intelligence and personality as qualities that grow and develop over time. This way of thinking — growth mindset— is associated with a willingness to tackle challenges, a passion for learning, and greater achievement.
Read on to discover the key differences between a fixed versus growth mindset, and some simple ways you can cultivate positive and growth-centered thinking in your child and family.
Before you continue, we thought you'd like to download our FREE Your Words Matter Kit. With these 10 popular parenting guides, you will know exactly how to speak to your children to help them develop confidence, internal motivation, and a can-do attitude.
A fixed mindset describes children (and adults) who believe their intelligence, talents and personalities are fixed traits that cannot grow. They believe we are born with a certain level of ability (or special skills) and we are unable to improve our level abilities over time.
Dweck describes her middle school classroom, where students were seated according to their IQ scores. The highest performers garnered the best spots in the room. She noticed something interesting — those labeled the “smartest” were also the most afraid of making mistakes (and losing their coveted seats).
Decades later, in her bestselling Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, Dweck coined a term for this way of thinking: a fixed mindset. When children believe intelligence is fixed, they naturally avoid challenges, obstacles and even small setbacks. The desire to keep “looking smart” trumps actual learning.
“As you begin to understand the fixed and growth mindsets, you will see exactly how one thing leads to another—how a belief that your qualities are carved in stone leads to a host of thoughts and actions, and how a belief that your qualities can be cultivated leads to a host of different thoughts and actions, taking you down an entirely different road.”
- Carol Dweck
According to Dweck, as many as 40 percent of students have a fixed versus growth mindset. But most children (and adults) have at least some qualities of one. These children tend to give up easily, resent the success of peers, and feel pressure to prove their intelligence time and again.
Happily, there is a more freeing way children can see themselves and their abilities. A growth mindset describes those who believe what we’re born with is just a starting point. They recognize intelligence, talents and personality can develop and change through effort and even struggle.
Having a growth mindset is about more than simply believing we can improve. It also means children view mistakes as opportunities, and find inspiration in the success of others. They connect positive outcomes with their practice and hard work.
“'Hard-working' is what gets the job done. You just see that year after year. The students who thrive are not necessarily the ones who come in with the perfect scores. It's the ones who love what they're doing and go at it vigorously.”
-Carol S. Dweck
Not surprisingly, it’s the growth mindset versus the fixed mindset that also results in greater achievement. Dweck’s research at Stanford University revealed students who had even one lesson in growth mindset earned significantly higher grades. When children value effort and perseverance over being smart or talented, they can actually become smarter!
We know cultivating a growth mindset is crucial for a full, happy life. But just how do we go about harnessing this superpower for our children and ourselves?
Begin by recognizing anyone can change how they think. No matter how many “fixed” qualities we identify in ourselves or our children, there is tremendous power in making a different choice.
“Mindsets are just beliefs. They’re powerful beliefs, but they’re just something in your mind, and you can change your mind.” -Carol Dweck, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
Here are 3 more simple (and effective) ways to get started with cultivating a growth mindset:
Journal writing is linked to academic benefits, from enhanced writing and communication skills to greater creativity. Journaling can also be a powerful agent for growth and change.
Studies show journaling helps children improve their emotional intelligence and ability to bounce back from obstacles. Journals with a specific focus on growth mindset, like the Big Life Journal For Kids, help children gain both self-awareness and confidence in their abilities.
To make the most of their journaling experience, encourage your child to find a “journal buddy” — or offer to be one. Together, you’ll be inspired by the stories of famous failures who never gave up, learn to set achievable goals and discover your superpowers.
Pro Tip: Check out the Big Life Journal Buddies Video Series, which provides your child with their own growth mindset mentor who shares personal stories and experiences with developing a growth mindset!
Until recently, many parents believed showering their children with constant praise was helpful. Who among us hasn’t said, “You’re so smart!” or “Good job!” to try and bolster a child’s self-esteem?
Unfortunately, not all praise is created equal. In fact, only one type is associated with a healthy mindset — process praise. This type of feedback acknowledges the hard work that resulted in your child’s successful outcome. It’s also both specific and sincere.
The next time you’re about to offer praise for a job well done, consider the following phrases:
Process praise works because it tells your child what they did well and how to keep it going in the future.
One of the easiest ways to instill a growth mindset in your child and family is also one of the most fun. Stories and films are an incredible resource for shifting the way we think about our abilities.
Your nightly bedtime routine may already include story time. With younger children, choose illustrated tales focused on developing skills like kindness and resilience. Or choose ones that inspire creativity and enjoying mistakes, like Beautiful Oops! by Barney Saltzberg. Identify characters who have a fixed versus growth mindset, and what they could do to change.
Tweens and teens can explore our suggested list of graphic novels to see how other adolescents face and overcome obstacles. These titles can support your child in making good decisions, managing tricky emotions, and navigating the ups and downs of relationships.
At your next family movie night, choose a theme like perseverance or one that’s more specific, like protecting the environment. Afterwards, help children link the film to their own lives. Prompts like, “The main character really wanted to help animals and didn’t give up. What is something you never gave up on?” are good places to start.
All children have a way of thinking about their strengths and abilities. Those with a fixed mindset believe they cannot change the hand they’re dealt. Scenarios that could lead to mistakes or failure are avoided, meaning opportunities to learn and stretch themselves are lost.
Conversely, children with growth mindsets recognize mistakes and obstacles for what they are — opportunities to learn and develop. Instilling this mindset is as simple as believing it’s possible. Prompt your child to journal about overcoming challenges. Choose to read books and watch movies that inspire resilience. And remember to praise your child for the hard work that leads to each and every success!
Don't forget to download our FREE Your Words Matter Kit with 10 helpful parenting guides and tips to use when speaking to your children.
]]>Your mindset impacts your relationships, learning, and overall well-being and success. It helps you achieve your full potential or holds you back from reaching it. And if you want to foster a growth mindset in children, it’s essential to have a growth mindset yourself.
People with a fixed mindset believe talent, intelligence, and other qualities are innate and unchangeable. On the other hand, people with a growth mindset believe effort and practice over time make a meaningful difference. A fixed mindset contributes to limiting beliefs; a growth mindset empowers beliefs.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE Your Words Matter Volume 2 Kit. With these 10 one-page parenting guides, you will know exactly how to speak to your child to help them stand up for themselves, be more confident, and develop a growth mindset.
Our fixed mindset vs. growth mindset quiz, created for adults and teens, consists of 15 questions. Simply choose the answer that corresponds with how you feel about the statement.
No matter what mindset you have, the good news is you have the power to change it! Here are some actionable tips for shifting to a growth mindset.
If you’re a growth mindset skeptic, it’s helpful to understand neuroscience supports this idea. Your mindset shift may come more easily if you read up on concepts like neuroplasticity, which explains that the neural pathways in the brain are constantly changing in response to our experiences. The brain is like a muscle--the more you practice, the stronger the brain becomes, and the more automatic the process.
Many of us have a fixed mindset in some areas and a growth mindset in others. Or we may have specific fixed mindset triggers. These could include criticism, setbacks, or comparing ourselves to the success of others. Practice becoming aware of when you have fixed mindset thoughts (don’t judge yourself for having them; simply notice the thought.). Awareness is the first step to making a change.
As you begin noticing your fixed mindset thoughts (and their triggers), try replacing them with a growth mindset thought. For example, if you think, “This is too hard,” consider, “This challenge is a great learning opportunity.” Or if you notice yourself thinking, “I’ll never be as successful as her,” shift to, “I’m not as successful as I’d like to be yet.” If you have a difficult time fully making these shifts, start by simply questioning your fixed mindset thoughts: “What if that’s not true?”
Since the brain learns and grows through experience, train your brain by taking growth mindset actions. Push yourself to try new things, take on challenges, and persist through failure and setbacks. Ask yourself, “What’s the worst that could happen? And if the worst thing happens, how can I respond?” Generally, this practice shows you that even the worst-case scenario isn’t so bad after all.
Instead of focusing solely on outcomes, celebrate the process too. Small steps toward a big goal matter. Incremental positive change makes a difference. Embracing the process helps you build confidence and develop a growth mindset.
If you need some tips on how to encourage a growth mindset in your child, don't forget to download our FREE Your Words Matter Volume 2 Kit.
Mistakes are inevitable. If you aren’t making mistakes, you aren’t taking risks or challenging yourself. Look into the backstory of just about every successful person and you’ll find examples of major mistakes and failures. Yet because they didn’t quit, and they used these mistakes as learning opportunities, they became extremely successful. Next time you make a mistake, ask yourself, “What can I learn from this?” Begin reframing “mistakes” as “learning,” and you’ll cultivate a growth mindset that propels you toward success.
Looking for additional resources? Make growth mindset a family affair by using our Big Life Journal with your children. Developing a growth mindset is a process, so give yourself grace along the way, and enjoy the journey!
Affirmations for parents are more than positive thoughts. They can retrain our subconsciousness to help increase our motivation to solve problems, find goodness in the world, and accept ourselves as we are. Check out our list of weekly parenting affirmations and watch the positivity grow.
