7 Positive Thinking Activities For Students
Everyone has a bad day now and again. It’s a simple part of life. Adults who go through hardships have been mentally prepared to cope with specific negative life experiences and how to handle their emotions when those moments come to pass. Children, on the other hand, have the same bad days without the emotional know-how to deal with them.
Because of this, practicing positive thinking with children can be a great way to help them learn new skills to handle negative feelings and emotions gracefully and effortlessly. Certain activities can be done regularly that help to maintain the emotional growth and development needed to take anything that life throws a child’s way. So, what are fun activities for positivity, and how can you help students use them to cope with their negative experiences? Let’s take a look at some ideas for positive thinking activities for students that might help.
What is positive thinking for kids?
Positive thinking often gets interchanged with terms like “good vibes only,” but the two differ. Positive thinking isn’t about ignoring the negative emotions that come and go — it’s about sitting with them, dealing with them, and considering how you may look at them through a positive lens. For children, positive thinking is a way of identifying and coping with the negatives while not letting the bad days get them down.
What is the importance of positive thinking for kids?
Positive thinking is essential for children because it helps them develop the skills to handle life’s curveballs. No one will ever have a perfect life, but they can look at it in a way that allows the negative feelings to come and pass without festering. Instead of running from the negatives, children can learn the power of resilience when faced with adversity.
Utilizing positive thinking activities for youth is a great way to reap other benefits, such as:
- Becoming more open-minded
- A broadened sense of possibilities
- Forming new connections in the brain that improve brain and emotional health
- Maintaining a positive mindset into adulthood
- Responding to unfavorable circumstances in a relaxed and level-headed way
- Avoiding excess worry or stress
- Teaches appreciation and gratitude for the good things in life
- Keeping things in perspective as children continue to experience life’s ups and downs
How do you teach students positivity?
Teaching children positivity isn’t always as easy as saying, “Just be positive!” There is so much more to it than that. If you want to help children learn the power of a positive mindset, you must teach them that all emotions, good or bad, serve a purpose. You can also embrace several positive attitude games and activities inside or outside of the classroom.
What are positive thinking activities for kids?
Positive thinking activities are a great addition to your classroom schedule or time with your child at home. There are many you can use to help your child learn the power of positive thinking while also gaining insight into managing negative emotions and experiences. Let’s take a look at a few examples.
1. Loving kindness meditation
Meditation is a great way to manage the hardships in life at any age, but the best time to start incorporating it into a child’s life is now. The more they participate in meditation, the more they will benefit. Practicing a loving kindness meditation involves clearing the mind and sending positive thoughts to those you love.
2. Lending a helping hand
Helping others is a great way to help a child see the good in the world and in their own mind. You can encourage them to help a neighbor or friend with chores, participate in a charity drive, or volunteer at a charitable organization.
3. Journaling your best moments
An “awe journal” is a great way to foster positive thinking while encouraging your child to learn how to articulate their feelings. At the end of every day, have them record moments in their day that were particularly positive or wonderful. That way, they’ll learn how to look for the good parts in each day.
4. Goal setting and achievements
Setting and achieving goals, whether big or small, is a great way to foster confidence in your child and a positive mindset toward their life. Help your child think of something they would like to accomplish, along with all outcomes, obstacles, and their plan. This will give them something to work toward while also teaching them that achieving their goals isn’t always a linear process.
5. Practicing positive affirmations
Positive affirmations are things children can say to themselves daily so that they can stay in an upbeat and confident frame of mind. Allow your child to choose what they want to say to themselves to keep the positivity in their mind alive.
6. Sharing and noting quotes
Inspirational quotes can be a great way to spark positivity in your child’s mind. You could buy them a quote book that gives them a new quote to focus on each day, pick a positive quote to share with them at the beginning of every week, or allow them to seek out positive quotes on their own through reading or research.
Regardless of how you choose the quote, giving your child positive aphorisms to focus on during times of stress will allow them to see the good in the world even when it seems difficult.
7. Compliment circles in the classroom
Encouraging positive thinking in the classroom can be as easy as setting up a compliment circle. Have students sit together and all say one thing they like about each student. Compliments are a great way to get students, even on their bad days, back into a positive frame of mind.
It’s not always easy to stay positive in the face of negative experiences, but teaching your children and students early on how important it is to cope with negative emotions while looking at the world through a positive lens can arm them with the tools they need to get through life with strength, resilience, and grace.
