There is nothing quite like supporting our kids with what they want to achieve in life. And what better way to do this is to help define goals for children that are SMART, and suitable for their age. We have the perfect companion to sorting this with our goal setting sheet for kids.
It’s free to download today, and only one sheet, so simple for even younger children to use to work through their goals.
The activity for helping setting goals for children is really simple and consists of a single sheet for them, helping them work through their ideas to make their goals realistic.
What are SMART GOALS?
SMART goals are a well-establish method for making sure that anything that we pick to attain, is suitable, whether you are an adult or a child. There is nothing quite like picking a goal thaty you cannot get to for completely sapping confidence.
SMART goals are:
- Specific: Goals needs to be easy to define, so for example, learning to use your iPhone for photography, but also suitable significant to count as an effective goal,
- Measurable: They must be easily measured, and this can be measured by yourself, or by others. For example, perhaps completing a course on iPhone photography, or taking photographs that are critiqued by teachers and passed as competent,
- Achievable: We have to make sure that our goals are achievable, particularly for children, and then also agreed too. Can a 5-year old really learn how to use their iPhone effectively for photography? This is really personal to your children of course.
- Realistic: Is it suitable for your child and realistic for them to hit. Is it relevant to them too? Is it something that is results-based, and something that can be easily resourced as well? So if you don’t have an iPhone, then how are they going to learn?
- Timely: This seems simple, but any goal needs to be easy to measure within a specific timeframe. So, for example, having a goal to improve your writing as a child isn’t easy as when does it need to be done by. But to do so within a school year, and to achieve your pen licence, that’s timely and achievable too!
Worth with the kids to make sure the goals for children that you are aiming for are all the above, and particularly easy for them to understand, and you are well on your way. Rewards for reward charts work in a similar way. You need to make sure that the understanding of how children achieve those awards is clear, and that the timeframe for doing them is obvious to them too. The younger the child, the most important it is to keep rewards really simple, and measurable for them. That way, they know when they can get their stars!
Ask your children questions about their goals before filling in the printable so they have really thought about it, and own it:
- What do you really, really wish for? This is THEIR goal
- When would you like to achieve it?
- What steps can you break the goal down into?
- What will you do if you find that it is harder than you thought?
- How can you think positively when you hit a bump in the road?
- What positive affirmations can we use to help with our positive mindset?
Don’t forget to praise and support your child in their journey too – but not for praise’s sake, be specific to what they achieved.
For example, if they manage to complete a lesson in an online course on iPhone photography;
“Well done for managing to find the time to do your lessons alongside the school work you have.”
Children do need to understand why they are being praised, and to see the relationship between the effort they put in alongside the praise they get. Praise for being clever or good doesn’t have the same impact as praise for a specific task completed in context.
What is the goals for children printable like?
This is a simple printable for you – with one sheet for the classroom or the children to take a look at.
It is easier for children to focus on just one significant goal, and then think about how they are going to achieve that.
In addition to this goal, the sheet enables them to think about how they might go about reaching that goal.
Remember to use the SMART ideas from above to help them to focus on the key aspects of their goal.
Why not check out the ideas for goals listed below for children to have a go at – we have split them into specific age categories too!
What goals for children can we try?
Preschoolers and Nursery
- Learn to ride a bike
- Writing my name without help from my parents
- Doing something kind at preschool every week to help my friends
- Reading a book with carers every week
- Staying dry at night (this is developmental, so do check the potty training at night article on the site alongside this specific to your child)
Primary school
- Getting my pen license
- Cooking a dessert on my own
- Making a cake for my friends birthday
- Tidying my room every Sunday
- Reading a book every week
- Get more achievement points this term than I did last term
- Put my hand up in class at least once a day
Secondary school
- Reaching a grade x in my next test in a specific subject
- Starting an afterschool exercise club and going to it every week
- Improving my personal best in a sporting activity
- Making a dress that I can wear out at a restaurant with my parents
- Reduce the number of negative points on my card next term
- Do 15mins of x subject everyday, e.g. French vocab learning, etc
There are loads of options above for you, Mind Tools is also an excellent site for more information on SMART goals too.
To download this sheet, just click on the button below.
We love to get kids to think about achievements and be positive on the site, so why not check out some of our other resources on this too?
More ideas about goals and wellbeing on KiddyCharts
Here are some more ideas for goals and wellbeing on KiddyCharts for you all.
Life goals sticky notes planner to give you focus
Sticky notes goal setting - which is great for primary and teens - it is available on our premium site, so why not check it out - only £2.95!
Wild animals mindfulness colouring book for kids and adults: Raising money for charity
Why not try our mindfulness coloring book - to help with your and your kids wellbeing. Get coloring together!
How to help your kids recognise their emotions: Free printable #31DaysOfLearning
Helping children to understand their emotions a little better, which is really important in developing positive mental wellbeing.
Try these around goals off KiddyCharts too:
Goals related articles from the internet
More ideas from beyond KiddyCharts focused on setting goals for kids and the family as well.
Ideas for Setting Family Goals in 2018
A great article from Rainy Day Mum about why it is really important to set family goals, with examples as well.
5 Fun and Simple Goal Setting Activities for Children
These are some more ways that children can determine and set their goals, including other ways to represent them too.
Self-esteem 101: 10 tips for helping children feel good about themselves
This isn't specifically about goals, but it IS really important when setting those goals. This is one of the reasons why it is important to set SMART goals, so that it is feasible for the kids to achieve them, and that in turn helps with their esteem.
Thanks for coming to see us, don’t forget to sign up to our newsletter as well:
See you again soon,
Helen
Helen
Helen is a mum to two, social media consultant, and website editor; and this site is (we think) the only Social Enterprise parenting magazine!Since giving up being a business analyst when juggling travel, work and kids proved too complicated, she founded KiddyCharts so she could be with her kids, and use those grey cells at the same time.KiddyCharts has reach of over 1.1million across social and the site. The blog works with big family brands (including travel) to help promote their services, as well as offering free resources to parents of kids under 10.It gives 51%+ profits to Reverence for Life, who fund a number of important initiatives in Africa, including bringing running water and basic equipment to a school in Tanzania.Helen has worked as a digital marketing consultant (IDM qualified) with various organisations, including Channel Mum, Truprint, Talk to Mums, and Micro Scooters. She loves to be creative in the brand campaigns she works on.Get in touch TODAY!