]]>Affirmations for parents are more than positive thoughts. They can retrain our subconsciousness to help increase our motivation to solve problems, find goodness in the world, and accept ourselves as we are.
And as we grow, we can better model positive behavior for our children.
By creating and reciting affirmations as a family, you can start to mold a healthier mindset for yourself and your child.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE Personal & Family Values. This printable provides a great opportunity for your family to explore and identify values that can help guide you and your children in making the right choices.
The best affirmations, whether for parents or others, focus on effort—in other words, a growth mindset is a significant part of effective affirmations.
There are a few things affirmations generally have in common. They are:
When you’ve chosen your parenting affirmation, say it out loud several times in the morning, the evening, and anytime you need a reminder. Repeat it to yourself throughout the day, out loud if possible.
Sometimes, an affirmation may feel like a “lie” at first, as you may not feel the way your affirmation says you do. To help make it feel true, remind yourself of a time you did feel that way so you remember it’s possible.
For an affirmation to work, it needs time. Don’t expect an affirmation to “stick” after a day or two. Give each one at least a week and, if you like it, keep using it.
While affirmations are personal, it can be difficult to know where to start. Below, we’ve compiled a list of 52 affirmations for parents—one per week—to try out. While we’ve suggested weeks, you don’t need to go in this order; you can skip around to the type of affirmation you need.
Let’s dig into these parenting affirmation ideas.
Life is messy. Things go wrong. And even when things are going right, there’s always a lot happening. Parents often feel like everything has to be handled at once, with no hint of exhaustion or imperfection.
But we can only put one foot in front of the other, just like everyone else.
These first four affirmations for parents are for those times when we need to pause and take a deep breath.
1. I can ask for help.
2. I can’t control the future, but I can meet its challenges.
3. When I think I can’t do something, I will add “yet” to the end of the thought.
4. I focus on progress, not perfection.
If we’re truly honest with ourselves, there are likely days when being a parent can seem like too much. We may be going through a difficult phase with our children or struggling with our own insecurities.
These feelings are normal, even if no one talks about them. They don’t make you a bad parent!
That said, here are some parenting affirmations to remind you of parenthood’s truest rewards.
5. I love my children, no matter what today brings.
6. My children love me, no matter what today brings.
7. I’m the best parent for my child, which is why they are mine.
8. My children don’t want perfection; they want me to be there.
There are times when “overwhelmed” doesn’t begin to describe what is happening. We’re referring to when you have the flu, you get a call from the school about your kid’s behavior, the dog jumps over the fence, your children fight all evening, your partner has to work late every night this week, and you feel like screaming.
Maybe you do scream. These things happen!
This is an excellent time to step back, validate and accept your feelings, and try to move on with the help of the next four affirmations.
9. Admitting things are rotten doesn’t mean I’m giving up.
10. I view mistakes as opportunities to learn and grow.
11. Some days are better than others; that doesn’t mean I’m a bad parent.
12. Tomorrow is a new day.
Parent-teacher conferences. Family gatherings with that one relative. A traffic jam on your way to your child’s soccer game.
Planned or unplanned, we all find ourselves in difficult or upsetting situations we don’t want to be in. With these affirmations, you may find yourself better prepared to handle them—and perhaps find some strength you didn’t know you had.
13. I can handle anything for X minutes/hours. (Note: Use this one for planned events, starting to repeat it at least a week before the events occur.)
14. I can choose to leave situations that make me uncomfortable.
15. I give myself permission to set boundaries.
16. I can adapt to changes in my plans and expectations.
Your children matter—but so do you.
Forgetting we matter can make it hard to be fully present for our children and others who need us. As they say on airplanes, “put on your oxygen mask before helping your child with theirs.”
Here are some reminders to repeat when you need to check in on yourself and acknowledge your own needs.
17. I know taking breaks isn’t the same as giving up.
18. My feelings are valid.
19. My mental and physical health matters as much as my child’s.
20. I have many skills to overcome obstacles.
Talking to our children can be challenging at times, whether we’re talking about successes, opportunities for growth, or negative situations. As they grow and change, it can become more difficult to communicate with them effectively.
Below are parenting affirmations for when you’re feeling a disconnect with your children.
21. My child and I are a team, we solve problems together.
22. I can practice listening.
23. I meet my child where they are.
24. I learn from my child.
We all want to throw our hands up and say, “I’m done!” from time to time, when our frustrations begin to take over. These feelings happen to everyone.
For times like this, acknowledging the feeling and repeating a few relevant affirmations can help you remain calm and find balance again.
25. I will remember everyone is learning and growing, like me.
26. Being frustrated doesn’t make me a bad parent; it makes me human.
27. I can’t control how I feel, but I can control how I behave.
28. It’s okay to wonder how things could be, but I can find joy in how things are.
We’ve all been there. Friends and strangers who are “just trying to help.” Some have good intentions, and some are just nasty.
We may internalize these judgments or, without prompting, look at some of our missteps and begin to judge ourselves. It’s not always easy to just let things go.
However, some affirmations can help you sort through the judgment and rise above.
29. I have a choice in what parenting advice I listen to.
30. I refuse to be shamed by strangers.
31. What works for someone else may not work for me.
32. I can practice self-reflection without self-judgment.
The gut feeling something isn’t right when it comes to our children is the worst.
Or perhaps we see the signs, for example, a change in behavior, lower grades, or the realization that you don’t “get” your child.
This is where affirmations for parents come in—they can help empower us to take action against our worries and address any potential causes.
33. I will ask for help for my child, even if it’s scary.
34. I will work with my child’s team (teachers, family members, etc.) to help them succeed.
35. I accept my child is different from how I was at their age.
36. I trust my instincts.
As our children learn and grow, they become increasingly independent. We know we need to let them go and try things alone, but we also want to make sure they have the skills to stay safe, be successful, and stand up for themselves.
These parenting affirmations are here to provide some peace of mind as your children become increasingly independent.
37. I trust my child to solve many problems on their own.
38. I teach my child to set boundaries.
39. I remind my child they are capable of anything if they try.
40. I recognize when my child needs my intervention vs. when they need my encouragement.
Think back to before you had your children. Who were you then? What did you want out of life?
Even if your biggest dream was to have children, there were likely other things you desired or enjoyed unrelated to parenthood. That person is still there and is worthy of being heard.
Use the affirmations below as a reminder you can be your own person while also being a parent.
41. I’m allowed to have and pursue hopes and dreams for myself.
42. I give myself permission to have an identity outside of being a parent.
43. I can balance my needs with my child’s.
44. Pursuing what I'm passionate about sets a good example for my child.
It’s okay to be unhappy. And it’s okay—healthy even—to acknowledge those feelings and embrace them as part of the human experience.
But try to not dwell on them. See if you can redirect your energy to something positive, using these affirmations as guidance.
45. I deserve happiness.
46. I will assume positive intent in others.
47. I will marvel at the small things.
48. I am grateful I’m alive today.
Things are going well. Fantastic! Affirmations aren’t necessary, right? Remember: affirmations are not just for the bad times—they are to keep us motivated during the good times, too.
These final four affirmations can remind all us parents of our value and motivate us to keep a growth mindset, no matter what is going on in our lives.
49. l can live in the moment rather than dwelling on the past.
50. I learn and grow with my child.
51. I’m doing the best I can.
52. I make the world better, and so does my child.
As we mentioned in the affirmations, what works for one person may not work for everyone else. However, having a growth mindset means adding “yet” to the end of “I can’t.” Be sure you’ve given parenting affirmations a chance, including:
Altering the language or creating your own affirmation
Believing “this will work” may have better results
If you’ve tried all of these and still are not feeling successful, it’s okay. You can keep working on your affirmations while also attempting a few other things:
Journaling: writing can help clear your mind of negative thoughts and let you move on. Consider including your favorite parenting affirmation inside the cover. Check out the Big Life Journal for Adults.
Vision Boarding: vision boards are affirmations for parents who prefer visuals. They express goals using images, short phrases, and objects.
Asking for Help: the very first affirmation on our list is “I can ask for help.” School counselors, social workers, and teachers can offer resources for the entire family. Individual or family therapy shows a desire to grow. Whatever help you need, you are likely to find it.
Affirmations for Parents: Let’s Do This
We all deserve to have our humanity affirmed, but that’s not always going to come from the outside. Our parenting affirmations can permit us to love ourselves, our lives, our children, and the world around us—even when it is difficult. They can make us more receptive to positives and more resilient when facing challenges.
Remember to repeat your affirmations at least twice a day for a minimum of a week. They don’t work overnight, but they may help you grow with a bit of time and practice.
Looking for additional resources to support your parenting journey? The Build Your Frustration Tolerance Masterclass is a self-paced growth mindset parenting masterclass where you'll learn how to help your child push ahead and persevere instead of quitting or giving up at the slightest setback. You'll get lifetime access so you can go through all the materials at your own pace. Our expert parenting educators will give you specific tools and strategies to raise a child who has the CONFIDENCE AND DETERMINATION to overcome their frustration and persevere.
Unfortunately, too much screen time can have a harmful effect on children. Plus, children are missing out on the incredible benefits of outdoor play.
