Inspirational quotes for kids are a great way to give children of all ages some positive messages to live by in a society where a relentless bombardment of media images often does more to erode a positive self image than it does nurture it.
Social media, Netflix, 27/7 frenetic kids’ channels, mobile phones, iPads and of course, the ubiquitous fame culture are everywhere. Unless you live in a cave, it’s hard to escape.
Imagining my rolling pin as a lightsaber that chops off the Empire of dastardly media forces trying to gain access to my child’s subconscious mind hasn’t got me very far (although it’s fun if you want to try it – your child may even join you in some creative play rather than act like life is over because you’ve hidden the iPad in the airing cupboard;))
Why fit in when you were born to stand out? Dr. SeussClick To TweetI’m not saying all media is inherently ‘bad’ (like most things its about balance), but so much media today pulls kids into a world of materialism, drama and obsession with what other people are doing.
And with kids today getting so many of their core beliefs from advertising and the media, its easy for them to develop a mindset that focuses more on what they don’t have, rather than on what they do have already right there inside of them.
To have their best chance of growing into their best selves, children need positive influences and motivation to balance out the negative words, role models, attitudes and behaviors that are often so prevalent around them.
And as parents and caregivers, we can have a huge impact on our children’s self worth and core beliefs, so let’s make sure our kids have some inspirational and motivational messages to live by too!
These 51 inspirational quotes for kids are great for all ages.
51 Inspirational Quotes For Kids
- “You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself any direction you choose. You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the one who’ll decide where to go…’ – Dr. Seuss
- “The time is always right to do what is right.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
- “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” – Dr. Seuss
- “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” Henry David Thoreau
- “Make yourself proud.” – Peter W. Smith
- “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” – Theodore Roosevelt
- “So please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, And in its place you can install a lovely bookshelf on the wall.” Roald Dahl
- “Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” – Lewis Carroll
- “We can all can dance when we find music we love.” – Giles Andreae
- “It doesn’t matter who you are or what you look like, so long as somebody loves you.” Roald Dahl
- “We are the music makers, and we are the dreamers of dreams.” Shakespeare
- “If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” Roald Dahl
- “Nothing is impossible. The word itself says ‘I’m possible'” Audrey Hepburn
- “You always pass failure on the way to success.” Mickey Rooney
- “Reach high for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.” Pamela Vaull Starr
- “Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.” Maya Angelou
- “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” – Epictetus
- “We know what we are but know not what we may be'” – Shakespeare
- “You are allowed to scream. You are allowed to cry. You are allowed to scream. But, you are not allowed to give up.” – Unknown
- “Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.” – Confucious
- “Wisdom begins in wonder.” – Socrates
- “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” – Dr. Seuss
- “Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why we call it ‘The Present’.” – Eleanor Roosevelt
- “Fall seven times, stand up eight.”– Japanese Proverb
- “A little magic can take you a long way.” Roald Dahl
- “You’ve got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was. – Irish Proverb
- “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill
- “Be curious, not judgmental.” – Walt Whitman
- “Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale.” – Hans Christen Andersen
- “To do the useful thing, to say the courageous thing, to contemplate the beautiful thing: that is enough for one man’s life.” – T.S. Eliot
- “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”– Confucious
- “So be sure when you step, Step with care and great tact. And remember that life’s A Great Balancing Act. And will you succeed? Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and ¾ percent guaranteed) Kid, you’ll move mountains.” ― Dr. Seuss
- “Just believe in yourself. Even if you don’t, pretend that you do and, at some point you will.” – Venus Williams
- “We all must make the choice between what is right, and what is easy.”– Dumbledore
- “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing. The worst thing you can do is nothing.” – Theodore Roosevelt
- “Climb ev’ry mountain, Ford ev’ry stream, Follow ev’ry rainbow, ‘Til you find your dream.” – The Sound of Music
- “Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.” – Helen Keller
- “The best portion of a good man’s life: his little, nameless unremembered acts of kindness and love.” William Wordsworth
- “I’m not telling you it’s going to be easy. I’m telling you it’s going to be worth it.”– Art Williams
- “When something goes wrong in your life, just yell, ‘PLOT TWIST,’ and move on.” – Unknown
- “Today is your day. Your mountain is waiting so get on your way.” – Dr. Seuss
- “You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem and smarter than you think.” – Winnie the Pooh
- “Sometimes good things fall apart so better things can fall together.” – Marilyn Monroe
- “Life is a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller
- “It always seems impossible until it’s done.” – Nelson Mandela
- “Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” – Benjamin Franklin
- “Working hard is important. But there is something that matters even more: believing in yourself.”– Harry Potter
- “Be yourself. Everyone else is already taken.” – Oscar Wilde
- “Courage doesn’t always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying I will try again tomorrow.”– Mary Anne Radmacher
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“There are far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” – C.S. Lewis
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“Be nice to yourself. It’s hard to be happy when someone’s mean to you all the time.” – Christine Arylo
For a printable copy of these 51 inspirational quotes for kids, you can also download my 51 inspirational quotes for kids PDF. (348 KB)
Get More Inspirational Words For Kids in These Books
If you enjoyed these 51 inspirational quotes for kids, you might also like the following popular and highly rated books on Amazon, all with an inspirational heart and aimed at kids:
1 – The Ultimate Book of Inspiring Quotes for Kids (Michael Stuntman & Kevin Conklin)
‘Great words can provide more than just insight-they can actually move you to act.’ The Ultimate Book of Inspiring Quotes for Kids introduces children to a collection of child-friendly wisdom from Plato to Nelson Mandela.
2 – Seuss-isms! A Guide to Life for Those Just Starting Out…and Those Already on Their Way (Dr. Seuss)
Who doesn’t love a bit of Dr. Seuss! Kids can get a hearty does of fun filled but invaluable advice about life in this collection of memorable quotes from Dr. Seuss classics including The Cat in the Hat, Horton Hatches the Egg, Green Eggs and Ham, & Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
3 – Chicken Soup For the Soul – (various titles)
From stories about courage, hope and laughter to tales about thinking positive and doing the right thing, the popular Chicken Soup For The Soul range has a dedicated list of titles aimed specifically at children and young adults.
Further Resources
Aha Parenting – I’m a huge fan of Dr Laura Markham of Aha Parenting. Head on over to her site and you’ll find loads of great hints and tips on how to raise a confident, motivated child in today’s often frenetic lifestyle.
6 Brilliant Books on Peaceful Parenting – These 6 books are my go to resources when I’m feeling a bit ‘stuck’ as a parent. They have all turned on many a welcome parenting light bulb in my head!
Do you have any inspirational quotes for kids of your own? I’d love to hear them below…
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