15 Best Activities to Build Self Esteem in Youth

Empowering Tomorrow: 15 Proven Activities to Build Self Esteem in Youth

Self-esteem is the backbone of healthy development in adolescence. When young people believe in themselves, they’re more likely to try new things, recover from failure, and participate fully in life. Yet low self-worth is common among youth facing peer pressure, academic stress, and social media comparisons. That’s why we need practical, engaging activities to build self esteem in youth that are not only effective but fun and accessible.

Below you’ll find a list of confidence building activities for teens and younger youth, with tips on how to implement them, plus research and links to helpful tools and frameworks. Use this as your go-to guide or curriculum for youth groups, classrooms, counselors, or parents.

Why Focus on Self-Esteem in Youth?

High self-esteem in youth acts as a protective factor: it is linked to better mental health, resilience, and social competence. Conversely, low self-esteem is correlated with anxiety, depression, poor academic performance, and risk behaviors. Encouraging young people to value themselves creates a foundation for lifelong well-being.

According to PositivePsychology.com, self-esteem is not fixed — it can be cultivated over time through intentional practices and reflection. Also, many of the most powerful interventions are simple and low-cost, such as journaling, goal-setting, or peer encouragement, as shown on Salt Effect.

Best Practices for Delivering Self-Esteem Activities

• Start with a safe environment: Youth must feel psychologically safe to open up, express failure, and try new things.
• Model vulnerability: Facilitators sharing their own challenges normalizes imperfection.
• Encourage consistency: Short “micro” activities repeated weekly often work better than large one-time events.
• Adapt to age and culture: Some activities suit teens; others are better for pre-teens or younger children.
• Balance structure and creativity: Provide prompts, but allow flexibility so youth can make it their own.

15 Activities to Build Self Esteem in Youth

1. Gratitude Journaling or “Three Good Things”

Ask youth to write three things they are grateful for each day or week. This shifts the mind from deficits to strengths. Over time, they see more good in themselves and their lives. This is one of the easiest confidence-building activities for teens. Check out ideas on Big Life Journal.

2. Positive Affirmations & “I Am” Statements

Have each youth develop three to five affirmations (e.g., “I am capable,” “I learn from failure,” “I am enough”) and repeat them daily. You can turn this into a group wall of affirmations. The affirmation worksheets on Therapist Aid can guide structure.

3. Letter to Future / Past Self

Youth write a letter to their past or future selves, noting strengths, lessons, aspirations, and encouragement. This is one of the signature self-esteem exercises used by educators. See more examples at Big Life Journal.

4. Transform Negative Self-Talk: Thought Reframing

Draw three columns: Trigger, Negative self-talk, Alternative positive thought. Help youth identify distortions (“I always mess up”) and reframe into growth mindset statements (“I can get better with practice”). Learn more techniques on Big Life Journal.

5. Strengths Mapping / Strengths Collage

Have youth brainstorm their personal strengths (e.g., kind, curious, listener), then create a collage, word cloud, or poster. This makes their strengths tangible and visible. Ideas are available on Salt Effect.

6. Certificate of Recognition & Peer Compliments

Each youth is randomly assigned another to observe and then create a certificate celebrating something positive about them (kindness, perseverance, creativity). Later, they turn it inward to self-compliments. Find examples at Big Life Journal.

7. Vision Board or Board of Achievement

Youth collect images, quotes, and milestones that represent their hopes, goals, and identity. They revisit and update it over time. This visual anchor helps sustain motivation. Visit Total Life Counseling for inspiration.

8. Mindfulness, Relaxation & Meditation

Teach youth short breathing exercises, body scans, or guided meditations to help them calm negative self-judgment. Mindfulness develops self-awareness and reduces anxiety. Learn more at Embark Behavioral Health.

9. Creative Expression (Art, Music, Drama)

Invite youth to draw, compose music, act, dance, or write poetry. Art provides nonverbal outlets for identity exploration, emotional release, and self-worth enhancement. Explore confidence-building advice from Mind UK.

10. Physical Activity & Team Sports

Exercise releases mood-lifting neurochemicals and reinforces a positive body image. Participating in team sports cultivates belonging and mutual support. See research on Verywell Mind.

11. Volunteering, Acts of Kindness & “Pay It Forward”

Helping others fosters purpose and validates one’s value. Encouraging youth to volunteer or perform random acts of kindness gives them external feedback of worth. Visit Embark Behavioral Health for activity ideas.

12. Mentorship & Peer Support Circles

Structured peer mentoring (older to younger) strengthens identity, role modeling, and accountability. For instance, Girl Talk is a well-known mentoring model focused on building self-esteem in girls.

13. Social Circus & Performing Arts Programs

Innovative programs like social circus use acrobatics, juggling, clowning, or theater as tools for self-expression, discipline, teamwork, and identity growth.

14. “Open When” Letters / Motivational Jar

Youths write letters to themselves to be opened later (“Open when you feel down,” “Open when you succeed”). Or keep a jar of positive notes and goals to revisit later. Find examples on They Are The Future.

15. Public Speaking, Storytelling, or “Show and Tell”

Providing structured opportunities for youth to share their story, passion, or skills before peers boosts confidence in voice and identity. Over time, this reinforces self-esteem via competence and positive feedback.

Implementation Tips & Sample Weekly Plan

You don’t have to run all 15 at once. Here’s a sample 4-week mini-module you can implement with a youth group or class:

1. Week 1: Gratitude Journaling + “I Am” Affirmations
2. Week 2: Strengths Mapping + Certificate of Recognition
3. Week 3: Thought Reframing + Vision Board
4. Week 4: Creative Expression + Peer Sharing & Storytelling

Between sessions, encourage micro-practices: daily affirmations, journaling, or mindful breathing. Revisit past artifacts (your strengths collage, letters, board) periodically to reflect growth.

Also, consider pairing these activities with worksheets or guided prompts from credible sources: PositivePsychology.com offers self-esteem worksheets for children and teens. Therapist Aid also shares useful worksheets for adolescents.

How to Monitor Growth in Self-Esteem

While self-esteem is subjective, you can use these strategies to gauge change:

• Self-rating scale: At session start and end, have youth rate their self-esteem on a 1–10 scale or via a short validated questionnaire.
• Journaling review: Ask youth to reflect monthly: “What new things do I believe about myself now?”
• Peer feedback: Use anonymous peer compliments to see how others notice changes.
• Observation by facilitators: Are youth more willing to volunteer, speak up, take initiative?

Bonus Tools, Programs & External Resources

Here are some useful external programs and frameworks you may integrate:

• Free Being Me: A global program by Dove / WAGGGS aimed at building body confidence and self-esteem in youth.
• The Art of Yoga Project: Uses mindful movement for healing, self-awareness, and empowerment among youth.
• National Association for Self-Esteem (NASE): Offers resources and research on self-esteem for practitioners.

You might also explore integrating these practices into school mental health or youth development programs. Embedding self-esteem modules in extracurriculars, peer mentoring, or counseling curricula amplifies impact.

Final Thoughts & Encouragement

Building self-esteem in youth isn’t an overnight fix. But by regularly introducing activities to build self esteem, you give young people practices and tools they can carry forward in life. Over time, they internalize positive self-beliefs, resilience against criticism, and a stronger sense of identity.

Start small. Try one or two activities for a few weeks. Observe what resonates with your youth group. Then gradually layer more. When young people feel seen, capable, and valued, they flourish.

Would you like a printable PDF version or editable worksheet set for youth facilitators? Let me know in the comments!