Inside: Teach kindness and determination with these inspirational quotes for kids. Free Printable Inspirational Quote Cards.
A while back, I set out to compile a list of the best kid-friendly inspirational quotes. As I perused Pinterest and google searches, I envisioned myself curled up with my son, reading words of wisdom. He would listen intently, and then we would discuss our thoughts and feelings.
But, things didn’t go as planned.
I knew that my son wouldn’t completely grasp the meaning of the quotes – but I hoped to get him thinking. Unfortunately, reading a long list of quotes off of my phone wasn’t exactly engaging for him. He needed something tangible to peak his interest.
So, I made these Printable Inspirational Quote Cards – and they have made all the difference.
Every day, we randomly choose one Inspirational Quote Card and read it together as a family. My husband and I ask how it makes him feel, or what it makes him think about. We briefly share our thoughts. Then we move on with our day.
The interactions are brief, but my son is paying attention. He’s thinking. These messages of kindness and determination are getting in. As he grows, I know he will come to understand and appreciate them even more.
Inspirational Quotes for Kids Printable
- Click here to download the Inspiration Quotes Cards Printable from google drive. You can preview all of the included quotes below.
- Print the pdf on cardstock.
- Cut along the grey lines.
- Share one card per day with your kids. Read the quote aloud, look at the picture, and chat about what you think and feel about it.
- Post your favorites around the house.
- Revisit the quotes periodically as your kids grow.
Kindness Quotes for Kids
1. Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible. ~Dalai Lama
2. Learning to stand in somebody else’s shoes to see through their eyes, that’s how peace begins. ~Barack Obama
3. If you see someone without a smile, give them one of yours. ~Dolly Parton
4. Kindness begins with the understanding that we all struggle. ~Charles Glassman
5. Do things for people not because of who they are or what they do in return, but because of who you are. ~Harold S. Kushner
6. Be Silly, Be Honest, Be Kind. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
7. Those who are the happiest are those who do the most for others. ~Booker T. Washington
8. No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. ~Aesop
9. Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good. ~Minor Myers
10. Be the change that you want to see in the world. ~Ghandi
11. I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel. ~Maya Angelou
Related: 10 Children’s Books About Kindness You’ll Adore
Inspirational Quotes for Kids
12. How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world. ~Anne Frank
13. No one is perfect – that’s why pencils have erasers. ~Wolfgang Riebe
14. When it rains look for rainbows, when it’s dark look for stars. ~Oscar Wilde
15. Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to dance in the rain. ~Vivian Greene
16. You’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think. ~A. A. Milne
17. Have patience with all things, but first of all with yourself. ~Saint Francis de Sales
18. The beauty of life is in each precious moment! Stop and smell the roses. ~Tanja Christine Jaeger
19. Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart. ~Confucious
20. Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened. ~Dr. Seuss
21. Often when you think you’re at the end of something, you’re at the beginning of something else. ~Fred Rogers
22. The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. ~Helen Keller
23. It’s good to have an end to journey toward, but it’s the journey that matters in the end. ~Ursula K. LeGuin
Motivational Quotes for Kids
24. Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. ~Theodore Roosevelt
25. It always seems impossible until it is done. ~Nelson Mandela
26. Nothing is particularly hard if you break it down into small jobs. ~Henry Ford
27. If plan A doesn’t work, the alphabet has 25 more letters – 204 if you’re in Japan. ~Claire Cook
28. You can’t stay in your corner of the forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes. ~A. A. Milne
29. Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning. ~Albert Einstein
30. You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you might find, you get what you need. ~Mick Jagger
My favorite, though it’s hard to pick, is “16. “Be Silly, Be Honest, Be Kind.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson