Confidence Cards
Confidence Cards
Confidence cards can help students build confidence through active listening and understanding.
You should have 50 confidence cards in your confidence card’s pack.
Confidence Cards
Here are 10 confidence card games that you can play with individual students or across your entire classroom to build confidence. As there are 50 cards in your confidence card pack, you can make many more games!
Be creative, have fun and enjoy learning!
Lucky Dip
Charades
Match the Moment
Poster Crew
Two Truths and a Boost
Confidence Relay
Would You Choose…?
Mini-Skits of Strength
Teach the Teacher
Confidence Countdown
Lucky dip 2.0
Face up
Goal Getter
Choose your vibe
Story Spark
Story Spark Chain
Story Spark Swap
What Went Well
Pick your thanks
Design the deck
Growing Edge
The Mirror Game
Skill Swap
Strength or Skill BINGO
Build the Team
Spark Card Fusion
Spark Quest
The Mentorium
Spark Story Builder
Spark Circle Walk
Lucky Dip
Students sit in a circle. One student picks a random confidence card and reads it aloud.
– The Challenge:
Everyone must complete or demonstrate the prompt (e.g. Say one thing you’re proud of, Try a power pose, Share a small win).
– Why it works:
Low-pressure, high-impact confidence boosters.
Charades
A student picks a card and acts it out silently.
The class guesses the confidence strategy (e.g. stand tall, ask for help, try again, positive self-talk).
Fun variation:
Use a 30-second timer.
Match the Moment
Give students simple scenario cards (e.g. You’re nervous for a test, You want to try out for a team).
Students then select a confidence card that fits the scenario and explain why.
Extension:
Students rank their top 3 strategies for that scenario.
Poster Crew
In small groups, students pick 3–5 confidence cards and design a How We Show Confidence poster for the classroom.
Outcome:
Student-created displays they are more likely to use and believe in.
Two Truths and a Boost
Students read three confidence-related statements:
– Two things they already do.
– One strategy they want to try.
Class guesses which one is the new confidence boost.
Great discussion starter about strengths and growth.
Confidence Relay
Set up 3 – 4 stations with different cards.
Teams rotate through, performing each confidence prompt (e.g. Share something you’re good at, Try a brave voice, Give a compliment).
Goal:
Build confidence through movement and teamwork.
Would You Choose…?
Students draw two confidence cards and choose which one they’d use when:
– Trying something new
– Speaking in front of the class
– Making a new friend
Allows students to:
explore what confidence looks like for them.
Mini-Skits of Strength
In groups, students pick one card and create a 15–30 second skit showing someone using that confidence strategy.
Example:
A student hesitating to try something → using self-talk → giving it a go.
Teach the Teacher
A student selects a card and becomes the teacher.
They explain the strategy and guide the class through a mini activity (e.g. Everyone stand tall and breathe deeply).
Why it works:
Students feel empowered and practise leadership.
Confidence Countdown
Choose one confidence card and set a 30–60 second timer. Students silently practise the strategy until time is up.
Use anytime:
Before presentations, after breaks, or before assessments.
Lucky dip 2.0
Cards are placed face down. Students choose a card and can either:
– Name an example of a time they have used that skill or strength.
– Name someone else who displays the strength or skill
– Suggest a way they could practice that strength or skill
Describe what it would look like and or sound and feel like to observe someone else, or be using that strength or skill themselves.
Anything else that you or your colleagues and students can think of when picking up.
Face up
Goal Getter
Students choose a card that is a strength or skill you’d like to work on. You may want to keep it, or a picture of it handy as a visual reminder.
Choose your vibe
Students choose a card they use to describe the way they feel or would like to feel and keep it close by for the day. At the end of the day or lesson, reflect on how it went.
Story Spark
Story Spark Chain
Students all get a card. Someone then starts a story with a sentence relating to that skill/strength. The next person builds on the story with their chosen card and so on.
Story Spark Swap
Each player draws one card at random and tells a story as if that were their superpower. They could be funny or sincere, real or fantasy depending on context and your crowd.
What Went Well
You or your student/s choose a card at the start of the day and keep on display. At the end of the day, every student thinks of a way they have used that skill or strength throughout the day. Alternatively, they could also say how they saw someone else using that skill, making sure everyone hears their name to ensure fairness.
Pick your thanks
Design the deck
A game where players create their own version of a card, by drawing, writing, or collaging something personal, symbolic, or creative. This could be their favourite card, or to introduce critiquing, students can choose a card they believe they can improve, giving reasons why, and designing their new and improved version.
Growing Edge
The Mirror Game
A student may stand up, perhaps tell a story or share something that they have done, or a challenge they have faced. Other students pick cards they see as strengths in them. Great for confidence building and practicing active listening.
Skill Swap
Students pick one strength they have and one they’d like to learn. Students then partner up with someone whose “have” matches the other persons “learn.” Students then share how they could support each other.
Strength or Skill BINGO
Each player gets a bingo sheet with different strengths listed. As they spot strengths in others during a discussion or activity, they mark them off.
Build the Team
Lay out a scenario (e.g. starting a project or surviving on Mars). Everyone selects cards representing the strengths/skills they’d bring to the team. Discuss how they fit together.
Spark Card Fusion
Students pick two random cards and imagine a new profession, invention, or character that combines them. For example, empathy + organised = Emotional Architect.
Spark Quest
Assign each player a “mission” (such as solve a current problem, a hack-a-thon) and have them pick 3 cards that represent the strengths/skills to complete it.
For example:
“You must rebuild a lost city using the strengths of adventurous, resourceful and fair — go!”
The Mentorium
This activity is designed to encourage peer learning and recognition. Everyone picks a card they’re strong in and offers to mentor that skill to another player for the day/week.
Spark Story Builder
Draw 3 cards, lay them out. Players create a short story that includes all three cards.
They can use the cards as character strengths, or as a skill the character needs to solve a problem.
Spark Circle Walk
Spread cards in a big circle on the floor. Players walk around until music stops. Players pick up the closest card, and can say something about how that card relates to them.