Self-Introduction for Kids: Worksheets & Activities (Printable PDF)

Self Introduction for Kids: Tips to introduce yourself,  fun self-introduction activities, and fun self-introduction worksheets for kids (printable PDF).

For many adults, the mere thought of having to introduce ourselves to someone new can be nerve-racking.

So it’s understandable that kids can struggle with learning this verbal communication skill too. 

But there are plenty of positive ways to encourage and teach our children how to get a handle on self-introduction, and the added benefit of this is that we’re nurturing their social skills and their ability to communicate with others. 

So here are a few tips and examples for kids to learn how to introduce themselves and start a friendly conversation, across a couple of different scenarios they are likely to encounter in their daily lives.  

Why teach kids to introduce themselves? 

Self-introduction for kids is an important skill for a number of reasons: 

• It develops their confidence when meeting people in a new environment. 
• It provides them with more opportunities to make new friends. 
• It can remove barriers when it comes to joining a new sporting team or club. 
• It allows them to feel more in control of the situation they are in, especially if a parent or guardian isn’t around. 
• It helps to build their sense of identity and belonging. 

It’s always good to have a few practiced self-introductions at the ready, so they can adapt them to the context they are in – and we’ve included a few activities further down to assist with this.

It will also help to overcome any initial nerves (particularly if they are normally quite shy and reserved).   

Self-Introduction for Kids: 8 Simple Tips for Introducing One Self

These are some simple self-introduction tips for kids.

The first five tips help you introduce yourself, and the following ones keep the conversation flowing

1. Stand up straight and relax your shoulders, drop them down and back. 
Our body language is very important. You may feel you only communicate with your voice, but you actually use all your body to communicate.

This tip helps you say, I’m cool and relaxed and ready to start a conversation. 

2. Give the person your full attention, looking at their face and smiling. 

3. Introduce yourself.
Say “Hi, my name is …., what’s your name?”

Most times, when we introduce ourselves we are trying to start an interaction with other people (unless you are introducing yourself in front of the classroom). 
So, it’s not just about you, but also about getting the other person involved

4. It’s nice to meet you!
Once they have told you, reply with “Hi [use their name], it’s nice to meet you.”

5. Use their name
Saying their name back to them serves two purposes:

• makes the person feel listened to
• helps you to remember their name as well 

6. Keep the conversation flowing by asking questions
If it’s another kid, ask a question such as “what school do you go to?” Or, “how old are you?”

If it’s an adult family friend, you could ask them if they have any children, or if they have a favorite sport to watch.
(We obviously teach our kids not to talk to strangers, so this example is meant for a family acquaintance or friend).
There are lots of conversation starters for kids that can help with this.

7. Share something about yourself
Now you can also share a bit more about yourself
You can then respond to their answer, by saying how old you are, or what sport you like.  

8. Let the conversation flow!
Hopefully, once you have asked them a few questions, they will return the favor with questions of their own – and the conversation will continue. 

Other Self-Introduction Scenarios for Kids

The steps to a self-introduction that we have shared work well for a one-one introduction scenario.

There are other situations when children may need to introduce themselves to a group, most likely their classroom or an activity group:

• Starting a new school
• Moving to a new class
• Joining a school club or afterschool activity group
• Volunteering for the class leader

In those situations, the steps cited above that aim to start a conversation wouldn’t apply.

14 Self-Introduction Activities for Kids

Self-introduction isn’t just about repeating a few words and questions, it’s about building confidence and resilience in situations where we may feel shy and not so keen to speak up.

So practicing the ‘art’ of self-introduction is a good idea for kids of all ages, and when the opportunity arises, they’re ready to go! 

So here are a few simple activities that may help with at-home or classroom practice.  

1. Create a list of introductory questions & ask them to introduce themselves
Write a list of things for them to answer about themselves – they can write down or draw depending on their age/writing ability 
Things like their favorite food, sport, names of their friends, how old they are, how many brothers and sisters they have. Then get them to introduce themselves and read it out loud to you.  

2. Write down some different personalities/characters on pieces of paper, and then get your child to pick out one from a bowl.
You then have to act like that, while they introduce themselves to you – teaching them to adapt to your different characters. 

3. Self-Introduction Role-Playing
Reverse the activity above, and get them to act out various characters – loud, quiet, sleepy.
They will repeat the same information to retain it but in a far more entertaining way.  

4. Introducing a 3rd person
If you can, get another family member involved too. Then your child can learn how to bring in a third person to the conversation, introducing themselves and somebody else. 

5. “Two Truths and One Lie” Game
After covering all the basics – name, age, siblings – you could step it up a notch by playing ‘two truths and a lie’. It’s where you say three things about yourself, but only two of them are actually true! A great way to involve the imagination. 

6. Self-Introduction Ball
Grab a ball and when you throw it to each person they will have to introduce themselves.
Game variation: when you throw the ball to somebody, they have to ask you a question about yourself.
It will help to develop impromptu thinking. 

7. One Interesting Thing About Myself
Have each child say their name and share an interesting fact about themselves.

8. All About Me Collage
Provide magazines, scissors, and glue for kids to create collages that represent their hobbies, interests, and personalities.

9. My Fun Adventure (Storytelling Circle)
Encourage kids to take turns sharing a short story from their life, whether it’s about a memorable trip or a fun adventure.

10. Create a Mini-Biography
Kids can write or draw their own mini-biographies, including their age, family, and favorite activities.

11. Alphabet Introductions
Go through the alphabet, and for each letter, have kids introduce themselves using a word that starts with that letter (e.g., “I’m Amanda, and I adore animals”).

12. 3-Word Introduction
Challenge kids to introduce themselves using only three words that describe them best. This encourages them to think creatively.

13. Hero Introductions
Ask kids to introduce themselves as if they were a favorite fictional character, sharing the character’s name, traits, and backstory.

14. Time Capsule Introductions
Have kids pretend they are placing items in a time capsule to be opened in the future. They introduce themselves by explaining why they chose those specific items and what they hope the future will be like when the capsule is opened.

Interesting Ways for Kids to Introduce Themselves

Even as shy adults, we know there are some general things we can talk about with new people to “break the ice”.

But that’s not quite so obvious to kids who are still learning the ins and outs of social interaction, so we need to teach them!

And keeping it interesting will help them to remember what to do so much more easily. 

So here are a few fun and interesting facts that kids can share when they introduce themselves to others.  

1. “Hi, my name is …. and I am …  years old.”
2. “My birthday is in …….”
3. “My favorite animal is…..”
4. “If I could have any superpower it would be……”
5. “I have ….. people in my family.” 
6. “I go to school at…..”
7. “My favorite sport is……”
8. “My favorite food is……”
9. “When I grow up, I want to be……”
10.  “My favorite color is…..”
11. “My favorite TV show is…..”
12.  “I love to do ……. at school.”
13.  “My favorite thing to do when I’m on holiday is……”
14.  “My best friend’s name is…..”
15. “After school, I like to ……”
16. “On the weekend me and my family …….” 
17. “My favorite song/music is ……”
18. “My favorite place to go out for lunch is ……”
19.  “I love my home because ……”
20.  “My favorite season of the year is ….. because …….”
21. “My favorite joke is…”

According to S. Harter, when kids introduce themselves, they will share what they feel represents themselves:

• Younger children will present observable features of themselves:
  • Young boys may be more likely to focus on activities and skills
  • Young girls may share content that is social, relational, and emotional
• As they grow older, kids may refer to social skills, cognitive abilities, and athletic talents, with the same bias in girls towards relational and emotional content. (*) 

Source: The Construction of the Self: A Developmental Perspective, S. Harter

(*) This isn’t a guideline for what boys should say compared with girls and vice versa, but patterns found in the research quoted.

• Another fun way to practice self-introduction: Singing Introduction!

 

Introducing a Third Person

Now that we have plenty of ideas of fun ways for kids to introduce themselves, let’s delve into the art of teaching children how to introduce a third person gracefully.

Equipping them with this valuable skill not only boosts their social confidence but also fosters kindness and inclusivity in their interactions with others.

For example, Tim is playing with Sam in the park. He sees his friend Dani arriving and tells Sam he will introduce them.
This is how the conversation could flow if they need to introduce a friend to somebody else.:

1. Say the name of the friend you are going to introduce somebody else to
“Hi, Dani”

2. Name the friend being introduced
“This is my friend Sam.” 

3. Say something about this friend you are introducing:
“Sam is my next-door neighbor. We’ve been friends since we were little.”

Then, you could do the same with Sam and tell them something about Dani.

Other Social Skills Articles

• 66 Social Skills for Kids
• Social Skills Activities for Kids
• Social Skills Games
• 68 Fun Conversation Starters
• Conversation Cubes: Roll the Dice Game
• 25 Friendship Activities for Kids
• Conflict Resolution Activities for Kids
• Turn-Taking Activities for the Classroom / Home

Self-Introduction Worksheet for Kids (Printable PDF)