Have you ever had that student who throws down their pencil and yells out in frustration, “I’m NEVER going to get this!”? (And let’s be real—sometimes we as teachers feel the same way about grading stacks of essays.)
That’s where a growth mindset comes in. Helping students shift from “I can’t do this” to “I can’t do this… yet” is a game-changer—not just for academics, but for life. The good news is, we don’t need to add one more overwhelming lesson to our plates.
With a few simple activities (and some bilingual support for our English Learners), you can weave a growth mindset into your day in a way that’s fun, practical, and doesn’t take hours of prep.
Why Growth Mindset Matters in the Classroom
A fixed mindset says, “I’m bad at math.” A growth mindset says, “Math is hard, but I can improve with practice.” We’ve all seen both in our students—and honestly, in ourselves, too.
When kids believe their effort matters, they stick with challenges longer. They bounce back quicker when things don’t go their way, and our classroom culture shifts from frustration to resilience.
Remind students that no one was born smart. Being smart is about working hard and practicing. I always tell my students not to say, “Practice makes perfect,” but instead to say, “Practice makes progress.”
When I first teach the growth mindset vs. the fixed mindset, I write different statements that reflect the mindset on an anchor chart like the one below.
Upper elementary is the sweet spot for mindset work. Students are old enough to reflect on their thinking but still open to building positive habits before middle school starts.
Engaging Growth Mindset Activities for Your Students
Watch Class Dojo Mindset Videos
Every year, I start my growth mindset lessons with these Class Dojo videos. They are engaging and relatable. There are 5 videos that I show one each day, and I ask students to summarize what they saw. We discuss how the characters persevered and changed their mindset from fixed to growth. I highly recommend these videos!
Growth Mindset Activity Pack
One of my favorite ways to introduce a growth mindset is with my Growth Mindset Activity Pack. It includes:
- Growth vs. Fixed Mindset Sort – Students cut and sort statements to build awareness.
- Goal Setting Page – A place to reflect on personal goals.
- Mindset Rewrite Page – Practice transforming fixed mindset thoughts into positive ones.
- Scenario Cards – Real-life situations where students decide what a growth mindset response might look like.
Flexible Ways to Use the Scenario Cards
The scenario cards are super flexible. You can:
- Post them around the classroom for a Write the Room activity
- Use them in a fast-paced game of Scoot
- Ask students to discuss them in partners, small groups, or whole-class SEL lessons
Every resource comes in English and Spanish, making it perfect for bilingual classrooms and extra supportive for English Learners.
Growth Mindset Bingo Game
Another student favorite is my Growth Mindset Bingo Game. This set includes:
- 35 unique bingo boards
- Positive affirmation calling cards like “I can train my brain,” and “My goal is progress.”
- Cut-apart calling pieces for random play
Each bingo square features a growth mindset affirmation designed to build confidence and resilience. Students get to practice affirmations aloud while having fun playing bingo.
It’s a simple game, but it’s engagement high, especially when you offer a prize to the winner. And what kid doesn’t like a prize?
Simple Daily Practice: Growth Mindset “Language Flip”
These growth mindset activities listed above are great activities to do at the beginning of the year, but we need to make growth mindset part of our everyday routine.
Here’s how: try posting two sentence starters on your whiteboard: “I can’t do this…” → “…YET.” and “This is too hard.” → “This is challenging, and I can learn from it.”
When you hear students saying fixed mindset statements, point to the signs. No need to start a lecture about the growth mindset, point to the signs, and have them rephrase their words.
Of course, teach them this routine before you post the signs. This simple practice normalizes struggle as part of learning and reinforces how to persevere throughout the day.
Perfect Times to Use Growth Mindset Activities
These activities are perfect for the first few weeks of school but also for morning meetings, SEL lessons, counseling groups, centers, partner activities, or even end-of-day reflection and brain breaks.
Why Teachers Love These Resources
Teachers love that these growth mindset activities are low-prep, hands-on, and interactive. They keep students moving, talking, and reflecting, and the bilingual options make them accessible for diverse classrooms.
Final Thoughts: Building Confident, Resilient Learners
At the end of the day, a growth mindset isn’t just a classroom strategy—it’s a life skill. When students learn to reframe challenges and keep trying, they build confidence that lasts far beyond fifth grade.
Whether you use a mindset sort, a round of Growth Mindset Bingo, or a quick “language flip” on your whiteboard, you’re giving your students tools they’ll carry into every subject, every grade level, and eventually, every challenge life throws at them.
If you’re ready to bring these ideas to life in your classroom, you can check out my Growth Mindset Activity Pack. Both are easy to implement and designed to make growth mindset fun, interactive, and meaningful for your students. You got this! Giselle