Growing up is never easy, and this thoughtful collection of inspirational quotes for kids from youngsters will have you reminiscing back to your childhood. Kids are often wise beyond their years, and these simplistic yet insightful children quotes will remind you of just that.

When we think about how kids and students communicate, we often think about how they speak to adults and their peers. This post is focused on how young people speak to themselves, their internal dialogue.

Kids need to be equipped with positive self-talk just as much as anybody else. Of course, everyone has different obstacles and a different situation, but there are still many themes that young people face. For example, some universal challenges that all students and kids face are:

Looking for acceptance from their peers

Looking for acceptance from their parents

Low self-esteem

Fear of judgment from others

Lack of patience towards one’s goals

Not using social media in a productive way

Pressure from school, state tests, college pressure and pressure from society as a whole to be successful

While children build their identity, question the world around them and identify their strengths, how they talk to themselves plays a major factor when it comes to determining the life they will lead.

This is just one of the many reasons all students should read these inspirational quotes for kids. We also have a collection of quotes about teenagers. Be sure to read that as well.

Looking for the right words to say to keep your students motivated at the beginning of the school year?

With children incorporating many of their parent’s values, beliefs, favorite phrases and so on, let’s make sure they get their healthy dose of motivational quotes as well!

These motivational children quotes are for kids of all ages. Enjoy!

Inspirational quotes for kids of all ages about success, life, and happiness

1. “Don’t let what you can’t do stop you from doing what you can do.” – John Wooden

Sometimes we make things more complicated than they really are.

Sometimes we focus on all the wrong things.

Focus on what you can do, right now, where you are.

2. “We all can dance when we find music we love.” – Giles Andreae

Anyone can dance! Anyone can move their body to a rhythm that makes them feel good.

Focus on feeling good and the dance will come naturally.

As they say, ‘dance like nobody’s watching’.

In regard to being successful, just like finding the right songs, YOU must find YOUR THING!

Explore. Learn. Discover. Then when you find YOUR THING, OWN IT!

3. “The more you give away the happier you become.”

We’ve been fooled into thinking that receiving makes us happy.

Try giving more and see how you feel.

4. “I think I can. I know I can.”

Everything that you do or don’t do comes down to confidence.

Always believe in yourself even when it’s not easy.

Actually, the BEST time to believe in yourself EVEN MORE, is when it’s NOT easy!

5. “It’s not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.” – Epictetus

Life is hard for everyone.

Everyone gets hurt.

Everyone gets betrayed.

Everyone feels a loss.

The focus should be on: how will you respond to it?

How will this make you a better person?

Where is the high road in this situation?

6. “Being kind is never wasted.”

How people treat you is THEIR path, how you treat people is YOURS.

Walk a path that will make you better and make you proud!

7. “When you know better you do better.” – Maya Angelou

Learn to be the best version of yourself, learn how to handle tough situations, learn how to tell whether a friend is good for you or not.

And learn how to focus on the positive in your life, learn how to believe in yourself.

Learn how to imagine a life better than your current situation.

Learn to love yourself.

8. “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.” – Theodore Roosevelt

To get started all you need is you.

Focus on what you can do right now in this moment.

Things don’t need to be perfect for you to get started.

Start now!

9. “You always pass failure on the way to success.” – Mickey Rooney

When you avoid failure YOU ALSO avoid success.

Don’t be afraid to fail. Instead, spend your time NOT focusing on failure, but on surrounding yourself with people who will support your setbacks.

Know that failure is a part of your process.

Failure is natural. Failure is not permanent.

10. “Make each day your masterpiece.” – John Wooden

Every living moment do your best. The rewards will be amazing. It’s just that simple.

Don’t forget to also read these teen quotes on life, love and being yourself.

Positive children quotes about life and dreams

11. “Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal.” – Pamela Vaull Starr

Don’t be afraid to use your imagination.

You might seem like life is full of tests, questions, grades, parents, and pressure, but still dream.

Dare to use your imagination. Be bold. Be creative.

12. “No one is perfect – that’s why pencils have erasers.” – Wolfgang Riebe

Love yourself, your whole self.

You are not here to be perfect, you are here to be you.

Be who you are and you will attract the right people around you.

13. “Never waste a minute thinking of anyone you don’t like.” – Eisenhower

People you don’t like or people who don’t like you are not worth your head space.

You can only think about 1 thing at a time, so why waste it.

Use each moment to love yourself and to become better.

14. “Only surround yourself with people who will lift you higher.” – Oprah Winfrey

Do you have the courage to get rid of the toxic people in your life?

