Mini Minds Hub · Free printable
New Year Resolutions for Kids: Free Printable Planner for Year 4
- ForYear 4
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
New Year Resolutions for Kids is a free printable planner for Year 4 (ages 8 to 9). Children choose a goal, plan small steps, think about who can help and decide how they will know they have done it. It takes about 20 minutes and needs only a pencil. Page 2 gives the grown up notes, help ideas and a stretch idea.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
The sheet is a planner with numbered questions and space to write answers. Children name one thing they want to get better at, one new thing they want to try and one kind thing they will do for someone. Then they plan steps to take one at a time, say who can help, and describe how they will know they have done it. There are no right or wrong goals. The best ones are small and clear.
- One thing I want to get better at
- One new thing I want to try
- One kind thing I will do for someone
- Steps I will take, one at a time
- Who can help me
- How I will know I have done it
How to choose a good goal
Keep it small
A small goal can be finished and noticed. Practising a skill a little each day is easier to keep going than a huge promise.
Keep it clear
Ask your child to picture the goal done. If they can describe what they would see or do, the goal is clear enough.
Make it theirs
The goal should come from the child, not the adult. Offer questions and let your child decide.
Include kindness
One of the goals is a kind thing for someone else. Talk about who might like it and what a kind act could look like.
Why plan a resolution?
A New Year resolution is a promise to yourself, often made around 1 January, about something you would like to do or change. Many families talk about them at the start of the year. Big, vague promises can be hard to keep. Children usually do better with one small goal they can picture, such as practising a skill for a few minutes on most days.
A goal becomes easier when it has a plan. Breaking it into steps shows a child where to begin. Naming a helper means they know who to ask. Deciding how they will know they have finished gives a clear finish line. Looking back afterwards, called reflection, helps children notice what worked and what to try differently next time.
Skills and curriculum link
- Goal setting
- Planning
- Reflection
- Breaking a goal into steps
- Asking for help
- Thinking about kindness
What children will be able to do
- I can choose a small, clear goal.
- I can plan steps to reach it.
- I can say how I will know I did it.
Ideas to help your child set a goal
- Start smallA goal that fits into a few minutes is easier to begin. Success early on makes children want to carry on.
- Say it clearlyAsk your child to explain the goal in one sentence. If it is hard to say, make it smaller or simpler.
- Choose a helperEveryone finds things easier with support. A parent, teacher, friend or sibling can remind and encourage.
- Look backAsk what went well and what was tricky. Trying again with a small change is part of reaching a goal.
Key words
- ResolutionA promise you make to yourself to do something or change something.
- GoalSomething you want to do or achieve.
- PlanA set of steps you decide on before you start.
- StepOne small part of a plan. You do steps one at a time.
- ReflectThink back about what happened and what you learned.
- ProgressMoving forward, even a little, towards your goal.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes for the grown up.
- Talk about the idea of a resolution first. Ask your child what they would like to get better at, try or do for someone else.
- Work through the sheet together the first time. It takes about 20 minutes. Let your child lead and write their own ideas.
- Use page 2 to check the notes together. Ask, "Why did you pick that goal?" and listen to the reasons.
- Come back to the sheet another day. Look at the plan again and tick off what has been done. Repeating a familiar activity builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Choose just one goal and draw a picture of it done. Say the goal out loud before any writing. Ask, "What could you do first?" Your child can tell you the steps while you write them down, and then trace or copy them.
To stretch confident children
Add a check in date and write what you will change if it is hard. When the date comes, look at the plan together. Ask what has gone well so far, and share the plan with the person who agreed to help.
Make it a game
Stick the sheet on the fridge and tick off each day you try. Draw a small box for each day. At the end of the week, count the ticks together and talk about what helped. Celebrate the trying, not only the finishing.
Talk about it
- Why did you pick that goal?
- What is your first step, and how long will it take?
- Who could help you stick to it?
- What might make it hard, and what could you do then?
- Who will your kind thing be for, and how might they feel?
- How will you know when you have done it?
Take it off the page
Goal picture
Draw a picture of yourself having reached your goal. Add a few words about how it feels. Stick it somewhere you will see it.
Step staircase
Draw a staircase on paper. Write one step of your plan on each stair, with the goal at the top. Colour in each stair as you finish it.
Kindness jar
Write kind things you could do on small slips of paper and put them in a jar. Pick one out each week and do it.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first go, then let them lead. Ask questions rather than choosing for them. Praise the effort and thinking, and keep page 2 for yourself. Look at the plan again a few days later.
Teachers
Use it as a PSHE starter in the first week back after the winter break, a plenary, an early finisher task or a table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing. Page 2 has support and stretch ideas for mixed ability groups.
Home educators
Print it as part of a wider PSHE plan. It pairs well with books, outdoor play and everyday talk. Brothers and sisters can each have their own copy, and you can return to the plan later in the year.
Where this fits in PSHE
Before this sheet, children in Year 3 often explore how a positive attitude helps when something is tricky. The Growth Mindset Spinner is a good place to build that idea. Thinking about effort and trying again makes goal setting feel less scary.
After this sheet, children can set goals in new settings. Try New School Year Goals for a fresh start in September. The Online Safety Traffic Light Game is a next step for the same subject, one year up, and builds more confident decision making.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- Why did you pick that goal?
- What is your first step?
- Who could help you stick to it?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is New Year Resolutions for Kids for?
It is written for Year 4 (ages 8 to 9) in Key Stage 2. Younger children can use it with adult help. Older children can use it too, especially with the stretch idea on page 2.
- How long does it take?
It takes about 20 minutes. Some children will want longer to talk about their ideas. You can stop and come back to the sheet another day if your child tires.
- Does my child need to pick a big goal?
No. A small, clear goal works best. A goal that can be pictured and planned in steps is easier to keep going than a big, vague one.
- What if my child cannot think of a goal?
Choose just one goal and draw a picture of it done. Talk about things they enjoy, things they find hard and people they would like to help. A single small idea is enough to begin.
- Can teachers use it in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a PSHE starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has help and stretch ideas for different groups.
- Do I need a screen or colour printing?
No. It is a screen free activity that needs only paper and a pencil. It prints well in black and white on plain A4 paper, so it works for quiet time, rainy days and holidays.
- What is on page 2?
Page 2 is for the grown up. It has notes on how to use the sheet, help for children who find it hard, a stretch idea and the answers. Keep it separate so children can plan their own ideas.
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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.