Teaching kids to choose a positive attitude can have numerous benefits, including developing self-awareness of how their beliefs impact their emotions, improving social skills, enhancing emotional intelligence, and fostering a growth mindset. This collection of 20 inspiring activities features fun games, creative crafts, books, songs, and presentations designed to empower kids with a can-do attitude while helping them to build resilience, overcome challenges and achieve their goals.
1. Slideshow to Encourage a Positive Attitude in Students
This colorful and eye-catching slideshow teaches students how to manage disappointment by talking to a friend, reframing the situation to focus on the positive factors, and using the experience as fuel for improvement in future scenarios.
Learn More: Twinkl
2. Change Your Attitude Towards Learning Poster
Teaching children about growth and fixed mindsets is an important step in helping them develop a healthy attitude toward learning and personal growth. This vibrant poster emphasizes the idea that intelligence and abilities can be developed through hard work and dedication, thus encouraging students to view challenges as opportunities for growth, while fostering a lifelong appreciation for learning.
Learn More: Etsy
3. Coloring Pages
Apart from promoting relaxation and developing fine motor skills, coloring these motivational affirmations makes a great opportunity to discuss the importance of choosing a positive and empowering attitude as the basis for emotional well-being.
Learn More: Happier Human
4. Positive Attitude Word Search
Word searches make a great classroom brain break option while developing vocabulary and spelling skills. Additionally, exposing kids to positive vocabulary can help reinforce constructive beliefs while encouraging kids to think positively about themselves and the world around them.
Learn More: Word Mint
5. Fun Activity to Encourage a Positive Difference in Attitude
This unique activity challenges students to translate sign language symbols into letters to decode a well-known quote about the value of having a positive attitude. Why not turn it into a fun game and see if kids can guess the author of the quote?
Learn More: Education
6. Transform a Bad Attitude With an Educational Video
This animated and engaging BrainPOP video features Tim and his robot sidekick Moby who employ humor and stories to teach kids about cultivating a growth mindset. Additional extension activities include a comprehension quiz as well as a graphic organizer and vocabulary cards to reinforce student learning.
Learn More: Brain Pop
7. Try Positive Attitude Cards
Understanding that life is not about avoiding challenges but learning how to manage them successfully is a vital part of choosing the right attitude. These statement cards encourage kids to focus on the upside of difficulties and see them as opportunities to develop resilience, patience, and greater wisdom.
Learn More: Social Emotional Workshop
8. Read a Book about Positive Attitude Development
This beloved children’s picture book teaches the importance of having a positive attitude by telling the story of a miserable and grumpy fish who thinks he’s destined to be sad forever. That all changes, however, when he encounters other upbeat sea creatures and learns to let go of his negative attitude and become a happy “kiss-kiss” fish instead.
Learn More: Amazon
9. Sing a Song to Encourage an Attitude of Joy
While singing an upbeat song can boost mood itself, this particular tune takes the benefits one step further by featuring empowering and positive lyrics. Singing is also a great way to foster social connection while promoting a sense of community.
Learn More: New World English
10. Explore How to Shift Your Attitude in Action
Becoming mindful of their thoughts and emotions is a key step in helping kids cope with difficult feelings and reframe negative thoughts. This social-emotional learning lesson features different kids talking about their experiences of not being in control and how they learned to accept this important life truth by focusing instead on what they could control.
Learn More: Headspace
11. Encourage a Can Do Attitude Towards Learning
Focusing on what they can be, achieve, and change is a wonderfully empowering practice for boosting kids’ self-confidence and encouraging a can-do attitude. Apart from building writing and critical thinking skills, this hands-on activity encourages kids to focus on changing their thoughts to overcome their limitations.
Learn More: Twinkl
12. Positive Attitude Escape Room Challenge
This positive-mindset-themed escape room challenge builds problem-solving skills while encouraging kids to work as part of a team. It’s an entertaining way to encourage focus and build memory, as kids must pay careful attention to decode the clues.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
13. Play a Positive Attitude Card Game
This inventive game challenges kids to share a personal connection to each of the positive mindset-themed cards that they draw. Featuring topics such as personal accomplishments, challenges they have overcome, and goals they are hoping to achieve, it’s an engaging option for encouraging mental and emotional well-being by focusing on the positive.
Learn More: Teachers Pay Teachers
14. Read Positive Affirmation Cards
These beautiful positive affirmation cards can be used as part of a daily routine to encourage a more empowered attitude for the day. Apart from increasing self-esteem and building resilience, they are a great way to reduce anxiety and encourage children to reflect on their strengths.
Learn More: Bloom and Bliss
15. Positive Thinking Flower Craft
An important part of having a positive attitude is choosing realistic goals and keeping oneself on track to achieve them. For this beautiful flower craft, have kids cut the petals and center out of construction paper before writing their goal in the center and listing ways they plan to achieve it on each of the individual petals.
Learn More: My Brave Guide
16. Play a Game Of Bingo
What better way to create a positive class environment than with a fun game of Bingo? It’s a great way to bolster positive thinking, promote resilience, and increase self-awareness, all while fostering a growth mindset.
Learn More: All Bingo Cards
17. Try Conversation Cubes
This printable and foldable paper cube features growth mindset conversation starters, encouraging kids to reflect on their strengths, ways to overcome challenges and set personal goals. It makes a great brain break, partner activity, or art and writing prompt.
Learn More: Rock Your Homeschool
18. Watch an Inspiring TED Talk
This inspiring TED talk from a child prodigy is a real-world example of choosing a positive, confident attitude to develop an inspiring message. By highlighting how adults have plenty to learn from kids, including optimism, creativity, and open-mindedness, we empower kids to see the inherent strengths they might otherwise overlook.
Learn More: TED
19. Make a Gratitude Jar
After choosing and decorating a see-through jar of your choice, have kids write down things they are grateful for, encouraging them to reflect on their ideas throughout the day. Why not keep it in an easily viewable location to reinforce their sharing throughout the day?
Learn More: Girls on the Run
20. Play a Spin a Mindset Game
Students work in partners to spin a spinner and take turns coloring a fixed or growth mindset square. Apart from building critical thinking skills, this is a great activity to encourage sharing and connections among classmates, helping them understand the value of hard work, persistence, and a can-do attitude.
Learn More: Smitten With First
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