We all have them. One of the most important things we can do is surround ourselves with people who believe in us, support us and love us unconditionally.

If your friends don’t meet that criterion, then it might be time to find some new friends.

15. “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” – Dr. Seuss

When it seems like everyone is trying to fit in, standing out can be a bit scary.

As a kid, I was scared to stand out and be who I really was. I was concerned and caught up with what other people thought of me.

When I got past that, my whole life changed for the better and I started doing things, achieving things and experiencing things; I could have only dreamed of.

16. “Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do.” – H. Jackson Brown

Anything great that has ever been accomplished, was seen at the time as ‘unrealistic’. Whether it’s flying a plane, creating the light bulb, becoming valedictorian, coming up with a cure for a disease, nothing special is realistic.

It’s always born from a new way of thinking. When we settle for realistic, we often settle to be average.

You have greatness inside of you.

17. “There is a voice inside of you, that whispers all day long, I feel this is right for me, or I know that this is wrong.”

We all have a conscious, listen to yours.

Always ask yourself, “Is this what my best looks like?” That one question alone will change your entire life.

18. “You can steer yourself any direction you choose.” – Dr. Seuss

Your life is completely up to you.

Many times when we are going through hard times, it doesn’t feel like that, but it is.

As we spoke about before, we can’t control everything that happens to us, but the way we respond is ALWAYS up to us.

19. “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” – Dr. Seuss

You don’t need to be the smartest person in the room to be destined for success.

Even if you don’t see yourself as a success right now, if you’re committed to learning – success is just a matter of time.

When you think about your goals and dreams, what do you need to learn to make it happen? Commit to the learning process.

20. “Anything is possible. Anything can be.” – Shel Silverstein

Believe it’s possible. Sometimes it’s just that simple. Yet, some people will never truly believe.

Have faith. But just because it’s possible, doesn’t mean it will be easy. Know that whatever life you want, the grades you want, the job you want, the reputation you want, friends you want, that it’s possible.

Nothing is off limits. Everything is within reach. Anything can be.

Also check out these inspirational childhood quotes.

Inspirational quotes for kids about learning and success

21. “If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.” ― Albert Einstein

It’s clear that Albert Einstein believes that imagination is the key to real intelligence. Does real intelligence mean we only know facts?

Does it mean we are creative? Does it mean we focus on solutions? Is it a mix of all three?

Whatever your position is, imagination allows to see what is not there, and therefore be builders of a new and improved reality.

22. “You have to write the book that wants to be written. And if the book will be too difficult for grown-ups, then you write it for children.” ― Madeleine L’Engle

Do things get more complicated as we get older?

Or do WE BECOME more complicated as we get older? What do you think? Why?

23. “Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.” ― Margaret Mead

In today’s world, we are over-saturated with information. But, how do we know if what we’re reading is true?

How do we know that this meme we love is actually stating facts?

Kids and students need to be critical thinkers, who can discern between what is real and what is fake clickbait.

24. “Never give up on what you really want to do. The person with big dreams is more powerful than one with all the facts. ” – Albert Einstein

25. “Winning doesn’t always mean being first. Winning means you’re doing better than you’ve done before. ” – Bonnie Blair

26. “Don’t just read the easy stuff. You may be entertained by it, but you will never grow from it.” – Jim Rohn

27. “Nothing is particularly hard if you break it down into small jobs.” – Henry Ford

28. “When you do the common things in life in an uncommon way, you will command the attention of the world.” – George Washington Carver

29. “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” – Mahatma Gandhi

30. “Be silly, be honest, be kind.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

You might also like these children quotes and sayings that will fill your heart with love and laughter.

Motivational kid quotes to inspire them

31. The secret of success is to do the common things uncommonly well. – John D. Rockefeller

32. “The worst part of success is trying to find someone who is happy for you.” ― Bette Midler

33. “Success is not how high you have climbed, but how you make a positive difference to the world.” ― Roy T. Bennett

34. “Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly.” ― Robert F. Kennedy

35. “Judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.” ― Dalai Lama XIV

36. “I’ve come to believe that each of us has a personal calling that’s as unique as a fingerprint – and that the best way to succeed is to discover what you love and then find a way to offer it to others in the form of service, working hard, and also allowing the energy of the universe to lead you. ” ― Oprah Winfrey

37. “Success is a state of mind. If you want success, start thinking of yourself as a success.” ― Joyce Brothers

38. “If I cannot do great things, I can do small things in a great way” ― Martin Luther King Jr.

