32 Best Self-Esteem Activities For Kids

If you don’t know where to start on self-esteem activities for kids, we have got your back! These 32 activities provide not only plenty of fun but also encourage your child to grow into a more confident person day by day!

#1 Gratitude Journal

Set up a book for your child to pen down things that they feel thankful for, things they like, their thoughts of the day and so on. It is one way to let them be mindful of their blessings and also allow for self-discovery of their feelings and personality.

Yoga isn’t just for adults – kids can do yoga too! It’s a great stress reliever since it is a relaxing, healthy activity. Confidence comes along more naturally when your kid has a healthy mind and body, so yoga is a great way to go.

Allow your child some room to make art or create items from whatever materials you have. Not only does this inspire further creativity in them, but when they see their own masterpiece, they will feel a sense of accomplishment, and this is one way to build positive self-esteem within them.

Parents are always afraid of asking their young children to help out with chores but don’t be! Giving your kids a chance to complete small tasks and simple household chores is actually an excellent way to sharpen their confidence while getting things done. As long as you supervise them and provide them with clear instructions, your kids will feel proud of being able to complete their given jobs all on their own.

Goal planning does not have to be limited to when your kids turn 21. Starting a goal plan since young is a good way to help your child visualize their dreams and how they can achieve them step-by-step. This can lead to more confidence as your child will feel like they are in control, even though they may not fully understand the impact of goal planning yet.

Helping others actually boosts self-esteem in oneself, so encourage your child to practice acts of kindness each day. It can be something as simple as helping you or your spouse with a task of the day, or helping their friend or playmates in need. At the end of the day, you can ask them to recap in their gratitude journal or tell their act of kindness to you so they can learn why it is good and how to improve on doing good deeds.

One of the confidence-building activities that parents and family members can partake in is to create a “What We Love About You” letter. You can print a template with boxes to fill up qualities or traits each family member likes or loves about the child, then read them aloud to your kid once everyone has completed the letter. This self-esteem activity serves as a positive reinforcement that your child is loved and supported dearly by the family.

Perhaps your child has many wants, needs or requests? Have him or her list down a bucket list of exciting things they want to try, new hobbies, or places they would love to visit for the next few years and help them check each one out as much as possible. Explain to them if there are some requests that are deemed unreasonable or unsuitable, and suggest replacement activities or ask them to propose another item. Completing their bucket list will grant them a sense of accomplishment which further boost their inner confidence and happiness.

One of the good build self-esteem activities would be to leave some packing for the kids when you are going for a family getaway. This will help them learn to take up some responsibilities as they will feel good being in charge of an important task.

Ask your kid to recap daily achievements before bed, either verbally to you or in written form. This allows them to recollect the wonderful things they have done for the day, which definitely adds brownie points to building confidence in kids. Don’t forget to praise them for their efforts as well.

Make positivity a habit! Set up a whiteboard corner whereby your kid can write one positive word to start their day on a good note.

Confidence also comes from accepting who we are, and it is important to remind your child that they are loved for who they are. Spend some time looking into the mirror with your child, and ask your child to name about three things they like about their body or self. Simple self-love activities like this can help children create more appreciation for themselves.

Schedule some one-on-one time with your kids so they can share their thoughts and feelings freely without distractions. This will give them the opportunity to open up to you and avoid keeping things only to themselves.

Confidence can also falter when a person has no proper time management. Teach your child how to manage their time well and the bad habits to avoid so they can better manage themselves, responsibilities and stress around them as they deal with their daily activities.

Just like how we feel good and more confident when we embark on a new hobby or activity that we enjoy, kids feel the same way too! Let your child try out new games, crafts or recipes to encourage their inner child to play and find out more about their strengths and weaknesses.

Negative reinforcements or repetition of negative phrases can gradually build a negative mold of self-defeating thoughts and poor confidence. This is why it’s crucial to eliminate negative phrases such as “I cannot”, “I fail”, “I’m bad at this” and the like from the start – rather, teach your child to rephrase those words into something more positive, actionable and beneficial such as “I will succeed next time”, “I will get better at this”, “I will give it another try”.

People love affirmations, and it is always good to encourage your children to step out of their comfort zones. Cheer them on to do something different or try new things.

#23 Paint Some Kindness Rocks

Kindness is a great virtue, and a thoughtful way to send some kind, positive vibes to others is by painting some kindness rocks. Have your kids write meaningful, positive phrases on the rocks and gift them to their friends or relatives to spread the love!

Anger issues can ruin confidence and self-esteem in oneself, hence it is a good idea to teach your little one proper ways to manage their anger. Let them express themselves and guide them through their emotions by questioning the reason behind their displeasure and slowly explaining to them the better way to deal with their anger.

Oftentimes, a lack of confidence stems from a lack of problem-solving skills. Going for child self-esteem activities that focus on creative problem solving such as playing puzzles or having a mini treasure hunt with simple riddles can train their minds to overcome challenges faced in games.

Time to grant yourself some rest and let your kids serve you snacks instead! This is one of the simple activities to build self-confidence in a child that you can apply at home.

Roleplaying can provide a platform for your child to express themselves as well as learn to understand the different perspectives of the characters they roleplay as. Let them pick their favorite characters and watch as they bring those characters to life with their cute representations!

Want a fun way to test your child’s creativity yet build self-esteem? Provide your kid with some recyclable or reusable materials and ask them to build a functional boat that can float on water, and let them put their creations to trial once done! If they succeed, congratulate them; if they fail, discuss their failures so they can learn from the activity and do better next time!

Parents often fall into the trap of deciding everything for their children, so give your kids some leeway by allowing them to make their own choices whenever appropriate. It can be as simple as letting them pick their favorite clothes or shoes, deciding what to eat for lunch, or which movie to watch together.

Self-esteem can be easily crushed with false hopes and unrealistic expectations, and one of the best ways to avoid low self-esteem in kids is to educate them on the realities of life. Talk to them about the good and bad side of humanity, the dangers of the world, and what they can do when faced with problems. This will help them feel more in control of their emotions and reactions, and prepare them to deal with stressful situations with more confidence.

Set up a board in your kid’s bedroom whereby both you and your kid can fill the board with happy thoughts and motivational phrases whenever you feel like it. Whenever your child feels sad or overwhelmed with negativity, the board of happiness will remind your child that sadness is a temporary phase and that happy things await!

Self-confidence is a very important attribute for children to have. It allows them to feel good about themselves, which in turn gives them the self-esteem and courage they need to take on new challenges.

Hopefully, the abovementioned self-esteem activities for kids help to give you some ideas! As parents, we can help our children build their self confidence by praising their accomplishments, providing positive reinforcement, and modeling confident behavior. By doing so, we will give our children the best chance for a successful and happy life.

Do you have other self-esteem boosting activities you know that are perfect for kids? Do share with us in the comments!