If you’ve ever watched your child light up with excitement over a new idea — learning to ride a bike, trying out for a team, mastering a cartwheel, reading more books — you know how empowering it feels when kids believe in themselves.
That’s exactly why I created a FREE Goal-Setting Workbook for Kids — a simple, developmentally appropriate tool designed to help children set meaningful goals, break them into manageable steps, and celebrate their progress along the way.
And here’s the best part: This downloadable workbook isn’t just for New Year’s resolutions. It’s perfect for anytime your child wants to dream, grow, and try something new.
As a children’s author who writes SEL-focused picture books — including Petunia the Perfectionist — I’m passionate about helping kids build confidence, courage, resilience, and a healthy relationship with mistakes.
Petunia learns that trying new things doesn’t always feel comfortable at first. Sometimes it feels scary. Sometimes it feels hard. And sometimes we make mistakes. But courage grows when kids practice, try again, and learn from what didn’t go as planned.
That’s the core message behind this goal-setting workbook, too.
Instead of expecting perfection (something Petunia knows well!), this workbook encourages kids to:
Take brave steps
Break big goals into small, doable actions
Notice progress, not perfection
Keep going even when it’s challenging
Celebrate every win — big or small
Because learning and growing take time. And every step forward counts.
This printable workbook is kid-friendly, visual, and gently guided — ideal for home, classrooms, therapy offices, or homeschooling.
Inside, you’ll find:
A place for kids to draw or write their ideas.
Kid-friendly questions that help them clarify what they really want.
Visual templates that show children how to turn big dreams into bite-sized actions.
Fun checklists and trackers to help kids celebrate progress along the way.
A space for social-emotional growth — because becoming a kinder, more compassionate human is a goal worth tracking, too.
Kids get to pause, notice what they’ve achieved, and feel proud of themselves.
This workbook is designed to be flexible for all ages and all types of goals — academic, emotional, athletic, creative, or personal.
When children set their own goals, they learn:
Agency: “I can make choices for myself.”
Perseverance: “I can keep trying, even if it’s hard.”
Resilience: “Mistakes help me grow.”
Self-awareness: “Here’s what I’m good at… and here’s what I want to practice.”
Intrinsic motivation: “I want to learn this because it matters to me.”
These are lifelong skills — the very skills Petunia discovers as she learns how to let go of perfection and embrace her brave, beautiful, imperfect self.
Parents, teachers, and caregivers tell me they love this workbook because it’s:
✔️ Easy to use
✔️ Designed for kids
✔️ Self-paced
✔️ Grounded in SEL principles
✔️ Helpful any time of year
✔️ A great tool for building confidence & responsibility
Kids love it because it feels fun, not like homework. They get to color, draw, plan, and dream.
You can grab your free printable workbook right here:
👉 Download the Free Goal-Setting Workbook for Kids
It’s a wonderful way to kick off a new year, celebrate a birthday goal, prepare for a new activity, support therapy or counseling work, or start fresh any time your child feels inspired.
If your child loved this workbook, they may also connect with my picture book Petunia the Perfectionist, which follows a little girl learning that it’s okay to make mistakes and that courage grows each time we try. I also have a Petunia the Perfectionist book companion filled with lots of fun activities (both literacy and SEL-based) related to the book!
You can also explore:
All available on my Resources page.
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This book is PERFECT for perfectionists (children and grown-ups!) and belongs in classrooms, libraries, and every child’s bookshelf.
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Stella’s Brave Voice follows the twins from The Only Me and has earned a 5-star Book Review Award from Litpick and Reader’s Favorite.
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The Only Me was named one of the top 100 indie children’s books of 2022 by Kirkus Reviews and earned a 5-star Book Review Award from Litpick.
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A PDF download will be sent to your inbox.
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A PDF download will be sent to your inbox.
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To ensure you receive my emails make sure to add marissa@marissabader.com to your contacts or list of safe senders. You can unsubscribe at any time.
