Self Esteem and Character Building Activities for Kids

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Self Esteem by definition is a realistic respect for or favorable impression of oneself.

It’s very important for a child to feel good about themselves.  Statistics show that children with low self-esteem tend to perform below their potential in school and make poor decisions in social situations.flower

Make a difference!

There are many things that can be done to help improve a child’s self-esteem:

Be Attentive-When your child speaks to you give them eye contact and listen make them feel what they are saying is important to you.

 

Make a child feel special-Praise children when they do a good job and also for trying hard. Tell children your proud of them when they put a lot of effort in something. Give complements and tell them that they are special.

 

See the learning in mistakes– When a child makes a mistake turn the negative into a positive. Focus on what he/she learned from the mistake.

 

Be a positive role model- If you are constantly hard on your-self, putting your self down or pessimistic your children will see that and may eventually copy those same feelings.  This may lead to them to feel that way about themselves.

 

Tune in to their feelings- Sometimes this can be hard especially when a child has done something wrong and you yourself get angry and when to yell and scream. Sometimes a child doesn’t understand what they have done.  I remember I was sitting on the couch and my 6 year-old niece came running through the room with both her middle fingers up yelling middle finger, middle finger I almost lost it but I asked her if you knew what it meant and she said no  and said her friend at school was doing it.  I explained what it was and she was surprised she said she didn’t know and never did it again.

 

Here are some kid approved self esteem activities:

 

All About Me Collage 

Inspirational Quotes for Girls

50 Positive Writing Topics for Kids 

Being Thankful Activities

Feel Good Notebook

Me Tree

Positive Message Game 

Positive Notes Game

Positive Thinking for Kids, Say this not that 

Working Together Games


Positive Thinking for Kids Say This, Not That

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Positive Thinking for Kids

Say This, Not That

Let’s face it, it’s not always easy being a kid.  As adults we have to remember this.  Kids go through many stressful activities throughout the course of their day.  Worrying about fitting in, not doing well on a test, feeling not as smart as the other kids, getting picked last in gym, peer pressure from other kids, not getting invited to the birthday party.  The list goes on and on.   It’s important to get kids to think more positively.  It’s hard to have a positive life if your always thinking in a negative way.  There are many ways we can encourage a child to think and be more positive.  One good way is to stop your child when they say something negative and turn into something positive.  If we as parents, caregivers, teachers and coaches do this every time we hear something negative, we can begin to change a child’s thought process.  Positive thinking leads to positive outcomes.  Here is a chart to help your child be on their way to positive thinking. 

 

Things I Say                     I’m Going to Say This Instead

I can’t do this, it’s too hard, I give up! Let me try a different strategy. I’m going to keep trying, I’m not a quitter! 
I’m not good at this.  

 

I might have to put more effort into this.
I can’t do any better!  

 

 

There’s always room for improvement, let me keep trying.
I am the best at this!  

 

I’m doing well, but I can still learn more.
I always make mistakes.  

I will learn from my mistakes and improve.
I always loose!  

 

loosing helps me try harder and do better next time.
 

This is good enough!

  

Is this really the best I can do?
 

 

I will never be that smart!

  

 

I will take one step at a time and figure this out.
 

I tried a little bit.

  

 

 If I kinda sorta try, I get kinda sorta results
   

 

Check out these positive thinking books for kids, Click pictures below to be brought to Amazon.

 

Fun Praying Mantis Facts for Kids

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Praying Mantis Facts for Kids

  • A praying mantis is in the mantid or mantidae family.
  • They are a group of large slow-moving insects.
  • There are 1,800 different species of mantids /mantidaes that live around the world.
  • Praying mantises make up a small group in this species.
  • They get their name from the way that their front legs are bent together in an angle that makes them look like they are praying.
  • Praying Mantis live in a large range of habitats. They can be found in rainforests, deserts, grasslands and meadows.  You many even find one in your backyard.
  • Praying Mantis are masters of disguise. They are very well camouflaged and often mistaken for leaves or tree branches.
  • Green is the most common color for a praying mantis however, they can also be brown.
  • There is also a species of mantis called flower mantises, they blend in and look like flowers.
  • Praying mantis have long necks with triangle shaped heads. They can turn their hears 180 degrees, that is a half-circle!
  • Praying mantis have 5 senses like people. They have the senses of sight, taste, touch and smell.
  • They have 5 eyes. Two large eyes on the sides of their heads and three smaller eyes in the middle.
  • They have excellent vision and can see in 3D.
  • Praying mantis do not hear as well as they can see. They have one ear that is in the middle of their abdomen.
  • They have 6 legs and 2 antennae.
  • Praying mantis have a lifespan of 1 year.
  • They grow usually between 1 inch to 6 inches long.
  • Most adults have wings. Only males can fly.
  • Praying mantis are carnivores. They eat spiders, grasshoppers, frogs, lizards, small birds, crickets, flies, other small insects and even other praying mantis.
  • Usually when they capture their prey they will eat the brains first.
  • During mating or right after mating many females will bites the heads off the males. They will sometimes eat all them.
  • Praying mantis will go through 3 stages of life egg, nymph then adult.
  • After mating, females will lay up to 400 eggs.
  • Small species of mantis will take 3-4 weeks to hatch, larger species will take 4-6 weeks.
  • Predators include frogs, bats, monkeys, snakes, large birds and spiders.

