Words describing children

A Giant List of Adjectives to Describe Kids

ByLauren @ Simply-Well-BalancedJune 22, 2021July 30, 2021

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Words are powerful. This is especially true when you consider the words that you choose to describe your child – or children you work with. Today we are sharing a huge list of adjectives about kids to increase self-confidence and esteem in children.

Adjectives About Kids: Using the Power of Words to Increase Confidence

What's Inside:

As a teacher and parent, I know first hand how true that quote is.

I have seen behaviors, attitudes and self-esteem completely transformed in my classroom just by carefully choosing words to describe kids in a positive light.

You see, if a child repeatedly hears someone describe them using positive words, eventually they start to believe what they are hearing.

Because I have seen how powerful words can be, I have become more intentional with the words I use to describe the behavior, actions and personalities of my own children – and I encourage you to do the same.

Adjectives are describing words and you can pretty much guarantee that the words kids grow up hearing are the same words they will end up using to describe themselves as adults.

How to Use Adjectives to Describe Kids

Adjectives about kids can be used in a variety of ways:

As a parent trying to improve the self-esteem of your own child.
As a teacher looking for descriptions to include in report cards or progress reports.
As a coach or counselor trying to find words to describe the positive personality traits you see in the kids you’re working with.

No matter why you are looking for adjectives to describe children, it’s helpful to understand why being as specific as possible is very important.

Oftentimes we get in the habit of using the same generic phrases like “cute” or “smart” on repeat.

When children hear these same terms repeated over and over they actually become meaningless.

Here are some tips on using adjectives to describe kids:

Use phrases that are as unique and individualized as possible.

Avoid focusing on appearance for compliments. You don’t want a child’s self-worth to be connected to the way they look.

Consider characteristics that set them apart from others.

Try to rephrase challenging aspects of their personality in a positive way that highlights how they can use them as strengths (ie instead of stubborn, describe them as determined).

Use these words and phrases in everyday conversation so they frequently hear themselves being described using positive words.

Write the words on post-it notes and leave them for your child to find in their room, on the bathroom mirror or inside their favorite book.

Utilize them as part of a daily affirmation routine.

Be genuine – kids can tell when you’re not being authentic. Be sure that the words you use accurately describe your child and how you feel about them – even if it’s just some of the time.

Have your child (or students) choose words from this list of adjectives for describing kids to make a poster or collage about themselves.

When used consistently these words will become a natural part of your daily routine and your child will become accustomed to hearing themselves in a positive light every day.

Now let’s get on to the list!

150 Positive Adjectives About Kids

Adjectives to Describe a Child’s Strengths

Determined
Motivated
Positive
Trustworthy
Artistic
Brave
Creative
Diligent
Friendly
Forgiving
Imaginative
Inventive
Motivated
Observant
Persistent
Reliable
Resourceful
Understanding
Unique
Hard-working
Involved
Self-starting
Flexible
Organized
Structured
Efficient
Adaptable
Articulate
Clever
Persistent
Leader
Self-reliant
Detail oriented
Tough
Open-minded
Industrious
Tenacious
Communicative
Talented
Skilled
Willing to try
Knowledgeable
Confident
Ambitious
Authentic
Original
Enterprising
Fierce
Gifted
Believable
Meticulous

Adjectives to Describe a Kid’s Personality

Compassionate
Loyal
Adventurous
Charming
Faithful
Cautious
Polite
Magnetic
Dynamic
Nurturing
Cheerful
Practical
Selective
Enchanting
Selective
Logical
Endearing
Understanding
Entertaining
Sensitive
Aware
Tolerant
Spontaneous
Charismatic
Attentive
Opinionated

Courageous
Approachable
Affectionate
Easy-going
Accepting
Effervescent
Funny
Honest
Reflective
Hopeful
Methodical
Inquisitive
Talkative
Devoted
Steadfast
Patient
Contemplative
Insightful
Joyful
Loving
Optimistic
Passionate
Mindful
Aware
Calm
Resilient
Self-Confident
Witty
Independent
Hilarious
Philosophical
Logical
Realistic
Unconventional
Delightful
Modest

Words to Describe A Child’s Behavior

Consistent
Responsible
Kind
Daring
Considerate
Energetic
Fearless
Generous
Gentle
Courteous
Helpful
Playful
Fiery
Social
Spirited
Zestful
Thoughtful
Confident
Cooperative
Spunky
Reserved
Exuberant
Expressive
Supportive
Animated
Focused
Expressive
Eager
Intense
Assertive
Respectful
Bold
Gutsy

Conclusion

Overtime, your child will begin to integrate the words they hear you use to describe them into their own sense of self worth. Those words and phrases will become a part of their identity and form a foundation of self-confidence and strength.

Lauren @ Simply-Well-Balanced

Hi, I'm Lauren Tingley; a working, teacher-mom of two who tried to "do it all" and ended up losing myself in the process. Determined to find joy in modern motherhood I discovered simplifying was the answer. Now I share tips for fun family activities, minimalist homemaking and simple parenting advice on Simply Well Balanced for families looking to create more balance in their homes. My ideas and advice has been shared by Parents Magazine, Good Housekeeping and Women's First.Read more about me! Or follow me on Pinterest or Instagram

100+ Positive Adjectives to Describe a Child - With Free Printable Poster!

Today I’m sharing a list of 100+ positive adjectives to describe a child with a free printable poster of positive adjectives. I hope you enjoy and find it helpful!

You won’t find phrases like “well behaved” or adjectives like cute, handsome, or intelligent in this list. They’re all unique, positive ways to describe a child’s personality. The free printable poster has a cheerful rainbow background and is perfect for classrooms or home use.

Have you ever noticed that the qualities we claim to value in adults are the same things we try to discourage in children?

We praise children for being quiet, coloring inside the lines, and standing still. Then we say we value innovation, determination, and authenticity.

We also tend to praise children’s appearance constantly but don’t really mention their personalities and actions in positive ways. This list of positive adjectives to call a child will help you change that!

This post may include affiliate links, which means I may make a commission on purchases made through these links at no additional cost to you.

Table of Contents

How to describe a child

Hearing the words people use to describe my child has made me very aware of the adjectives I use to describe her. Their descriptions have made me really stop and think about the messages our word choices unintentionally send our children.

Frequently we use kind of milk-toast adjectives like “great,” focus on physical characteristics (“cute” or “pretty”), or praise a child for being so “smart.”

There are a couple problems with always praising a child’s appearance or constantly calling them “good” or “smart.”

For one, girls are already bombarded with messages from society that their appearance matters, maybe more than anything else about them.

Although no one means harm when they tell their daughter how cute she is or that she has a nice outfit, it helps reinforce the idea that how they look is more important then who they are. This can cause a lot of problems and confidence issues down the line!

Virtually everyone who talks to us when we’re out tells us how pretty, beautiful, or cute our LG is. They tell us how my husband is going to jealously guard her from would-be boyfriends. Muñeca (doll) and princesa are favorite adjectives from our Miami family.

A few people do comment on how observant she is, but typically only after they’ve called her cute half a dozen times.

Related read: Printable gratitude journal for kids

I know it’s super hard not to call your little one cute all the time. I’ve tried since day 1 to say other things to LG, but “cute” still slips out frequently because she is cute! But I consciously try to mention her other attributes, like her strength and determination, whenever possible.

Constantly praising a child’s intelligence can also backfire. Although it’s obviously fine to mention their smarts in moderation, a child may become afraid of doing anything that might make them look “stupid” if they’ve tied their identity to being “smart.”

This kind of thinking can lead “talented” students to take less challenging classes and tasks because they’ve tied their identity to being a “good student” and are afraid of making less than straight A’s (If you’re a new reader – I have a Masters in Teaching and this is a topic we studied in developmental psychology and educational theory classes. It’s fascinating stuff!)

It’s also really important to read the research on how praise can backfire in the long run. Read Conditional Parenting – it’s a game changer.

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Unconditional Parenting: Moving from Rewards and Punishments to Love and...

Raising Kids
Kohn, Alfie (Author)
English (Publication Language)

By using more diverse adjectives to describe your child and mentioning their personality traits more than their appearance, you can help your child develop a more healthy and wholistic self-image and greater confidence!

How to use this list of positive adjectives

These adjectives are great for introducing new words to your child. Some of them are more advanced than others, which makes them the perfect way to introduce new words.

They’re also useful for expanding your own repertoire of complements and descriptions.

Additionally, you can use these adjectives if your child has a school assignment to come up with a list of words to describe themselves.

Challenge your children to describe themselves and others in new, different ways each day of the week! See if you can all go an entire week without simply describing someone as nice, pretty, or great.

Make sure to grab the free printable poster (at the bottom of the post) with all 100+ positive adjectives so you can post it in your home or classroom for reference!

Pin this list of positive adjectives now so you don’t lose track of the post!

100+ positive adjectives to describe a child

Adaptable
Adventurous
Affectionate
Alert
Ambitious
Amiable
Astute
Attentive
Authentic
Aware
Awesome
Bold
Brave
Calm
Capable
Caring
Compassionate
Confident
Considerate
Consistant
Courageous
Courteous
Curious
Decisive
Dependable
Determined
Dexterous
Diligent
Diplomatic
Dynamic
Earnest
Encouraging
Energetic
Engaging
Enthusiastic
Fair
Fearless
Flexible
Focused
Forgiving
Forthright
Free-spirited
Friendly
Fun
Fun-loving
Generous
Gentle
Genuine
Giving
Graceful
Gracious
Happy
Hardworking
Honest
Hopeful
Humble
Humorous
Idealistic
Imaginative
Innovative
Insightful
Intuitive
Inventive
Joyful
Just
Kind
Lively
Loving
Loyal
Merry
Motivated
Motivational
Nurturing
Observant
Open
Open-hearted
Open-minded
Optimistic
Organized
Outgoing
Patient
Persistent
Playful
Positive
Precise
Punctual
Purposeful
Quick-witted
Radiant
Realistic
Reflective
Reliable
Resourceful
Sincere
Sociable
Social
Strong
Sympathetic
Trusting
Trustworthy
Upbeat
Vivacious
Warm
Welcoming
Wise
Zany

Free printable poster of positive adjectives

Here’s a preview of the printable poster of positive adjectives! (The image is just a low-res preview, not the printable PDF)

If you’d like to reference this list of positive adjectives to describe a child, make sure to grab the free printable!

Download your printable poster of 100 positive adjectives here

This poster of positive adjectives matches a set of the growth mindset poster printables I shared recently. Make sure to stop by and grab your free printable growth mindset posters, too.

More positive parenting resources

You can’t pour from an empty cup. These free self-care ideas for moms can help you be the positive parent you want to be! There are also some free printable affirmation cards to help you out.

Do you want to encourage your toddler’s desire to practice gross motor skills? These indoor gross motor toys for toddlers are the best!

Do you have any additional positive adjectives you’d like to see added to the list?

We help the child to form a positive self-esteem

04/23/2013

During the day we constantly exchange messages with each other. They can be either verbal or non-verbal - the language of facial expressions and gestures. These messages can be both negative and positive. Whether we realize it or not, we are constantly exchanging such messages with all people, conveying to them, out loud or using sign language, what we think of them and how we feel about them.

The same is happening with our children. From our messages, the child forms his opinion about himself, his self-esteem, his image of "I" and learns how you feel about him. Try to ensure that your child receives significantly more positive, positive messages during the day than negative ones. nine0003

Examples of verbal positive messages

1. Positive adjectives describing the child's personality:
"I like that you are: inquisitive, quick learner, sociable, kind, intelligent, affectionate, tenacious, very developed for your age, generous, good friend, diligent, persistent, cheerful, intelligent, conscientious, responsible, caring, energetic, understanding, cheerful, cheerful, courageous, artistic, smiling, understanding, smart, funny, with a great sense of humor and a broad outlook, active, economic, dreamer, sympathetic that he has a good heart"

2. An expression of unconditional love and acceptance. “I love you, I’m happy that I have you, you are a wonderful child, we have been waiting for you for so long, I understand you,” etc.

3. Words of gratitude: “I thank you for…” “Thank you for…”, “I am very grateful to you that you…”

you did a good job of doing it”, “You were able to put your toys away very neatly”, “You dressed yourself, smart girl!” nine0003

Examples of non-verbal positive messages:

Hug, kiss, pat on the head, on the back, hold hands, wink, smile.

Positive messages are one simple tool with which we can build wonderful relationships with our children every day. Use it.

If you liked the article, please share with your friends by clicking on the social media buttons. And, as always, we welcome your comments and questions below. nine0003

List of descriptive adjectives for children

List of descriptive adjectives for children can help students understand this part of speech better and improve their writing. Describing words for children should focus on adjectives that children have heard or words that are easy for them to pronounce and spell.

What are descriptive adjectives and words?

Words that describe people, places, and things, or nouns, are called adjectives. You can remember this by thinking, "the adjective adds something." nine0003

A descriptive adjective is one of the three main types of adjectives.
Descriptive adjectives or descriptive words give detailed information about a subject.
Descriptive adjectives can help you understand what something looks like, how many it is, what size it is, or what it's made of.

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Examples of Descriptive Adjectives for Children

Having an extensive list of descriptive adjectives handy can help children improve their vocabulary. You can look at the list of adjectives to see how some describe the words and how others tell you different details about the noun.

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Appearance adjectives

If you need an adjective to describe a child or adult, you can use words that describe in detail their appearance, size or age. Whenever possible, try to use positive words that describe the person. nine0108 Ready Zany

Adjectives to describe emotions and feelings

Children have a lot of emotions and they are often very big feelings. Different emotion words can help you express exactly how you feel.

Printable Adjective List

Helpful Descriptive Adjective Tips

Learning adjectives can be challenging for kids, but it can also be a lot of fun. Look for creative ways to share adjective examples to make the most of these grammar lessons.

Buy or print flash cards with descriptive adjectives. Hold up a picture of a person, animal, or other noun and let the children sort through the stack of cards to find the right word to describe the picture. nine0069
After the child writes a paragraph or story, circle all of its adjectives and invite them to come up with new adjectives that could be used instead of the ones circled.

Angerly	Bored	Content	Capriy
BECHOOUS BECOME	Benight	exhausted