As parents, we want nothing more than to see our kids grow into happy, confident individuals who believe in themselves and their abilities.
However, we understand that in our time, our world is imperfect and it often feels overwhelming, filled with peer pressure, self-doubt, and constant comparisons, it’s easy for kids to struggle with self-esteem.
You may notice your child hesitating to try new things, doubting their abilities, or seeking constant reassurance.
These moments can be heartbreaking because we know how important confidence is for their future success and emotional well-being.
The good news is that self-esteem isn’t something children are simply born with. It’s something we can nurture and strengthen through everyday experiences.
The way we talk to them, the opportunities we provide, and the mindset we help them develop all play a huge role in shaping how they see themselves.
That’s why incorporating simple but effective self-esteem-boosting activities into your child’s daily routine can make a world of difference.
In this post, we’ll explore 15 practical self-esteem activities for kids that will help your child build confidence, develop resilience, and learn to embrace who they are.
Because when kids believe in themselves, they’re more likely to take on new challenges, stand up for themselves, and navigate life with courage.
Read about: 13 Game-Changing Ways to Build Self-Esteem as a Woman
Affirmation Mirror Activity
Self-talk plays a huge role in shaping a child’s confidence and self-esteem.
Kids often internalize the words they hear, whether from others or themselves. If they frequently engage in negative self-talk, saying things like “I’m not good enough” or “I can’t do this”, it can slowly chip away at their self-confidence.
The Affirmation Mirror activity helps counter this by encouraging kids to replace self-doubt with empowering words.
By looking in the mirror and saying positive affirmations out loud, children learn to see themselves in a kind and uplifting way.
This practice helps them shift their mindset, reinforcing self-worth and teaching them to focus on their strengths. Over time, these affirmations become an internal voice that supports them in facing challenges, trying new things, and believing in their abilities.
Compliment Circle Activity
The Compliment Circle is a powerful self-esteem exercise that helps children develop confidence while also building kindness and positive social interactions.
Compliments make kids feel valued, appreciated, and recognized for their unique qualities. When children hear genuine praise from their peers, it reinforces their strengths and encourages self-acceptance.
At the same time, giving compliments teaches them to notice and appreciate positive traits in others, promoting empathy and a supportive community.
How It Works
To do this, gather your kids into your desired setting and explain to them that they will need to take turns giving kind, specific, and honest compliments to one another.
Encourage them to move beyond general phrases like ‘You are nice” to more meaningful ones like ‘I love how you always help your friends’.
Model an example to give the children practical experience before starting. Encourage eye contact and a warm “thank you” in response.
Achievement Jar
Children often forget how much they’ve accomplished, especially when they face challenges or self-doubt.
The Achievement Jar serves as a personal confidence booster, reminding them of their progress and strengths.
By writing down their achievements either big or small and storing them in a jar, kids create a collection of positive moments they can revisit whenever they need encouragement.
This activity helps shift their focus from what they can’t do to all they have done, reminding them of their self-worth and encouraging resilience.
How It Works
Find a jar or container and place it in an accessible spot.
Encourage your kids to write down accomplishments on slips of paper, whether it’s something big like learning to swim or something simple like helping a friend. They can decorate the jar to make it special.
Whenever they feel discouraged or need motivation, they can pull out a note and remind themselves of their growth and abilities.
This simple practice helps children build a habit of recognizing their progress and celebrating their successes.
Strength Collage
The Strength Collage is a creative activity that helps children recognize and celebrate their unique strengths, talents, and positive qualities.
By cutting out images and words from magazines or drawing their representations, kids create a visual reminder of what makes them special.
This activity builds self-awareness, and confidence, and encourages a positive self-image.
How It Works
Provide a large sheet of paper, glue, scissors, and magazines or drawing supplies.
Ask kids to find or create pictures and words that represent their strengths such as kindness, creativity, perseverance, or teamwork.
They can include achievements, hobbies, or things they love about themselves. Once the collage is complete, display it in their room as a daily confidence boost.
Gratitude List
A Gratitude List is a simple yet meaningful activity that helps children develop a positive mindset by focusing on what they appreciate in their lives.
Practising gratitude shifts their attention from what they lack to what they have, promoting feelings of contentment, self-worth, and connection with others.
It also teaches kids to recognize the good in themselves, helping to build confidence and self-esteem.
How It Works
Give children a notebook, journal, or a sheet of paper to create their gratitude list. They can either write down things they are thankful for or draw pictures if they prefer a more visual approach.
Encourage them to include a mix of personal qualities (“I am a good friend”), relationships (“My family loves me”), and everyday joys (“I love playing outside”).
They can add to their list daily, weekly, or whenever they feel down and need a reminder of the good in their lives.
Bravery Badge
The Bravery Badge is a way to help kids recognize and celebrate their moments of courage. Whether they face a fear, try something new, or stand up for themselves, this activity emphasizes the idea that bravery comes in many forms.
By creating and wearing a badge each time they show courage, children begin to associate bravery with positive reinforcement, helping them build confidence over time.
How It Works
Whenever a child does something brave like speaking up in class, making a new friend, or trying a difficult task they earn a Bravery Badge. These can be handmade from paper or stickers.
Encourage kids to decorate them with drawings or words that represent their courageous acts.
They can wear the badge for the day or collect them in a special place as a reminder of their strength. Over time, this practice helps kids see themselves as capable and courageous.
Kindness Challenge
The Kindness Challenge is a self-esteem activity that encourages kids to perform small acts of kindness each day, helping them develop empathy, build connections, and boost their self-esteem.
When children see the positive impact they have on others, they feel more valued and confident in themselves.
Acts of kindness go further to build a sense of purpose and show them that even small gestures can make a big difference.
How It Works
Each day, kids choose a simple act of kindness, such as helping a friend, sharing a toy, giving a compliment, or making a card for someone.
They can keep a kindness journal to reflect on what they did and how it made them feel.
To make it fun, set a challenging goal like completing a week of kindness or creating a kindness bingo. This activity helps children develop a habit of generosity, fostering self-worth and a positive mindset.
Goal Setting Board
A Goal Setting Board is a great way to teach kids the power of setting and achieving goals.
By breaking big tasks into smaller, manageable steps, children learn persistence, responsibility, and self-confidence.
Seeing their progress strengthens their ability to succeed, helping them develop a growth mindset.
How It Works
Have the kids start by writing down small, achievable goals, such as reading a book, learning a new word each day, or helping with chores.
These goals are displayed on a board, chart, or notebook where they can track progress with stickers, checkmarks, or drawings.
As they complete each goal, they celebrate their success, building motivation to keep going. Encourage them to update their board regularly and reflect on their achievements.
Superhero Story
The Superhero Story activity allows kids to see themselves as strong, capable, and resilient by creating a story where they are the hero.
This exercise encourages creativity while helping children recognize their strengths, problem-solving abilities, and unique qualities.
When kids visualize themselves overcoming challenges, they build confidence in their real-life abilities.
How It Works
Kids create a superhero character based on themselves, choosing a name, powers, and special skills that reflect their real strengths, like kindness, bravery, or intelligence.
They then write or draw a short story in which their superhero faces and overcomes a challenge like helping a friend, solving a mystery, or defeating a villain.
Encourage them to focus on qualities they admire in themselves. Sharing their story with family or friends reinforces their belief in their abilities, making this a fun and empowering self-esteem activity.
Role-Playing Confidence
The Role-Playing Confidence activity is a self-esteem activity that helps kids develop self-assurance by practising real-life social interactions in a safe and supportive environment.
Many children feel nervous about introducing themselves, asking for help, or handling tricky social situations. By acting out these scenarios, they gain the confidence to navigate them with ease.
How It Works
Choose common social situations your kids might find challenging, such as meeting new people, ordering food at a restaurant, or speaking in front of a group.
Take turns role-playing these interactions, modelling positive body language, clear speech, and eye contact.
Encourage kids to practice introducing themselves, asking questions, or responding to different situations. Praise their efforts and offer gentle guidance if needed.
This activity helps children feel more comfortable and self-assured in social settings, teaching them that confidence grows with practice.
Journal of Success
The Journal of Success helps kids build self-confidence by focusing on their strengths and accomplishments.
By writing down one thing they did well each day, children develop a habit of recognizing their progress, no matter how small. This practice shifts their mindset from self-doubt to self-belief, building the idea that effort leads to success.
How It Works
Give kids a notebook or journal where they can write or draw one achievement daily. It could be helping a friend, learning a new word, solving a tough problem, or trying something new.
Encourage them to reflect on how it made them feel and why it was important. This collection of successes becomes a powerful reminder of their growth and abilities.
Reviewing past entries during challenging times can boost their confidence and motivation, helping them develop a positive, resilient mindset.
Talent Show
A Talent Show is a fun and supportive way for kids to showcase their unique skills, helping them build confidence and self-expression.
It could be singing, dancing, storytelling, or a special talent like creative thinking or painting, performing in front of a positive audience boosts their self-esteem and encourages them to embrace their abilities.
How It Works
Create a welcoming environment where kids feel comfortable sharing their talents. Let them choose any skill they enjoy, from playing an instrument to reciting a poem.
Encourage participation by reminding them that it’s about having fun, not perfection.
To make it more engaging, invite family members or friends to be the audience and cheer them on.
Applauding their efforts, no matter how small, helps children feel valued and proud of their abilities.
The experience gained from this fosters self-confidence and a willingness to step outside their comfort zone.
Obstacle Course Challenge
The Obstacle Course Challenge is a fun and engaging way to help kids develop perseverance, problem-solving skills, and self-confidence.
By completing physical or mental challenges, children learn to push through difficulties and celebrate their achievements.
Overcoming obstacles reinforces the idea that effort and determination lead to success.
How It Works
Set up a course with age-appropriate challenges, such as crawling under tables, jumping over cushions, or solving simple puzzles.
Encourage kids to navigate the course, emphasizing effort rather than speed. If they struggle, remind them that making mistakes is part of learning.
Celebrate their progress and encourage them to try again if needed. To keep it exciting, vary the challenges or turn it into a friendly competition.
Completing the course gives kids a sense of accomplishment, strengthening their ability to tackle challenges with confidence and persistence.
Power Poses
The Power Poses activity teaches kids how body language can influence their confidence and emotions.
Standing in strong, confident poses like a superhero with hands on hips and chest lifted can help children feel more self-assured before stressful situations, such as speaking in class or trying something new.
Research suggests that posture affects mindset, and practising power poses can help kids develop a habit of self-confidence.
How It Works
Introduce kids to different power poses like the Superhero Pose (standing tall with feet apart and hands on hips) or the Victory Pose (arms raised in a “V” shape).
Encourage them to hold the pose for 30 seconds while taking deep breaths and thinking positive thoughts.
Practising before a big event or daily as a confidence-boosting habit helps reinforce self-assurance. Over time, kids learn that confidence isn’t just about how they feel; it’s also about how they carry themselves.
I Am Special Because
The “I Am Special Because…” activity helps kids recognize their unique qualities and build self-worth. By thinking about what makes them special, they develop a positive self-image and learn to appreciate their strengths.
This simple yet powerful exercise encourages self-reflection and boosts confidence.
How It Works
Give kids a sheet of paper, journal, or whiteboard and ask them to complete the sentence: “I am special because…” Encourage them to list different reasons, such as “I am kind,” “I am a great friend,” or “I am creative.” Younger children can draw pictures instead.
To make it fun, turn it into a group activity where kids share their responses or create a colourful poster to display.
Regularly practising this exercise helps reinforce self-worth and reminds kids that their uniqueness is something to celebrate.