Fun Praying Mantis Facts

  • Praying mantis were believed to have super powers in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece and in the Assyrian Empire.
  • Due to their praying posture, praying mantis were considered a god in Southern African Khoi and San tradition.  The word mantis in Afrikaans is Hottentotsgot meaning “god of the Khoi”
  • Some martial arts develop in China have movements based on praying mantis.
  • Close relatives to the praying mantis are termites and cockroaches.
  • Praying mantis are popular insect pets.

Bunny Pancake Cute Easter/Spring Breakfast

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Bunny Pancakes

Looking for a bunny themed breakfast this Easter?  What to make a cute breakfast  for the kids?  Look no further, these bunny pancakes are great for Easter breakfast or on any Spring morning.  I made them for my daughter and she loved them.  Now, I usually don’t encourage candy and sugar for breakfast, but since it’s a special occasion, I will let it slide.  She was excited to help me make them and even more excited to eat them.  We are planning on making them again with her cousins on Easter morning.

Ingredients:  Pancake mix, pastel colored sprinkles, whipped cream, items to decorate such as M&Ms, bananas, cupcake/cookie toppers, chocolate chips

Step 1: I used Aunt Jemima’s complete pancake mix, you can use whichever pancake mix you’d like.  You can even whip up a batch of your own.  Once the pancake mix is complete and everything is mixed together, add your sprinkles.  I used Wilton’s Spring Sprinkles.  It is a combination of pastel blue, pink and yellow.  I let my daughter add the sprinkles and them mixed them into the batter.  It looked really cute.  It reminded me of Funfetti cake mix.

Step 2:  Pour pancake batter on skillet and make how you usually would.  If you think your pancakes are lacking in sprinkles, feel free to add some extra on top.

 

Step 3:  This is the fun part, time to decorate.  You can either make them all your self or make it a fun activity and have the kids help make them.  Place your pancake in the middle of the plate.  Add whip cream to look like bunny ears. Then make the bunny’s face.  You can use chocolate chips, bananas or M&Ms as eyes.  We used a banana as a nose on one and a carrot sugar cupcake decoration on the other.  My daughter enjoyed making her pancake.

If you are having family and friends over  for Easter breakfast.  This is a great activity for the kids.  You can place chocolate chips, M&Ms, bananas etc… in bowls on the table, have the pancakes on a plate and have the whip cream out.  Let the kids have a bunny decorating breakfast.  The kids will love it!

 

 

Mom’s Play Date DIY Paint Night

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Create Your Own Paint Night, Mom’s Play Date

Decorate Glass Bowl Candle Holder

We are used to having play dates for our children, but what about us moms?  Thinking about having a paint night out with the girls? Instead of paying money for an expensive night out, stay in and create your own with this decorate glass bowl activity.  It’s simple and easy, so you can even do it while the kids are playing.  All the items used were from the dollar store.

 

Materials: Aquarium stones, rocks, plastic candle, small glass bowl, acrylic paints, paint brushes, rubbing alcohol

Set up:  Place a variety of acrylic paints on the table.  You can print out some stain glass templates for tracing. You can also print nice quotes or popular sayings for tracing. You can even type out your own words in a word or publisher document and print them out on paper for tracing.  The best way to trace, is to tape the paper to the inside of the bowl.  Get it as flat against the glass as you can.

Prep the bowls by cleaning the inside and outside with rubbing alcohol.

Step 1. Give each guest a glass bowl.

Step 2:  Let your guests paint a design on the bowl.  If using a template, tape it to the inside of the glass so it stays in place. Make your it is completely flat against the class.   You can also leave paper out in case guests would like to draw their design on paper before painting it on the glass.

On mine I printed out love at first sight and my kids names.  I taped them to the inside of my bowl and painted over the letters with a thin paint brush.  I recommend getting fine tip brushes, it makes it easier to trace.  It will help to have a couple different brush sizes.  I do not recommend using the cheap brushes that come with the water color sets.  They tips are flimsy, which makes it harder to paint on the glass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 3:  When the outside of the bowl is try, have your guest add their candle and then aquarium rocks.  You can substitute rocks for sand or you can use both.  When your guests are finished they will have a nice decoration for their home or office.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It cost me a total of $9 for each of my 5 friends to make this cute decorate glass bowl candle holder.  It cost another $13 to purchase 6 acrylic paints and paint brushes. A total of $22 for a small group of friends to together and have a fun night.  Each of us brought a snack and adult beverage.  It was a great night.