‘Long before there is self-realization, there is self-awareness!’
It’s true. While most sages and rishis might choose to see the ‘big picture’, for most of us God lies in ‘the details’.
Self-realization for kids is really far more important than you could have imagined. As they begin to connect with the innermost recesses of their individual selves, children start to garner a deep sense of ‘identity’. It is this very sense of identity, of course, that helps them gain a firm footing in the world they live in.
In this article, we at Kangaroo Kids have curated some cool self-awareness activities for your children to imbibe. We are confident that these tips will help your child learn how to improve self-awareness. The awareness topics for students subtly covered through the performance of these activities, will be invaluable in getting them to move with a sense of confidence in the world.
Ready, then, to unlock those self-awareness activities for kids? Let’s begin, with a closer look at the importance of self-awareness for kids.
Table of Contents
- How to Improve Self-Awareness: The Importance of Self-Awareness for KIds
- 10+ Self-Awareness Activities for Kids
How to Improve Self-Awareness: The Importance of Self-Awareness for Kids
There is a vast range of awareness topics for students out there. A firm understanding of their them, can help kids with the following:
- Emotion Control. How will they be able to control their anger or anxiety, if they cannot even recognize them in the first place?
- Sets the benchmark for Values. When children are self-aware, they learn to identify which values mean more to them. For instance, if they value ‘kindness’, they focus on being nicer to others.
- It helps them reflect on their Behaviour. Self-realization is the best way for kids to reflect on whether they have been acting inappropriately or not, thus paving the way for them to change that negative behaviour.
10+ Self-Awareness Activities for Kids
Now’s the fun part. Want to get your kids to be more self-aware? Get them to engage in these cool self-awareness activities!
- Read Positive Affirmations to them
- Getting them to indulge in new Activities
- Create a Personal Achievement Chart for them
- Making a Vision Board
- Gratitude Jar
- Discussing their Strengths and Challenges
- Discussing Personal Values and Beliefs
- Reading Self-Awareness Books
- It’s Okay to be Different by Todd Parr
- Little Big Feelings by Deb Mills
- The Name Jar by Yangsook Choi
- Intentional Journaling
- Checking In with their Emotions
- Learning to accept Feedback
- Ask them to indulge in ‘Would You Rather’ Questions
The regular practice of reading out positive affirmations to your kids, and then having them repeat them, will go a long way in getting them to look inwards, and focus on their innate strengths.
Try introducing your child to a new musical instrument, or perhaps even a new sport. It might just work wonders, in getting them to decode their innermost passions!
This will serve as a safe space, where they can record their personal accomplishments, thereby granting them the opportunity to define themselves based on what ‘they’ themselves perceive.
When they create this, which is nothing short of a collage of images and words that describe their innermost aspirations, kids will garner that sense of ‘ambition’ that is an integral part of who they are.
Apart from the new things they are constantly reaching for in this life, kids should understand they need to be grateful for what they already have. Penning down notes of gratitude and placing them in a jar of this sort, will effectively emphasize this feeling.
Children should know well, in which arenas their ‘strengths’ lie. That being said, it is especially important that they learn which area their ‘weaknesses’ lie in.
Note: When talking about this with them, make sure you refer to those ‘weaknesses’ as ‘challenges’. It will help them see those shortcomings in a far more positive light.
What does your child truly believe in? Engage in a conversation with them about their personal values and beliefs, and not only you, ‘they’, too, might be pleasantly surprised to see how they think about certain relevant issues.
Books are truly great for getting children to look inwards and reflect. The following are some great self-awareness books for kids:
Sometimes, this can be the perfect exercise to reveal any ‘emotional blind spots’ we might have.
Tip: You want to get your child to practice writing a little bit in their journal every night, if they can. That will help them get truly honest with themselves, and perhaps even reveal a secret or two about themselves they didn’t erstwhile know.
Sometimes, it’s important for all of us to take a step back, breathe and check in with our emotions.
Tip: Tell your child to sit by themselves, relax and simply ask themselves how they are feeling. No matter what the feeling, encourage them to write it down. That will help them understand their emotions, in a way like no other.
Children should learn to accept constructive feedback, without getting upset or angry. It will help them be more ‘grounded’, and get them to find ways to improve in certain areas of their lives.
When children ask themselves questions of this sort, they might be pleasantly surprised to see what they find!
You might want to ask them questions like the following:
- Would you rather live in a big city or the country?
- Would you rather prefer a beach vacation or a mountain holiday?
- Would you rather visit an amusement park or a zoo?
At Kangaroo Kids we believe that every child is unique, and that is why it is ever so important that they learn to understand their individual selves to the fullest. We encourage you to get them to partake in the self-awareness activities outlined herein. In only a matter of time, you will see the positive results that stem from your kids becoming more ‘self-aware’!
