Things I Like About Myself: 11 Worksheets & Activities for Kids

“Things I Like About Myself” Worksheets and Activities: In this post, we share 12 simple self-esteem activities to help kids identify and appreciate what they like about themselves.

The goal of these worksheets and activities is to help children and teens reflect on the good things about themselves, including their inner qualities, achievements, and the little things that make them unique and special. At the end of the post, you’ll also find a free printable to help kids write down 10 things they like about themselves.

Self-esteem is the evaluation we make of ourselves, and it can range from low to high self-esteem (“I’m worthless” – “I’m worthy”). Self-esteem is how we feel about ourselves and our personal characteristics.

We are all unique and special.

We all have good qualities and unique talents.

But some kids struggle to recognize those good things in themselves.

Some of the roadblocks that prevent kids from fully recognizing their positive qualities are:

• Low self-esteem that results in a tendency to:
  • Focus their attention on negative things that confirm their own negative views of themselves
  • Minimize the positives as if they are just “not a big deal” or something not worthy of praise
• Feeling uncomfortable verbalizing their strengths and qualities, as they perceive that as “showing off”
• Expecting to be perfect and feeling that they underperform unless they are the best ones

11 Activities to Help Kids Identify What They Like About Themselves

Sometimes, even when our kids are making their best effort, they still find it challenging to come up with a nice list of positive characteristics and talents.

Helping kids identify and appreciate their own positive qualities is an important part of building their self-esteem and confidence.

Here are several activities and ideas that can encourage children to recognize and celebrate what they like about themselves:

1) Create a checklist of great qualities and talents.

A list may help them consider characteristics that had not come to mind spontaneously.

2) Parent-Child “What I like about myself / my child” activity

This activity is my favorite one.

Grab a piece of paper and do this activity together.

Ask your child to write 3/5 things they like about themselves.

You will also write a list of 10 things you like about your son or daughter.

Then, you will both share and explore your lists.

It’s a fantastic opportunity for your child or teen to listen to qualities that they may take for granted but are positives characteristics.

It is also an excellent opportunity for parents to devote some quality time to praising and encouraging their child.

3) All About Me Poster

Provide materials for children to create a poster that represents things they like about themselves. This can include their talents, hobbies, qualities, and anything else they feel proud of. 
We call our All About Me Poster our Wall of Happiness.

4) Compliment Jar

Create a compliment jar where family members can drop notes about positive things they notice about each other. Make sure each child gets a chance to read the compliments about themselves regularly.

5) Affirmation Cards

Create affirmation cards with positive statements about the child’s qualities and abilities. Have them pick a new card each morning to read and reflect on throughout the day.
Related: 130+ Affirmations for Kids and How to Practice Them.

6) Talent Show

Organize a family or neighborhood talent show where children can showcase their skills and hobbies. This provides a platform for them to recognize and celebrate their talents and interests.

7) Gratitude Journal

Encourage children to keep a gratitude journal where they can also include things they’re grateful about themselves. This practice can help them maintain a positive view of themselves.

Related: Fun Gratitude Activities for Kids

8) “I Am” Poem

Guide children in writing an “I Am” poem, where each line starts with “I am” followed by a positive trait or something they like about themselves. This can be a powerful way for them to articulate their self-perception and recognize their own value.

9) Things I Like About Myself Worksheets

These are a nice set of “What I like about myself” worksheets to help your kid explore what they like about themselves

Taking time to write down positive things about themselves allows kids to reflect and discover how incredibly unique and good they are.

10) Strengths Snapshot

This activity will help children connect real experiences to positive self-descriptions.

Invite your child or student to think about a recent moment when they felt proud of themselves.

Then ask them to name one thing they like about themselves that helped in that moment (for example, “I like that I don’t give up” or “I like that I’m kind”).

11) Self-Compliment Notes

Let’s reinforce the idea that positive feedback can come from themselves, not only from others.

Ask kids to write short notes starting with “I like myself because…” and keep them in a small envelope or box. They can read one whenever they need a confidence boost.

Other Self-Esteem Resources for Kids

• Self-esteem tips & activities for Kids.
• Self-esteem games for kids
• 55 Empowering TEEN self-esteem activities
• Best Self-Esteem Books for Kids
• Self-Esteem Journaling Prompts
• All About Me- Turn a classic printable into a SEL activity
• My Strengths Worksheets