39. “I have learned that success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.” ― Booker T. Washington

40. “Success means we go to sleep at night knowing that our talents and abilities were used in a way that served others.” ― Marianne Williamson

Children quotes to inspire and teach them

41. “I don’t love studying. I hate studying. I like learning. Learning is beautiful.” – Natalie Portman

42. All students can learn and succeed, but not on the same day in the same way. – William Spady

43. There is no substitute for hard work. – Thomas Edison

44. “If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” – Roald Dahl

45. “We know what we are but know not what we may be.” – Shakespeare

46. Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That’s why we call it ‘The Present’. – Eleanor Roosevelt

47. “We grow great by dreams.” – Woodrow Wilson

48. MOST GREAT LEARNING HAPPENS IN GROUPS. COLLABORATION IS THE STUFF OF GROWTH. – Sir Ken Robinson

49. “There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.” – Colin Powell

50. FORGIVENESS DOES NOT CHANGE THE PAST, BUT IT DOES ENLARGE THE FUTURE. – Paul Boese

Don’t forget to also read these wonderful preschool quotes for kids and kids at heart.

Inspirational quotes for kids about positive behavior

51. “Children are not things to be molded, but are people to be unfolded.” — Jess Lair

52. “Every child you encounter is a divine appointment.” — Wess Stafford

53. “Children are our most valuable resource.” — Herbert Hoover

54. “Only where children gather is there any real chance of fun. ”— Mignon McLaughlin

55. “Anyone who does anything to help a child is a hero to me.” — Fred Rogers

56. “The greatest gifts you can give your children are the roots of responsibility and the wings of independence.” — Denis Waitley

57. “Always kiss your children goodnight, even if they’re already asleep.”

— H. Jackson Brown

58. “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” – Dr. Seuss

59. “Children will listen to you after they feel listened to.” – Jane Nelsen

60. “You are the bows from which your children as living arrows are sent forth.” – Kahlil Gibran

Inspirational children quotes about kindness

61. “What this world needs is a new kind of army – the army of the kind.” – Cleveland Amory

62. “If you can’t feed a hundred people, then just feed one.” – Margaret Mead

63. “No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.” – Aesop

64. “When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.” – Abraham Joshua Heschel

65. “I feel the capacity to care is the thing which gives life its deepest significance.” – Pablo Casals

66. “Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.” – Henry David Thoreau

67. “Always keep a positive mindset, it will improve your outlook on the world.” – Roald Dahl

68. “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

69. “Being different isn’t a bad thing. It means you’re brave enough to be yourself.” – Luna Lovegood

70. “If you can dream it, you can do it.” – Walt Disney

Cute kid quotes about life

71. “Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale.” – Hans Christen Andersen

72. “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.” – Mark Twain

73. “Row, row, row your boat. Gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.” – Alice Munro

74. “Don’t doubt your value. Don’t run from who you are.” – Aslan

75. “The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong.” – Mahatma Gandhi

76. “It is better to be a failure at something you love than to be a success at something you hate.” – George Burns

77. “No kid is unsmart. Every kid’s a genius at something. Our job is to find it. And then encourage it.” – Robin Sharma

78. “Never be so busy as not to think of others.” – Mother Teresa

79. “There is no exercise better for the heart than reaching down and lifting people up.” – John Holmes

80. “That best portion of a man’s life, his little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love.” – William Wordsworth

You might also like these motivational quotes for students about failure and success

Inspirational quotes for kids about good behavior

81. “Manners easily and rapidly mature into morals.” – Horace Mann

82. “You are always responsible for how you act, no matter how you feel.”

― Robert Tew

83. “Your behavior is a choice; it isn’t who you are.”― Vanessa Diffenbaugh

84. “One thing I believe strongly in this life is that you just don’t reward bad behavior.” ― Dr. Phil

85. “If you want to change attitudes, start with a change in behavior.”

― Katharine Hepburn

86. “Do not let the behavior of others destroy your inner peace.”

― Dalai Lama

87. “Respect for ourselves guides our morals, respect for others guides our manners.” – Laurence Sterne

88. “We must not demonstrate any arrogance, and we must refrain from any irrational or undemocratic behavior.”― Chen Shui-bian

89. “Manners and politeness will never become old-fashioned.” – Auliq Ice

90. “Threatening people who do not believe as you do is not Christian behavior.” ― Linda Wood

Inspirational quotes for kids about politeness

91. “Kindness and politeness are not overrated at all. They’re underused.” – Tommy Lee Jones

92. “Politeness is good nature regulated by good sense.” – Sydney Smith

93. “Even though you’re growing up, you should never stop having fun.” Nina Dobrev