The Kaiser Family Foundation reports children ages 8-18 get an average of 7.5 hours of daily screen time. And that’s only counting screen time for entertainment, not educational purposes. In one year, that adds up to 114 days spent looking at a screen for fun.
Meanwhile, the average American child spends only four to seven minutes a day involved in unstructured play outside.
Here we will explain why children should ditch screens for sunshine, plus give you some fun ideas to encourage outdoor play!
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE Personal & Family Values. This printable provides a great opportunity for your family to explore and identify values that can help guide you and your children in making the right choices.
Playing outside inspires creativity, builds confidence, and teaches responsibility. And the benefits of playing outside don’t stop there—here are seven important reasons to limit screen time and encourage outdoor play.
As outdoor play has decreased, creativity scores (measured by the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking) have steadily declined since 1990. The most significant decrease is seen in kindergarteners through third graders.
Boosting creativity is important because it’s a vehicle for self-expression and a foundational skill for managing emotions and solving problems. It also promotes language, literacy, and social development.
Playing outside encourages exploration and activates children’s natural sense of wonder, curiosity, and creativity. During unstructured play, children invent their own games. They figure things out, solve problems, and keep themselves entertained with inventive approaches to the world.
Giving children the freedom to create their own games and explore the world (or at least the backyard) fosters a confidence-building sense of power and independence.
During their exploration of the outdoors, children try new things and take risks. Allowing children to take risks (within reason), ultimately helps build their confidence. Either they discover a new talent, or they experience a taste of failure and realize it’s not such a big deal after all.
Dr. Colleen Morgan, a Licensed Clinical Psychologist that specializes in cognitive behavioral therapist, explains, “A child needs to feel competence and confidence in their world. When I work with a family in therapy with a child who is spending a great deal of time on screens, we often see a decrease in self-confidence because the child is being shown examples of other children that can do things better than they can. When a child stops watching others on screens and instead goes outside to interact with peers or the natural world, they have numerous opportunities to build confidence in themselves.”
Be sure to check out our Best Sellers Bundle PDF (ages 5-11). It includes our three most popular printable kits packed with science-based growth mindset activities, guides, and crafts for children. With over 50 pages, this kit will help your children or students understand they have the capacity to learn anything.
Playing outside inspires an appreciation for nature and responsibility for living things. Children can learn about watering plants, picking up trash, or being gentle with flowers (e.g., not stomping them or pulling them up by the roots). Children who spend time in nature are more likely to appreciate and care for the planet as they grow older.
Responsibility in one area translates to responsibility in other areas too. Children’s individual actions have an impact on nature, and they have an impact on other people. This understanding encourages children to take responsibility for their choices and think about the effect their decisions have on those around them.
Of course, another benefit of outdoor play is keeping children active. The concept of “exercise” doesn’t always sound fun, but running, jumping, dancing, throwing a ball, or riding a bike are fun ways for children to move their bodies and stay healthy. This results in lower BMI and better overall health (e.g., lower risk for issues like diabetes, asthma, and cardiovascular disease).
Physical activity also provides an outlet for children’s energy, sharpening their focus and enhancing sleep. Additionally, it helps children improve their motor skills and muscle strength.
Exposure to sunshine helps children’s bodies produce Vitamin D, which is important for the immune system and bone development. Vitamin D also contributes to restful sleep and improved mood.
Getting some sunshine every day is great for physical and mental health!
While screens can increase stress and anxiety, outdoor play has been shown to reduce it. Numerous studies have linked excessive screen time for children to increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. For example, a study in the Journal of Preventative Medicine found children ages 2-17 who spend 7+ hours a day on a screen are twice as likely to be diagnosed with anxiety or depression as children who spend just one hour on a screen.
Other effects documented in the study included decreased emotional stability, increased distractibility, and more difficulty making friends and finishing tasks—all compelling reasons to limit screen time.
Dr. Morgan notes, “When a child is interacting with a screen, the feedback is instantaneous, making them expect instant gratification in the real world. I often see increased levels of impatience, frustration, anger and distress in a child when the world does not move at the same speed as a screen.”
By contrast, fresh air and green spaces create a natural calming effect in the body. Outdoor play promotes beneficial “feel-good” hormones like oxytocin and serotonin.
“When a child steps away from the screen and has other experiences outdoors, they restructure their expectations, and then anxiety and many negative emotions will decrease. This has been a successful therapeutic intervention for numerous children I have worked with,” says Dr. Morgan.
Unstructured play with other children is essential to developing children’s social skills. It teaches them how to make friends, navigate conflicts, share, and treat other people with kindness.
Only interacting with other children in the classroom or in structured activities like playing on a sports team does not give children the opportunity to learn important social skills in context.
Don't forget to download our FREE Personal & Family Values. These colorful and easy-to-use cards will help guide you and your family in making the right choices.
As we strive to limit screen time, it helps to give children motivation to play outside. Of course, you don’t always need a planned activity. In fact, unstructured time outdoors can maximize the benefits of outdoor play listed above.
But if you’re struggling to get your children excited about going outside, these ideas may help!
These are just a few ideas to get you started. There are plenty of creative activities and fun games that can encourage children to step away from the screens. What are your favorite ways to play outdoors with your children?
We’d love to hear from you!
Whatever your children like to do outside, they’ll reap the benefits of outdoor play for their physical and mental health. They’ll also reduce the harmful impact of too much screen time. So, shut down the devices, slather on the sunscreen, and head outdoors.
Looking for additional products to support your child's growth mindset journey? Our popular Big Life Journal - 2nd Edition (ages 7-10) helps children develop strong Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) and growth mindset skills through inspiring stories, colorful illustrations, and engaging guided activities. In this beautifully illustrated journal, children learn how to believe in themselves, face challenges with confidence, and use mistakes as opportunities to grow!
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The graphic novels on our list explore perseverance, learning from mistakes, and overcoming challenges. And they have major literacy benefits too! Studies show visual narratives can improve your adolescent’s reading fluency, comprehension, and even memory recall.
Check out our list of 15 engaging (and beautifully illustrated) graphic novels to help your tween or teen harness the power of a growth mindset — long after the final page is turned.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE Your Words Matter Kit. With these 10 popular parenting guides, you will know exactly how to speak to your children to help them develop confidence, internal motivation, and a can-do attitude.
*Disclaimer: Parents, caregivers, and teachers are advised to read about the novels to ensure they are appropriate for their children.
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson (ages 13-17 years) A National Book Award Finalist, this irreverent gem follows young shapeshifter Nimona on her mission as sidekick to the villainous Lord Ballister Blackheart. Together, they hope to expose the truth about their kingdom’s hero, Sir Goldenloin. Nimona reveals how confidence and humor can get us through life’s most epic battles. |
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The Stonekeeper (Amulet 1) by Kazu Kibuishi (ages 7-12 years) After the sudden death of her father, Emily moves to a strange and enchanted home with her mother and brother Navin. When her mother disappears as well, Emily and Navin must navigate a magical and dangerous underground world to find her. Emily discovers having the courage to face her fears is real magic. |
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The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks (ages 9+ years) Kaidu and Rat both inhabit the City — but they live in very different worlds. Kaidu is a son of the Daos, the latest group of invaders. Rat is a native of the Nameless City and understandably detests its conquerors. Their budding friendship teaches Kaidu what it’s like to be part of an oppressed group, and Rat how to trust in something new. |
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Tomboy by Liz Prince (ages 13-18 years) Equal parts humorous and heartbreaking, Liz Prince’s graphic memoir explores her childhood years as a “tomboy.” Rejecting all things girly, Prince is subjected to bullying from elementary school onwards. Tomboy is a powerful exploration of identity, and what it means to be comfortable in our own skin. |
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Sheets by Brenna Thummler (ages 9-12 years) Marjorie is a grief-stricken teen in charge of her family’s laundry shop. Wendell is a lonely ghost who finds comfort there. Their unlikely friendship gives them the strength to confront the evil Mr. Saubertuck, who threatens to take the shop, as well as their own significant losses. |
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Cucumber Quest Series by Gigi D.G. (ages 8-12 years) This delightful series is proof dangerous quests can still be light-hearted and fun. Far from your typical hero, Cucumber is a bookish bunny who’d much rather be at school. But when the evil Queen Cordelia threatens his kingdom, it’s Cucumber and his brave sister Almond to the rescue! |
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Stig and Tilde: Vanisher’s Island by Max de Radigues (ages 10+ years) This coming-of-age tale follows twins Stig and Tilde on an unexpected adventure. Like all 14-year-olds in their country, the twins set sail for Tilsa Island to spend a month without adult supervision. But when a sudden storm puts them off course and on the wrong island, can they rise to the challenge and make their way home? |
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Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol (ages 9+ years) Anya’s big emotions will be all-too-familiar to tweens and teens. A misfit at school, embarrassed by her family, and frustrated with her looks, Anya runs away from the bus stop only to fall down an abandoned well. There she meets the ghost of Emily, who helps her escape and begins changing her life for the better. Or so it seems. |
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Displacement by Kiku Hughes (ages 12+ years) On vacation in San Francisco, Kiku is suddenly transported to the 1940’s Japanese-American internment camp where her grandmother is incarcerated. Kiku is displaced in time, a firsthand witness to the trauma her grandmother experiences. This historical graphic novel is a story of resilience and connectedness across generations. |
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This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki (ages 12+ years) This Caldecott Medal winner follows Rose as she returns to her small and idyllic summer beach town. Simultaneously longing for a simpler time and wanting to leave childhood behind, Rose struggles to find her place. The mounting tension between Rose’s parents and her crush on an older boy underscores the many ups and downs of adolescence. |
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When Stars Are Scattered by Victoria Jamieson and Omar Mohamed (ages 9+ years) A National Book Award Finalist, this beautifully illustrated memoir exposes life inside a Kenyan refugee camp. Omar’s problems are significant — food scarcity, lack of water and poor health care. He instead focuses on what he can control: “I didn’t choose to be a refugee, but I’m choosing to believe in a future for my family.” |
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New Kid by Jerry Craft (ages 9-12 years) Starting at a new school is tough. Especially when you’re one of the few children of color. As 12-year-old Jordan navigates life at a prestigious private (and mostly white) middle school, his art provides the creative outlet he needs to cope. |
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What We Don’t Talk About by Charlot Kristensen (ages 13-17 years) This colorful debut novel depicts the interracial relationship of Farai and Adam. After two years of dating, Farai is optimistic about finally meeting Adam’s parents. But when Adam downplays how horribly the visit goes (and his parents’ racist comments), Farai must choose how to move forward — together or alone. |
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This Was Our Pact by Ryan Andrews (ages 10+ years) A dreamy novel about staying curious and following one’s dreams. Every year on the Autumn Equinox, Ben’s town floats paper lanterns down the river. But do the lanterns really turn into stars? Ben and his classmates make a pact to find out, leading them on a journey filled with magic and the unlikeliest of friendships. |
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Almost American Girl by Robin Ha (ages 13-17 years) A memoir about coping with dramatic change, Robin Ha traces her jarring relocation from Seoul, Korea to Huntsville, Alabama. There, she is faced with her mother’s sudden marriage, a stepfamily she doesn’t relate to, and a school where she can’t understand the language. It’s not until her mother enrolls her in a comic drawing class that Robin begins to find her way. |
Graphic novels can improve fluency and understanding in even the most reluctant of readers. With so many incredible options available, focus on those that instill a growth mindset too. The books on our list show tweens and teens how to persevere through even their greatest obstacles and gain the skills they need for everyday life.
Just like every pre-teen and teen. And they will also employ a growth mindset, do hard things to overcome their fears, and face the world with courage and confidence.
If you're looking for additional growth mindset resources for your teens and pre-teens, check out the Big Life Journal - Teen Edition (ages 11+). Our popular journal offers plenty of ideas and activities for teens to explore their interests and passions. From assessments to designing their own apps to encouraging advice, it’s a great tool for dreaming big!
]]>Watching and discussing movies about perseverance is one way to help children build this essential skill. If you’re wondering where to find the best perseverance movies to watch in your classroom or home, look no further!
We’ve put together a list of the top 15 movies about perseverance for children. Share them with the children in your life, then lead a conversation about the lessons learned from these inspiring films. You can also have a look at our growth mindset movies and a list of movies about kindness.
*Reminder: Please preview or read about the suggested movies to ensure they are appropriate for your child.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE When I Feel Worried Poster. Use this popular printable to make a plan with your child for when their worry shows up. Your child will have a list of their own coping strategies to calm their worry and anxiety.
Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993) When the Seaver family heads off on a trip to San Francisco, they leave their pets behind with a friend. Eventually, the fun-loving American bulldog Chance and his feline friend Sassy start to worry their family is gone for good. Shadow, a wise golden retriever, refuses to believe this boy Peter would abandon him. Fueled by Shadow’s belief in Peter, the three pets embark on an epic journey to find their way back home to their beloved owners. Rating G |
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Ratatouille (2007) Remy has always dreamed of being a professional chef. There is just one problem: Remy is a rat and rats aren’t exactly welcome in the kitchen. Determined to pursue his dream regardless, Remy moves to Paris. There, he forms an alliance with a young kitchen worker in a famous restaurant. He even gets to cook for a well-known food critic! Although Remy faces many obstacles and dangers in his quest for culinary greatness, he uses the superpower of perseverance to achieve his dream. Rating G |
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Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey (2020) Once a highly successful and joyful toymaker, Jeronicus Jangle falls on difficult times after his apprentice steals his greatest invention. Decades later, the former toy factory is a pawnshop and Jeronicus has lost his way. When his granddaughter Journey comes to visit, she helps him rediscover his creativity and determination—and face a final showdown with his traitorous apprentice. The grandfather-granddaughter duo can teach children powerful lessons about persistence, forgiveness, and integrity. Rating PG |
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Soul Surfer (2011) Based on real-life events, Soul Surfer tells the moving story of Bethany Hamilton. A teenage competitive surfer, Bethany loses her arm in a shark attack. Despite this tragedy, she refuses to give up and learns to surf with one arm. Not only does she continue surfing competitively, but she also uses her story to inspire others and help them overcome their fears. Rating PG |
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Meet the Robinsons (2007) Lewis is an orphaned young inventor with loads of brilliant ideas. He’s whisked away on a time-traveling adventure to save the future and reconnect with the family he has never known. With the help of the eccentric Robinson family, Lewis learns powerful lessons about believing in himself and moving forward. The movie ends with the quote, “Around here, however, we don't look backward for very long. We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious... and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” Rating G |
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Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) In this beautifully animated film, a warrior named Raya is determined to restore harmony to the fantasy world of Kumandra. To do so, she will have to go on a challenging journey to find the land’s last remaining dragon. As Raya overcomes a series of action-packed obstacles, she also learns about the importance of teamwork and trusting others. Rating PG |
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Mulan (1998) Another of our favorite Disney movies about perseverance, Mulan tells the story of a loving and determined daughter. Desperate to prevent her ailing father from being drafted by the army, Mulan disguises herself as a man and enlists in his place. In the army, she must try to hide her true identity while battling the enemy Huns. With determination and bravery, Mulan ultimately saves both her father and her country. Rating G |
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A Reindeer’s Journey (2018) This documentary/family film follows Ailo, a newborn reindeer surviving an Arctic winter. His mother was forced to leave the protection of the herd to give birth to Ailo and the pair must overcome frigid weather and dangerous predators to rejoin the group. (some scenes involve predators chasing prey, but no kills are shown on screen.) Although the movie is an informative documentary, the animal character voices and narration are very funny. Both children and adults will love this story of perseverance and triumph against all odds. Rating NR |
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Monsters University (2013) Monsters University is the prequel to Monsters Inc., taking us back in time to Mike and Sully’s college days at Monsters University. Both Mike and Sully dream of becoming Scarers, but it comes more naturally to Sulley. The two monsters develop a rivalry that eventually gets them both kicked out of MU’s Scare Program. If they ever want to become Scarers, they’ll have to overcome their differences and learn to work together. Rating G |
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October Sky (1999) In this uplifting true story, Homer Hickam dreams of a career in rocketry. His classmates and his family, especially his father, disapprove of Homer’s lofty ambitions. His father expects Homer to follow in his footsteps and work in the coal mines. But with the help of his friend and a sympathetic teacher, Homer begins building rockets. The movie follows Homer’s failures and successes as he lives out his dreams and repairs his relationship with his father. Rating PG |
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Leap! (2016) Félicie, an orphan who longs to become a ballerina, flees to Paris and begins training in a celebrated ballet school by pretending to be someone else. Soon thereafter, she auditions for a major role in The Nutcracker. Every day, the strict choreographer eliminates a dancer from the tryouts. Félicie overcomes intense auditions, the discovery of her lie, and even being sent back to her rural orphanage to then land the part. Rating PG |
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Hoot (2006) When Roy moves to Florida with his family, he befriends a pair of siblings who care for a flock of wild owls. Soon, Roy and his friends discover a restaurant will be built where the owls live. They team up with a local policeman in a fight to protect the endangered birds. Throughout the movie, Roy deals with teasing at school, corrupt construction companies, and his fear of having to move yet again. With the power of friendship and perseverance, Roy and the owls have a happy ending. Rating PG |
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Elliot the Littlest Reindeer (2018) Elliot is a miniature horse, but he doesn’t let that stop him from his goal of joining Santa’s reindeer team. Blitzen retires just three days before Christmas Eve and Elliot jumps at the opportunity to participate in the North Pole try-outs. Although he is teased and doubted by others, Elliot remains determined to achieve his lifelong dream. Rating PG |
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McFarland, USA (2015) After losing his job as a football coach, Jim White moves his family to McFarland. There, he begins coaching cross-country. His seven team members have little hope for their futures and limited belief in themselves, but Jim discovers they are talented runners. With incredible commitment, work ethic, and determination, these novice runners become champions—and, later, first-generation college students. Rating PG |
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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (2019) 13-year-old William is thrown out of his school in Malawi when his parents can no longer afford to pay the fees. Determined to keep learning, he sneaks into the school’s library and reads about topics like electrical engineering and energy production. When his village faces drought and famine, William creates a plan to build a windmill that powers an electric water pump. His brilliant idea leads to a successful crop and a college scholarship. Rating PG |
These movies about perseverance make excellent conversation starters to speak to children about pursuing their dreams, overcoming obstacles, and persisting through failure. Although the characters in these films face teasing, self-doubt, and incredible obstacles, they never give up. Children will feel inspired and learn they shouldn’t give up either.
