Preschool Activities for Self Esteem

Picture Activities

• Take a picture of each student and glue it to a sheet of card stock. Use stickers to identify activities the child enjoys, especially those the child excels at. Point out to the children that each child's picture is different and they each may like different things. Avoid comparing the capabilities of the students. If used at the beginning of the year, you may use the cards as ways for the students to learn something about each member of the class. You might put them on the bulletin board so children can learn to recognize the names and faces of the other students.

Classroom Greeting

• Greet each child who comes to class with a little song to reinforce their self-esteem. Sing to "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star." "(Child's name) came to class today. We are happy. Yes we are. Come in (Child's name), join our play. Everyone here is a star." Invite the students to sing with you as other children join the class. Remind them to treat one another in ways to convey their acceptance of all class members.

Reading Activity

• Read the children "The Little Engine that Could" during circle time. Remind them that the little engine made it up the hill because it refused to quit. Invite the children to think about things that may be difficult today, but they are willing to continue to try until they succeed. Invite a student to get up and try something they might not have done before such as jumping further, kicking a ball, hitting the ball off the batting tee or something else within their age-appropriate skill set. Ask the other children to join you in an "I know you can!" cheer as the child attempts the activity. Encourage to the student to affirm "I know I can!" Assist the child, if necessary, to achieve success. Respond to the success as a class with "We knew you could!!"

Thumb Print Play

• Glue a picture of each child on a large sheet of white paper. Have each child put a thumb print underneath her picture. While the child washes her hand, print her name over the picture. After all the students have been thumb printed, have them come up and compare the pictures and the thumb prints. Point out the differences in some of the some prints so the students note that each print is different. Ask them to identify something difference in the facial features, hair style or other physical features.

  Have them hold up the thumb that was printed and say. "I am Thumbody! I am unique." Ask each child to identify something about himself that he likes.