94. “Politeness is … forgetting ourselves in order to seek what may be agreeable to others.” – Wellins Calcott

95. “A man’s own manner and character is what most becomes him.” – Cicero

96. “Nobody loses anything by being polite, but there are a lot of people who are afraid to take the risk.” – Evan Esar

97. “Friends and good manners will carry you where money won’t go.” – Margaret Walker

98. “A man never loses anything by politeness.” – Henry Venn

99. “The only true source of politeness is consideration.” – William Gilmore Simm

100. “Politeness is the flower of humanity.” – Joseph Joubert

Motivational quotes for kids about learning and school

101. “Time to rise. Time for school! Open your eyes.” — Tammie Jones

102. “The most important day of a person’s education is the first day of school, not Graduation Day.” ― Harry Wong

103. “A good education is a foundation for a better future.” – Elizabeth Warren

104. “Today is the first day of the rest of your life.” ― Charles Dederich

105. “You’re off to great places. Today is your first day! Your mountain is waiting, so get on your way!”― Dr. Seuss

106. “Knowledge will bring you the opportunity to make a difference.” ― Claire Fagin

107. “Change is the end result of all true learning.” – Leo Buscaglia

108. “Wisdom…. comes not from age, but from education and learning.” ― Anton Chekhov

109. “Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.” — Anthony J. D’Angelo

110. “School bells are ringing loud and clear; vacation’s over, school is here.” — Winifred C. Marshal

Inspirational quotes for kids to inspire success

111. “Just when the caterpillar thought the world was ending, he turned into a butterfly.” – Proverb

112. “If you’re offered a seat on a rocket ship, don’t ask what seat! Just get on.” – Sheryl Sandberg

113. “Whenever you see a successful person you only see the public glories, never the private sacrifices to reach them.” – Vaibhav Shah

114. “Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out how far one can go.” – T. S. Eliot

115. “Opportunities don’t happen, you create them.” – Chris Grosser

116. “A successful man is one who can lay a firm foundation with the bricks others have thrown at him.” – David Brinkley

117. “If you don’t build your dream, someone else will hire you to help them build theirs.” – Dhirubhai Ambani

118. “The whole secret of a successful life is to find out what is one’s destiny to do, and then do it.” – Henry Ford

119. “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant.“ – Robert Louis Stevenson

120. “Always go with your passions. Never ask yourself if it’s realistic or not.” – Deepak Chopra

Motivation quotes for kids about education

121. “Don’t let schooling interfere with your education.” – Mark Twain

122. “The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn …and change.” – Carl Rogers

123. “Education must not simply teach work – it must teach Life.” – W. E. B. Du Bois

124. “If people did not do silly things, nothing intelligent would ever get done.” – Ludwig Wittgenstein

125. “Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today.” – Malcolm X

126. “Who questions much, shall learn much, and retain much.”– Francis Bacon

127. “Aim for success, not perfection. Never give up your right to be wrong, because then you will lose the ability to learn new things and move forward with your life. Remember that fear always lurks behind perfectionism.” – David M. Burns

128. “The essence of knowledge is, having it, to apply it; not having it, to confess your ignorance.” – Confucius

129. “The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.” – Herbert Spencer

130. “Everybody’s a teacher if you listen.” – Doris Roberts

Motivational quotes for kids to live by

131.“Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new.” – Albert Einstein

132. “Believe in yourself. You are braver than you think, more talented than you know, and capable of more than you imagine.” — Roy T. Bennett

133. “Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” – Arthur Ashe

134. “Never give up, for that is the place and time that the tide will turn.” — Harriet Beecher Stowe

135. “Your attitude, not your aptitude, will determine your altitude.” –

Zig Ziglar

136. “You must take personal responsibility. You cannot change the circumstances, the seasons, or the wind, but you can change yourself. That is something you have.” — Jim Rohn

137. “Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” –

John R. Wooden

138. “Winning doesn’t mean being first. Winning means you’re doing better than you’ve done before.” — Bonnie Blair

139. “You will either step forward into growth, or you will step backward into safety.” – Abraham Maslow

140. “All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” — Walt Disney

Inspirational quotes for kids about life and success

141. “Life doesn’t give us purpose. We give life purpose.” – The Flash

142. “Don’t let life discourage you; everyone who got where he is had to begin where he was.” – Richard L. Evans

143. “Why do we fall? So we can learn to pick ourselves back up.” – Batman

144. “Wise people learn when they can; fools learn when they must.” –Arthur Wellesley

145. “Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.” – The Lorax, Dr. Seuss

146. “Remember, happiness doesn’t depend upon who you are or what you have; it depends solely upon what you think.” – Dale Carnegie

147. “A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.” – Eeyore, Winnie-the-Pooh

148. “Never look down on anybody unless you’re helping them up.” –

Jesse Jackson

149. “You can’t use up creativity. The more you use, the more you have.”