Looking for additional resources to help your child with growth mindset and perseverance? Be sure to check out our Best Sellers Bundle PDF (ages 5-11). It includes our three most popular printable kits packed with science-based growth mindset activities, guides, and crafts for children. With over 50 pages, this kit will help your children or students understand they have the capacity to learn anything.
Enter educational movies. The best of both worlds, the films on our list not only captivate children but support a growth mindset, perseverance and learning, too. These stories demonstrate how to build resilience and model overcoming adversities of every kind.
For an added boost, consider watching the below recommendations together with your child. Studies have shown that co-viewing supports everything from bonding to the development of early literacy skills and empathy.
So the next time you settle onto the couch together, let go of your screen time worries. And watch these 15 must-see films instead — ones that will spark your child’s interests and help them develop the mindset crucial for a full, happy life.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE Your Words Matter Volume 2 Kit. With these 10 one-page parenting guides, you will know exactly how to speak to your child to help them stand up for themselves, be more confident, and develop a growth mindset.
*Reminder: Please preview or read about the suggested movies to ensure they are appropriate for your child.
Bethany Hamilton: Unstoppable (2018) Born in Hawaii, Bethany gained her first surfing sponsorship at the age of nine. But when she loses her arm in a brutal tiger shark attack, many fear she will give up on her dreams. Unstoppable captures the incredible power of perseverance and continuing to ride the waves even after a storm. Rating PG |
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Dream Big (2017) Narrated by Jeff Bridges, this stunning documentary aims to transform the way we think about engineering. Engineer Menzer Pehlivan travels across the world, from New York City to the Great Wall of China, to learn about building earthquake-resistant structures (and saving lives). When the film ends, have a look at the educational resources, including lesson plans and hands-on activities, Dream Big provides. Documentary |
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Born to Be Wild (2011) This is a film about second chances for orphaned animals and the incredible humans dedicated to rescuing them. The work of Dr. Birute with orangutans and Daphne Sheldrick with elephants will inspire children and show how love and kindness can help rehabilitate even the most vulnerable among us. Future preservationists will be motivated to protect animals from poaching and other human incursions that lead to their abandonment. Rating G |
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A Plastic Ocean (2016) On a hunt for the endangered blue whale, director Craig Leeson discovers the harsh truth about plastic waste in our oceans. Leeson travels to 20 locations around the globe to reveal the havoc created by mass-produced plastic. But instead of feeling hopeless, this film highlights the simple choices children can make to be good stewards of the environment. Rating TV-14 |
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Pick of the Litter (2018) This heartwarming documentary follows five puppies on their quest to become guide dogs for the blind. The two-year training period is intense and not every puppy will make the cut. But even those who don’t will find a “career change” that still allows them to lead a happy life with their owners. Rating PG |
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Wings of Life (2013) As the film opens, we’re reminded “life depends on little things we take for granted.” The little things, including hummingbirds, butterflies and bees, are captured with time-lapse and high-speed techniques to beautiful effect. Children will also learn that a third of the world’s food supply depends on these tiny creatures. Rating G |
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Girls Rock! (2007) If you’re looking for a film to build your child’s confidence, look no further. This girl power documentary follows four pre-teen and teen girls as they choose a new instrument and write a song. When they perform a concert for an audience of 700, your child can only be inspired by their bravery! Documentary |
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The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021) No list of children’s movies would be complete without an animated film and this one doesn’t disappoint. Teenager Katie Mitchell narrates the challenges of battling a machine apocalypse with her “dysfunctional” family. She soon learns perceived weaknesses can sometimes be our greatest strengths. Rating PG |
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Mad Hot Ballroom (2005) Students from several New York City elementary schools prepare for an annual ballroom-dancing competition. Watch as these young dancers show how effort and dedication result in positive outcomes, even in the face of absent parents and dangerous neighborhoods. The awkwardness of dancing with the opposite sex may also feel familiar (and amusing) to children. Rating PG |
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Paper Clips (2004) In rural Tennessee, a middle school class’s attempt to grasp the enormity of the Holocaust leads to a simple and profound idea. Students decide to collect enough paper clips to represent each of the lives lost in the genocide of European Jews. Compelling interviewees include Holocaust survivors, students, teachers, and even those who sent in paperclips. Rating G |
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I Am Eleven (2011) Inspired by her happy memories of being an 11-year-old, Australian filmmaker Genevieve Bailey travels through 15 countries to examine the lives of children at this pivotal age. Bailey’s questions about love, war and religion reveal the commonalities shared by adolescents— from a group of girls in an Indian orphanage to a boy in London. Biography |
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Jane (2017) This film is drawn from never-before-seen footage of one of the world’s most beloved conservationists. Whether or not children know the story of Jane Goodall, her struggles as a student and budding scientist will feel relatable. Initially nervous about going into the wild, Goodall soon gains the trust of the chimpanzees she studied, and in doing so, is able to connect us to their world. Rating PG |
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Spellbound (2002) A documentary that sparked an entire genre, Spellbound follows eight students from across the country as they compete in the 1999 Scripps National Spelling Bee. Filmmaker Jeffrey Blitz travels to Washington, D.C. to capture the grit of finalists like Ashley White, who overcome incredible odds just to compete. The importance of daily practice and hard work is highlighted. Rating G |
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Ghost of the Mountains (2017) Searching for a family of snow leopards on the highest plateau on earth, filmmakers endure dangerous terrain, terrible weather and elusive subjects (hence the name ‘ghost’). Inspired by the cats that make this harsh world their home, the Disneynature film crew perseveres. But will they reach their goal of filming a mother snow leopard with her babies? Rating G |
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Paper Planes (2014) 12-year-old Dylan is passionate about flight. Discovering his knack for folding and flying paper airplanes, Dylan is quickly swept up into the World Paper Plane Championships. It is there he meets a rival in the form of Jason, whose behavior only helps motivate Dylan further. But it’s his new friend Kimi who says it best: “Winning and losing doesn’t matter, it’s about making something beautiful and surprising.” Not Rated |
All screen time isn’t created equal. But we’ve made the task of identifying educational movies for children easy. The films on our list will help instill a love of learning, growth mindset, and perseverance in your child. Each selection reveals how facing life’s challenges — in the form of nature, others, or ourselves — can lead to incredible growth. And remember co-viewing has powerful benefits, so don’t hesitate to snuggle up together to watch!
]]>Every child is able to learn to face and overcome challenges and there are many ways to teach this crucial skill. Research shows stories and movies are a powerful teaching tool for resiliency — one that influences our thinking long after the credits roll.
If you’re wondering just which movies will help build grit and resilience in your child, look no further.
Here, we’ve rounded up a list of 20 movies about resilience to model these skills and show children of all ages how to persevere in even the toughest moments!
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE When I Feel Worried Poster. Use this popular printable to make a plan with your child for when their worry shows up. Your child will have a list of their own coping strategies to calm their worry and anxiety.
*Disclaimer: Parents, caregivers, and teachers are advised to watch or read about the movies to make sure they are appropriate for their children.
Akeelah and the Bee (2006) Resilience can’t exist without adversity, and 11-year-old Akeelah faces plenty. But the death of her father and her crime-ridden neighborhood doesn't stop her from dreaming big. When Akeelah chooses to compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee, she models how combining a goal with hard work can create magic. Rating PG |
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Moana (2016) A powerful tale about listening to the voice inside. Despite being drawn to the ocean, Moana is taught her place is safe in the village. True to herself, she undertakes a perilous voyage by sea to restore the heart of Te Fiti and save her people. But when she faces a major moment of self-doubt, the guiding spirit of Gramma Tala reminds her of who she is. Rating PG |
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Trolls (2016) Princess Poppy is the definition of optimism — she faces every challenge with confidence in her abilities. Giant spiders, freezing cold weather, and lava pits are no match for her positive attitude. On a mission to rescue her friends from the miserable Bergens, Poppy reminds us to “get back up again” each time we fall. Rating PG |
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Brave (2012) Merida defies her family’s wishes, leading to a terrible curse on her mother. She must then rely on her courage (and archery skills) to set things right. As Merida and her mother grow closer, she learns how love helps us be brave. Rating PG |
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Penguin Bloom (2020) Based on the best-selling book and true story, the Bloom family faces a tragic accident on vacation in Thailand. Older children will be swept up in the tale of how injured bird “Penguin” helps the Blooms accept, and even embrace, their changed lives. Rating TV-14 |
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Wonder (2017) Auggie Pullman is a fifth grader with Treacher Collins syndrome, which causes him to look different from his classmates. He overcomes bullying, isolation and deep sadness with the support of his loving family, and an incredible sense of humor. Auggie’s story reveals how laughter, and having even one good friend, can do wonders. Rating PG |
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Stick Man (2015) Out for a quick jog near his family tree, Stick Man is taken by a dog and subsequently endures many misadventures. Used as a flagpole, a toy, and the arm of a snowman, Stick Man stays focused on his goal to return home in time for Christmas. Not Rated |
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Piper (2016) This beautiful short film introduces viewers to a frightened (and hungry) young sandpiper. When Piper’s mother doesn’t return to feed her, she must try several strategies to find her own dinner. Piper watches the creatures around her and learns to face the terrifying waves in a brilliant way. Rating G |
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March of the Penguins (2005) Set in the Antarctic, this documentary follows emperor penguins on a 70-mile journey to their breeding grounds. Not every penguin survives, and those who do must still endure the difficult task of transferring and incubating their eggs. The incredible effort of the emperor penguins pays off when precious new life hatches in the frozen tundra. Rating G |
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Maiden (2018) In 1989, the first all-female crew competed in the arduous Whitbread Round the World yacht race. This documentary traces their challenges on land and at sea, including the difficult childhood of skipper Tracey Edwards. Unable to find sponsorship, Edwards purchases the second-hand yacht she renames Maiden — and with the help of her incredible crew, ultimately places second in the race. Rating PG |
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Coco (2017) Banned from playing guitar, his greatest passion, 12-year-old Miguel longs to connect to his musical ancestors. He inadvertently travels to the Land of the Dead, meeting an ally in the form of Hector. Together, Hector and Miguel heal a generations-long misunderstanding and reveal the power of staying true to your dreams. Rating PG |
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Star Wars: Episode VIII-The Last Jedi (2017) This is a film about failing big, and the many ways we can respond to our mistakes. The point of life, Jedi Master Yoda explains to Luke, is to “pass on what you have learned. Strength, mastery. But weakness, folly, failure also. Yes, failure most of all. The greatest teacher, failure is.” Rating PG-13 |
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Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (2001) Orphaned and living under the stairs at his aunt and uncle’s, Harry Potter begins receiving mysterious letters. He soon learns of his magical abilities and the talented parents who died while protecting him. Harry faces adversity with keen intelligence and curiosity and develops friendships that connect him to his greatest strengths. Rating PG |
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Ruby Bridges (1998) In the 1960s, Ruby was chosen to be the first African-American student at her New Orleans elementary school. This film, nominated for an NAACP Image Award, portrays the angry mob young Ruby must face every day — and the refusal of staff to work with her. Teacher Barbara Henry arrives from Boston, championing her bright student and creating an environment of safety and hope. Rating PG |
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Charlotte’s Web (2006) An idyllic farm in Maine is the backdrop for this classic tale. Determined to live through the spring, Wilbur befriends a brilliant barn spider named Charlotte and shares his goal. Brainstorming how best to save him, Charlotte hatches a perfect plan that makes Wilbur (and the entire farm) famous. Rating G |
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My Octopus Teacher (2020) Near Cape Town, South Africa, filmmaker Craig Foster documents his relationship with a curious and tough young octopus. Each day for a year, he free-dives into her underwater world, at one point witnessing a vicious shark attack that almost costs her her life. As she heals, Foster captures the incredible will to survive that unites all of us. Rating G |
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Pursuit of Happyness (2006) Based on a true story, this film follows the struggles of single father Christopher Gardner. Financial crisis, homelessness and abandonment by his wife don’t stop Gardner from being a loving parent, or following his dream of being a successful stockbroker. Rating PG-13 |
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Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) A witch-in-training, Kiki delivers goods by broomstick — but not without difficulty. Her first delivery includes a lost package and a bird attack. When Kiki loses her ability to fly, she finds encouragement in the form of an artist friend. Inspired to find a new purpose, Kiki soon remembers how to fly. Rating G |
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Kubo and the Two Strings (2016) In ancient Japan, Kubo faces mortal danger in the form of his grandfather and aunts. Kubo’s mother, a once-powerful witch, uses the last of her magic to accompany him on a quest for the three tools that will defeat their enemies. This film is a testament to love, which transcends time and space and can overcome any adversity. Rating PG |
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An elderly widower, Carl Fredricksen refuses to let go of the past. His unlikely friendship with a persistent young Boy Scout develops in Paradise Falls, a mysterious land he only dreamed of visiting. It’s there that Carl shifts his mindset, realizing that change is simply an opportunity for a new adventure. Rating PG |
Resilience, or the ability to bounce back from adversity, is a skill children can develop and strengthen. Movies offer a practical (and effective) way to teach resilience and inspire children to overcome their own obstacles in creative ways. This list of 20 movies about resilience is the perfect place to begin!
]]>Watch these movies with your children, discuss them and enjoy the life lessons your children will learn in the process. You may also enjoy our lists of growth mindset movies and movies about friendship.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE Your Words Matter Kit. With these 10 popular parenting guides, you will know exactly how to speak to your children to help them develop confidence, internal motivation, and a can-do attitude.
*Disclaimer: Parents, caregivers, and teachers are advised to watch or read about the movies to make sure they are appropriate for their children.
11-year-old Riley’s life changes when her father’s job moves them from the Midwest to San Francisco. Her emotions -- Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Fear, and Anger -- disagree over how to navigate the difficult experience. Although Riley struggles to adjust, she ultimately accepts life in San Francisco, even embracing new friends and new hobbies. Rating PG |
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Emperor Penguins find their soulmates through song, which makes matters difficult for Mumble, who can only manage a croak. Mumble’s lack of singing skills eventually leads to his expulsion from the community. Fortunately, he meets new friends who help him discover that his true calling is tap dancing! This adorable movie has a great message about following your heart, even if it means dealing with some big changes. Rating PG |
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When the young clownfish Nemo is captured by scuba divers, his fearful father Marlin must venture outside of his comfort zone to find and save him. Meanwhile, Nemo determinedly plots to make his own escape. Children will love the beautiful animation while learning about overcoming life’s curveballs and obstacles. Rating G |
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The Secret Life of Pets (2016) Max the terrier’s peaceful life is turned upside down when his owner takes in Duke, causing Max to struggle with jealousy. Max and Duke experience several misadventures together and ultimately form a true friendship. This movie is a fun way to speak to children about adjusting to new friendships or even a new addition to the family. Rating PG |
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In this movie, perfect for older tweens and teens, Daniel and his mother move from New Jersey to California. At first, Daniel is harassed by a group of bullies. After Daniel learns karate from Mr. Miyagi, he earns the respect of the bullies. The movie teaches discipline, hard work, and perseverance in the face of challenges and change. Rating PG |
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A large inflatable robot and a child prodigy form a charming and unconventional friendship while teaming up with a band of high-tech heroes. Early in the film, the young prodigy’s older brother tragically dies. The movie provides the opportunity to speak about grief, love, loss, and healing. It also promotes the power of friendship and using your gifts to help others. Rating PG |
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In this short animated film, a baby sandpiper is no longer being fed by her mother and must venture out to dig for food on her own. To get her own meals for the first time, Piper must overcome her fear of the ocean waves. At just six minutes long, it offers a short and sweet message about adapting to change, even when it feels scary. Rating G |
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Free-spirited Princess Merida decides to create her own change by defying tradition (and her mother) and refusing to marry. When a witch gives her an enchanted cake to change her fate, Merida accidentally transforms her mother into a bear. Over the course of the movie, mother and daughter repair their bond and overcome their differences. Rating PG |
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When a new spaceman toy arrives in a boy’s room, a cowboy doll, who is currently the boy’s favorite feels deeply threatened. By the end of the movie, the two toys have to come together to survive and make it back to the child they love. One of the most popular movies about growth and change, this film also depicts a positive experience of moving to a new house. Rating G |
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Another animated film that addresses grief, Coco tells the story of an aspiring musician named Miguel. Desperate to confront his family’s ban on music, Miguel travels to the Land of the Dead to find his great-great-grandfather, a talented singer. In the end, Miguel’s relentless pursuit of his dream pays off. Rating PG |
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When a rainstorm washes Arlo the dinosaur downriver, he is separated from his parents and siblings. Miles from home, Arlo forms a surprising friendship with a Neanderthal boy named Spot. With Spot by his side, Arlo sets out on a journey to be reunited with his family. Along the way, he learns about friendship, self-discovery, confidence, and overcoming fear, no matter what life brings. Rating PG |
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In the big city of Zootopia, a rural rabbit is fulfilling her dream of becoming a police officer. The rabbit does well at the academy but is assigned to parking duty by the police chief because she is a rabbit. Ultimately, she teams up with a con artist fox and they become a pair of unlikely heroes. In addition to teaching children about persevering in the face of change, the movie has a valuable message about fighting against stereotypes and prejudice. Rating PG |
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No list of movies about change and growth would be complete without this moving film about Carl, an elderly man who is ordered to move to a retirement home following the death of his wife. Instead, he sets out for Paradise Falls, a place he always dreamed of visiting with his wife Ellie. He’s accidentally joined by a young stowaway named Russell, and the two learn important lessons about love, life, and celebrating the small moments. Rating PG |
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Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989) A young witch in training, 13-year-old Kiki is required to move to a seaside town for a year of independent life. As she struggles to fit into a new community, Kiki starts her own flying courier service to support herself. Eventually, she begins doubting herself and losing her magical powers. To regain her skills, Kiki must learn to believe in herself again. This powerful story of change and growth also holds lessons about discovering our talents and passions and sharing them with others. Rating G |
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This inspiring film follows the story of a young girl from the Ugandan village of Katwe, whose life forever changes when she discovers the game of chess. Based on a true story, the movie teaches valuable lessons about hope, strength, and overcoming adversity to achieve big dreams. Rating PG |
You can also check out the Big Life Journal Web TV Series, a collection of growth mindset videos on topics ranging from the power of perseverance to the importance of believing in yourself!
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Perseverance and especially passion may sound unteachable but they aren’t. It just takes time and consistency. Repeat the following activities with your child to help them develop their inner grittiness, putting them on the path to happiness and success.
]]>By now, Duckworth’s concept has made its way into national education policy and public schools in California even grade schools and students on grit.
But despite grit’s prevalence, Duckworth says the concept is often misunderstood. Duckworth’s definition of grit is “passion and perseverance toward long-term goals,” but she says people often overlook the passion part.
Perseverance and especially passion may sound unteachable but they aren’t. It just takes time and consistency. Repeat the following activities with your child to help them develop their inner grittiness, putting them on the path to happiness and success.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE When I Feel Worried Poster. Use this popular printable to make a plan with your child for when their worry shows up. Your child will have a list of their own coping strategies to calm their worry and anxiety.
A study by psychology researchers including Dr. Carol Dweck and Dr. David Yeager indicates students are more motivated to succeed when they have a core purpose.
The study involved brief online interventions, including asking students to write how the world could be a better place, reading stories about how performing in school could help students positively impact the world, and having students think about their own dreams and how their education could help them achieve their goals.
As students developed the belief they could achieve purpose in life, they grew more motivated and performed better academically. They were also more likely to persist toward a degree.
You can help your child develop grit (both passion and perseverance) by discussing their goals and purpose in life. Then talk about the steps required in order for your child to reach their goal.
If your child is younger, try a simpler, more engaging approach like a dream board. Also called vision boards, dream boards are a powerful visualization tool to help kids create and achieve their goals.
On a sheet of poster board, your child posts images or text that reflect their passions, hopes, and goals. Visualizing what they want to achieve will help your child develop a positive mental attitude and focus on their passion and purpose.
Creating a dream board fosters grit because it will help your child celebrate their passions and link those passions to specific goals they would like to achieve. Plus, it’s a fun activity for the two of you to do together!
Children learn pessimism or optimism from the adults in their lives, so providing opportunities for your child to learn from positive resilient adults is key.
Your child can interview grandparents, neighbors, or other acquaintances who have worked hard toward a long-term goal.
These interviews will teach your child how to live life with grit in addition to the benefits that come with passion and perseverance.
You can share your resilience stories with your child as well. It’s helpful for kids to understand that even adults can make mistakes, but then try again and ultimately solve a problem or reach a goal.
As your child hears stories about grit from people they admire (including you), they'll want to mirror these values in their own life.
Your child can also learn from stories about famous people who used passion and perseverance to reach long-term goals, often with failures or setbacks along the way.
Stories like Michael Jordan not making his Varsity team, or J.K. Rowling’s manuscript for Harry Potter being rejected almost a dozen times, will show your child how perseverance through failure can lead to great success.
If any of these famous people had given up when they experienced failure, they would never have achieved their fame and success. “Luck” is an illusion; success is about hard work and persistence toward something you’re passionate about.
We can certainly learn lessons about perseverance from nature. Just think about the Tupac Shakur poem “The Rose That Grew from Concrete.”
The poem reads:
You can read this poem with your child to discuss what represents the concrete represents in their lives. What are their obstacles? Next, discuss how your child can “breakthrough concrete” like the rose. What can they do to overcome their obstacles and reach their dreams?
This activity is a fun way to practice components of Gabriele Oettingen’s WOOP strategy and help your child develop grit. You can also show your child pictures or real-life examples of the resilience and perseverance of nature, then connect these images to how your child lives their own life.
Similarly, you can help your child learn about grit by reading relevant books, poems, or short stories.
For instance, read stories of perseverance such as The Little Engine That Could or Chelsea Clinton's She Persisted Around the World: 13 Women Who Changed History.
Use stories like The Hugging Tree: A Story About Resilience by Jill Neimark. It tells the story of a tree that grows alone on a cliff. The tree faces many challenges, but it continues to stand strong, find the positive, and ultimately help others with their own challenges.
These are fun, colorful stories your child will request again and again! As you read these stories, you can also help your child form connections to their own life. Talk about their challenges, their response to failures, and how to live their own life with grit.
Don't forget to download our FREE When I Feel Worried Poster so your child has a list of their own coping strategies to calm anxiety and worry.
When your child feels discouraged or tempted to give up, try asking them, “What’s the hard part?”- Parenting blogger Lauren Tamm
Once your child has identified what is difficult for them, repeat the information back in your own words. This helps your child identify their biggest challenge, allowing them to break it down into a more manageable task.
After the two of you have identified the challenge, ask your child what they could do to fix or overcome “the hard part.” They'll likely arrive at an answer and realize problems can be solved if they persevere and takes the time to think the problems through.
Don’t give your child the answer, even if you have to guide them to it.
Helping your child find “the hard part” and navigate a way to overcome the challenge is a powerful way to teach them about grit.
Angela Duckworth teaches grit to her own two daughters using the “Hard Thing Rule.” Duckworth’s rule has three parts:
This is a rule your whole family can follow, holding each other accountable, and setting an example for your child. The “hard thing” can be an instrument, a sport, a subject or area of interest, an activity, and so on.
The “Hard Thing Rule” combines passion (because you choose what to pursue) and perseverance (because you promise to stick with it), and your child will experience success or improvement with something challenging. This will build their confidence and teach them the benefits of grit.
This activity will work best with an older child, but a young child could complete it with guidance.
Amy Lyon, a fifth-grade teacher from New Hampshire, created an entire grit curriculum based on the book The Optimistic Child by Martin Seligman, University of Pennsylvania professor and co-founder of Positive Psychology. Lyon uses the “grit pie” activity with her students to teach optimism and help them become aware of their thoughts.
The pie represents an obstacle the student is facing. Each slice of pie symbolizes a cause of the problem. For each slice, students analyze whether their thoughts about the problem are permanent (“I’ll never be good at math”) or temporary (“My friend was talking too much and distracting me”) and whether they blame themselves (“I should have asked the teacher for help when I didn’t understand”) or others (“The teacher didn’t teach us this material!”).
Hopefully, most of your child’s problems will be categorized as “temporary” and they'll take at least some responsibility for causing the problem.
Point out these issues are temporary and within your child’s control. How can your child make positive changes to resolve them? Completing this activity will show your child the majority of obstacles can be overcome with problem-solving and perseverance.
Lastly, you can inspire your child to find hobbies and interests they're passionate about by enthusiastically sharing your own passions.
Show your child your excitement about activities outside of working and parenting and devote time to developing these passions. Not only will this make you happier and more fulfilled, but it’ll also set a great example for your child about pursuing your passions.
This will also encourage your child to openly share their own passions with you. Be supportive and interested in whatever your child is passionate about, and provide resources to help them explore and develop these interests.
Looking for additional resources to support building grit and resilience in your child? The Build Your Frustration Tolerance Masterclass is a self-paced growth mindset parenting masterclass where you'll learn how to help your child push ahead and persevere instead of quitting or giving up at the slightest setback. You'll get lifetime access so you can go through all the materials at your own pace. Our expert parenting educators will give you specific tools and strategies to raise a child who has the CONFIDENCE AND DETERMINATION to overcome their frustration and persevere.
If your child has been very disappointed with a holiday gift, don’t throw in the present towel just yet. Instead, parents can coach kids to be gracious gift-givers and receivers, and help them reap the relationship rewards that come with it.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE Calming Strategies for Kids. Does your child need help to regulate their big emotions? You and your child can sit together and circle the coping strategies they can try next time they need to feel calmer.
Consider buying holiday gifts for a child in need this year, such as through a local organization. This is an excellent opportunity to build empathy as you and your children consider the child’s needs and wants (usually provided by the gift program) and decide what to purchase together. Even the youngest kids can help shop for gifts. They may feel their input is especially valuable if shopping for a child of a similar age. You can ask questions like the following:
Take a similar approach to family and friends. As you brainstorm gift ideas, encourage kids to list as many interests or characteristics of the recipient as they can. Spend some time searching together for unique gifts that match personalities. Here is your chance to reframe the way kids look at gifts: as symbols of thought and care, rather than as exchanges of money. Cost doesn’t matter, but thinking about the other person does.
Thoughtful gift-giving is empathy in action. When you model this kind of careful consideration, you teach children to attune to others’ feelings, even taking others’ perspectives. You might ask questions like the following:
For kids who are laser-focused on a specific item, it can help to shift the family culture around gifts. In the weeks leading up to a holiday, instead of concentrating on lists of what your child wants, make a big deal out of deciding what to buy for others — and make sure your child is an integral part of the process.
When it comes to the actual purchase, older kids can choose gifts themselves, either with their own pocket money or on a budget parents set. To emphasize thoughtfulness and empathy again, request that teens and tweens explain why they selected each gift before they make the actual purchase. Younger children can choose from a list of items you compile, or create handmade gifts of their own.
Don't forget to download our FREE Calming Strategies for Kids. You and your child can sit together to review the coping strategies they can try next time they need to feel calmer.
Suppose the holiday is only a few days away, and it is too late to change your shopping strategy. In that case, you can still shift the excitement in your household toward gift-giving, not gift-receiving. Instead of asking, “What presents are you hoping to get?” (a favorite pre-holiday question from adults), try some of the following questions and statements:
With this shift in family perspective, you prevent gift disappointment in two important ways. First, the joy kids anticipate and feel on the big day is not riding solely on the gifts they receive. Even if their own gifts are not what they had hoped for, they have positive feelings — and even a boost in self-esteem and efficacy — around knowing they have made others feel cared for. Second, kids will have a better understanding of the challenge of choosing great gifts. Their minds will be primed to empathize when a gift falls short of expectations.
What if the gift exchange was this morning, and your child is still in their bedroom crying about the toy they didn’t get this year?
Looking outside themselves with kindness, compassion, and more empathy is the solution here. When your child is calm, take a little time to talk about the gift giver and any circumstances or traits that might help your child understand them better. Then guide your child toward some conclusions about why they might have selected that gift. Here is a sample conversation:
I know the sweater from Great-Aunt Ruth isn’t your style. She doesn’t have any kids around your age, though, so I imagine it was difficult for her to know what fifth graders like to wear. We know she loves to see you, and she sends you cards on your birthday. What do you think she was hoping for when she bought the sweater?
Older kids who have participated in their own gift-giving can take this a step further and think about when they gave a gift someone was disappointed in. Encourage them to explore their feelings around that situation. How did it feel when they realized the gift was a letdown? They can also think about family or friends who are very difficult to buy for. How does it feel to be uncertain or frustrated about what to get someone? Use their answers to guide them toward greater empathy and understanding.
Finally, emphasize the reason we give gifts in the first place: to strengthen relationships. To that end, make a family activity of writing thank you notes for all holiday gifts, even (especially) the disappointing ones. Remind your child that the family member or friend who gave that so-so gift was hoping for a connection. Even if the gift did not create it, kids can reach out with grace and kindness, send a thank-you note, and maintain close bonds with the gift-giver.
Thank you notes for disappointing gifts are also a great way to reinforce gratitude practice. Help your kids identify what they can be thankful for, even in a gift they don’t love. Here are some statements they might include in their cards:
Thank you notes also provide a chance for some relationship repair if your child became visibly upset in front of the gift giver. You can take this opportunity to talk about learning from mistakes and the importance of taking action when something needs correcting.
Holidays are full of big emotions for kids, disappointment included. When it comes to gifts, coaching kids to focus on others’ feelings can help avert unwrapping meltdowns. Remember that mindset shift extends to all other areas of your kids’ lives, too! With empathy, kindness, and gratitude as your family focus, the holidays will be more joyful and meaningful for everyone, regardless of what is given or received.
Looking for additional resources to support building grit and resilience in your child? The Build Your Frustration Tolerance Masterclass is a self-paced growth mindset parenting masterclass where you'll learn how to help your child push ahead and persevere instead of quitting or giving up at the slightest setback. You'll get lifetime access so you can go through all the materials at your own pace. Our expert parenting educators will give you specific tools and strategies to raise a child who has the CONFIDENCE AND DETERMINATION to overcome their frustration and persevere.
All of these changes mean kids will likely be dealing with feelings of frustration. Here are three tips to help parents guide kids through tough emotions during the holidays.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our FREE Calming Strategies for Kids. Does your child need help to regulate their big emotions? You and your child can sit together and circle the coping strategies they can try next time they need to feel calmer.
People who are able to precisely label their feelings have better emotional regulation than those who cannot. A rich emotional vocabulary helps kids and adults alike manage complex and overwhelming feelings.
From my work with adolescents, however, I can tell you most older kids have a limited range of words to describe how they feel: happy, sad, and mad are about as far as many get.
No matter what age your children are, encourage them to name what they are feeling about this strange holiday season. Make space for big emotions and unhappy feelings — COVID has disrupted our lives tremendously, and kids should know their feelings of frustration are valid. If possible, include some gentle prodding to help them arrive at the most specific words they can find.
For teens and tweens, a list of emotion words can help get their brains moving. For younger children, you may need to teach some new terms as you go. In either case, remember that the more feelings words they have, the more likely they are to manage these and other emotions in the future.
For example, sadness about not getting to go to Grandma’s house might include feelings of longing to see relatives or worry that it may be many months before the next visit.
Anger about not getting to take the annual family vacation might be tangled up with jealousy about what other kids are doing, or feelings of isolation from months of stay-at-home orders.
After you have talked through some of their feelings, encourage your child to write them down. Journaling is one of the best tools to help kids process emotions, and I always found that giving students the time to write about their feelings made them calmer and more responsive to help from adults.
After you and your child have named their BIG emotions about this holiday season, move forward with finding alternative ways to feel. Gratitude is the best place to start.
Researchers have established a strong connection between gratitude and overall well-being. COVID stress is unlikely to vanish after the holidays, so focusing on gratitude can give your child resilience — not just for holiday disappointments, but also for the months ahead.
This holiday season, make gratitude an area of focus for the entire family.
Start an evening gratitude ritual: At the dinner table, ask each family member to share one thing they are grateful for from the day. You can also ask each family member to make a holiday gratitude list, which you can display with other holiday decorations in your home. Some ideas might include the following:
I am grateful the four of us get to be together for the holiday.
I am grateful we will have good holiday food.
I am grateful that we will be able to exchange gifts.
I am grateful we are making new traditions this year.
I am grateful for the holiday break from work and school.
I am grateful that this will be a holiday we will never forget.
For older kids, you can take on a social media gratitude challenge together. Search for hashtags like #100daysofgratitude or #gratitudechallenge, or make up your own rules. Right before the holiday, for example, post a picture of something you are grateful for each day for a week. Younger kids without their own accounts can help, too; let them select pictures or brainstorm ideas for your posts.
You have validated your child’s feelings of frustration and helped them consider what they have to be grateful for. Another tip for helping them cope is to teach them how to reframe seemingly negative circumstances.
Research shows that reframing your thinking may improve everything from cardiovascular health to dealing with stress. Like gratitude, focusing on reframing during the holidays is not a short-term solution — it will also help build your child’s resilience against challenges they face in the future.
Practice reframing together
You can help your child examine each big, overwhelming thought they have about the holiday season, and then reword it into something they can view in a better light. You might be able to take a setback and rearrange it into a challenge, or help her view difficulties as opportunities for growth. Here are a few examples:
Instead of: We can’t do any of the things we usually do this holiday.
Say: We are going to make new traditions this year.Instead of: I am missing out on the trip I’ve been looking forward to all year.
Say: I am learning to be flexible.Instead of: I hate not going to Grandma and Grandpa’s house for our holiday meal.
Say: I will find other ways to connect with Grandma and Grandpa this year.
When you have gone through a few examples together, encourage this as another journal activity. Reread the list of reframed thoughts every night in the days leading up to the holiday. The more your child can remember to repeat their reframed thoughts to themselves, the more they will internalize the habit of looking on the bright side.
Spend quality time as a family
With the holidays significantly scaled down (reframe: less busy!) this year, you might take the opportunity to step back and reframe the season as a family. Instead of focusing on shopping and parties, return to the roots of your holiday. Spend some time reading, watching videos, or doing research about its origins. What is this holiday for? Where did it begin? Which traditions are modern, and which might be ancient?
Help your child seize the unique moment this year offers — fewer gifts and gatherings, but the chance to discover what the holidays are really about. Together you might even find new (or very old) rituals to make your celebration this year extra special.
Focus on giving, not getting
Another family reframe might be shifting from a season of receiving to a season of giving. Focus on what your family can give to others. Giving not only builds empathy for others, it also makes us feel great. Your child can make a difference and create brighter feelings around the holidays at the same time.
Consider making community service a new family tradition. Many food pantries and donation centers will be in extra need of volunteers this year, or you might “adopt” a child or family in need of gifts. Ask about service opportunities for the entire family. If you can’t find in-person ways to serve, decide where to make a donation together. No matter how you choose to serve, you are helping your child replace feelings of disappointment with satisfaction, empathy, and an overall better sense of self.
Finally, remember that even though the holidays with COVID are disappointing for all of us, this disruption is temporary. For one last reframing activity, present this year as a learning opportunity. Discuss with your children what lessons we might take with us when normal life resumes. What benefits are there to having a scaled-down holiday celebration? What new traditions might your family continue? Help children embrace changes as best they can, and know that although COVID is not forever, the skills they gain this season will help them navigate challenges for the rest of their lives.
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