– Maya Angelou

150. “Everywhere you go, leave a glitter trail of kindness behind you.” – Unknown

Inspirational quotes for kids to help them succeed

151. “Politeness is the art of choosing among one’s real thoughts.” – Abel Stevens

152. “Choose your friends with caution, plan your future with purpose, and frame your life with faith.” – Thomas S. Monson

153. “Good manners are just a way of showing other people that we have respect for them.” – Bill Kelly

154. “Learning never exhausts the mind.” – Leonardo da Vinci

155. “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

156. “A little consideration, a little thought for others, makes all the difference.” – Eeyore

157. “You’ve got to do your own growing, no matter how tall your grandfather was.” – Irish Proverb

158. “Never fear shadows. They simply mean that there’s a light somewhere nearby.” – Ruth E. Renkei

159. “Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.” – Confucious

160. “Do all you can to make your dreams come true.” – Joel Osteen

Inspirational quotes for kids to guide them

161. “Life is a succession of lessons which must be lived to be understood.” – Helen Keller

162. “Love is the most important thing in life.” – Rainbow

163. “The time is always right to do what is right.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.

164. “When you choose your friends, don’t be short-changed by choosing personality over character.” – W. Somerset Maugham

165. “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” – Winston Churchill

166. “There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve: the fear of failure.”– Paulo Coelho

167. “Not only must we be good, but we must also be good for something.” – Henry David Thoreau

168. “You’re braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” – A.A. Milne

169. “Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires and a touch that never hurts.” – Charles Dickens

170. “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” – Dalai Lama

Cute and inspirational quotes for kids

171. “A smile is an inexpensive way to change your looks.” – Charles Gordy

172. “Each day is a new day, a new opportunity to work towards making your life the way you want it.” – Josie Cluney

173. “If you’re able to be yourself, then you have no competition.” – Barbara Cook

174. “Good manners encompass all the things that make the people around us feel good.” – Jacquie McTaggart

175. “The most important thing in life is to stop saying “I wish” and start saying “I will”. – Charles Dickens

176. “When you laugh, you change, and when you change, the world changes.” – Madan Kataria

177. “No matter what people tell you, words and ideas can change the world.” – Robin Williams

178. “There will never be another precious you! Be yourself. Stay true to your inner nature.” – Gail Mewes

179. “It is clear the future holds great opportunities. It also holds pitfalls. The trick will be to avoid the pitfalls, seize the opportunities.” – Woody Allen

180. “Be sure those you have around you encourage, inspire and motivate you to continue to move to the next level.” – Honoree Corder

Inspirational quotes for kids to encourage them

181. “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

182. “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.” – Oprah Winfrey

183. “To me every hour of the day and night is an unspeakably perfect miracle.” – Walt Whitman

184. “Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.” – George Addair

185. “It’s good to have an end to journey toward, but it’s the journey that matters in the end.” – Ursula K. LeGuin

186. “Press forward. Do not stop, do not linger in your journey, but strive for the mark set before you.” – George Whitefield

187. “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

188. “With the new day comes new strength and new thoughts.” – Eleanor Roosevelt

189. “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says “I’m possible!”– Audrey Hepburn

190. “If you hear a voice within you say ‘you cannot paint,’ then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.” – Vincent Van Gogh

Inspirational quotes for kids about success

191. “Preparation is the key to success.” – Alexander Graham Bell

192. “There’s no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.” – Unknown

193. “The expert in anything was once a beginner.” – Helen Hayes

194. “The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work.” – Mark Twain

195. “You get in life what you have the courage to ask for.” – Oprah Winfrey

196. “Success is the sum of small efforts being repeated day in and day out.” – Robert Collier

197. “Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.” – Herman Cain

198. “Success means having the courage, the determination, and the will to become the person you believe you were meant to be.” – George Sheehan

199. “If you really want to do something, you will find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.” – Jim Rohn

200. “Practice isn’t the thing you do once your good. It’s the thing you do that makes you good.” – Malcolm Gladwell

Want more than inspirational quotes for kids?

We can all use some inspiring quotes from time to time. We hope the quotes for kids above will inspire students to do their best in school and in life.

Did you enjoy these inspirational quotes for kids? What other motivational children quotes would you add? Make sure to share them in the comments below!