Printable Bookmarks to Color with Growth Mindset Quotes for Students
Inside: If you haven’t used printable bookmarks for students in your classroom, check out the examples below and see why they’re such a valuable teaching tool. Don’t forget to download the freebie to get you started!
Have you ever thought about the value of bookmarks in your classroom? They can be so much more than just placeholders inside books. They’re actually a very versatile tool to increase student engagement and reinforce learning concepts.
When it comes to SEL, they’re just as amazing. Printable coloring bookmarks for students can share important messages you’re trying to drive home or be tiny reminders of kindness and empathy. I particularly love them as prompts for coping skills for kids dealing with overwhelming emotions.
I’ve found the best way to create interest and reinforce topics is with the use of printable coloring bookmarks. Students are far more engaged when they can color and personalize to make it their own. That quiet coloring time allows them to focus on the topic to take in the concept through the words on the page as they color them in.
Reasons to Use Coloring Bookmarks with Words and Pictures
Images Engage Visual Learners
Around 65% of people are visual learners, meaning they are more likely to grasp concepts and remember details longer when the information is presented as pictures or charts. By incorporating images into bookmarks, the visuals help students by tapping into their natural learning style to make it more engaging and memorable.
Text Reinforces Learning
Bookmarks with written information or messages are a fantastic way to encourage students to read more. When they color and personalize their bookmarks, they’re unconsciously absorbing the text, reading it over and over to reinforce the message. Every time they use their bookmark, practicing their reading skills becomes second nature.
Coloring Promotes Creativity and Self-Expression
Coloring bookmarks are great for getting students to express themselves in their own way. Being free to choose and combine shades unleashes their imagination to create a personal bookmark that reflects their unique style. This creative process makes learning fun and boosts their confidence as they feel a sense of pride and accomplishment in their work.
Coloring Encourages Mindfulness
Coloring can be an incredibly calming activity that helps students develop mindfulness skills. Shading the pictures on their bookmarks or adding extra embellishments allows them to relax and focus. This can be especially beneficial for calming their nervous system and improving concentration.
Coloring Develops Fine Motor Skills
For younger students, coloring has so many benefits as it’s a first step towards being able to draw or write. It requires them to grasp and manipulate pencils to strengthen the small muscles in their hand needed to control a pen or pencil. Trying to stay within the lines improves their spatial awareness.
Fun SEL Bookmarks for Students to Color
I know it’s pretty obvious that I’m a huge fan of bookmarks as learning aids, so want to introduce you to the engaging coloring bookmarks I created to reinforce SEL concepts. You can use these as inspiration for your own or grab a set that aligns with what you’re teaching.
1. Kindness Bookmarks
One of the things students absolutely adore about the kindness bookmarks activity is the thrilling secret mission they set off on after coloring their masterpieces.
This kindness challenge creates so much excitement as students sneak off to the library, eagerly hiding their bookmarks for others to find. It’s an exhilarating adventure that makes kids feel like secret agents on a covert mission to spread kindness around the school. The anticipation of someone finding their hidden bookmark adds a dash of mystery and a whole lot of fun to the activity!
Lucky students who find their thoughtful gifts get a surprise after reading the kindness quote because when they turn it over, there’s a personal message written by your students.
Benefits of These Printable Bookmarks on Kindness
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Encourages High Engagement – Kids are eager to complete their bookmarks as excitement builds in anticipation of their fun “secret mission”.
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What Teachers Think
I just love this resource! I have used a couple of times now and not only is it easy and quick for teachers, the engagement that it generates within the classroom for students is exceptional. Thank you so much for a resource that is high in quality, easy and engaging to use and practical!
Megan V – 3rd & 4th Grades
I used this resource with our school’s Kindness Club. We colored the bookmarks and hid them in books in our library. The Kindness Club members LOVED making the bookmarks, and I’ve received great feedback from our school’s media specialist about the reactions from students who are finding the bookmarks. Thank you so much. 🙂
Shaina B – 3rd, 4th, 5th Grades
My class loves these! They keep asking me for more and more……..they are definitely holding their interest! Thank you.
Ann M – 2nd Grade
These bookmarks are easy to use and require minimal prep. Simply print and slice the page to separate the bookmarks and you’re good to go! And if you need an easier version for younger students, there’s an option for them too!
Easy Bookmarks to Color About Kindness for PreK-2nd Grade
2. Compliment Bookmarks
In this pack, there are 72 compliment bookmarks with meaningful affirmations to make students feel good about themselves. Kids love coloring and giving them to fill the buckets of their classmates with gratitude and praise.
They are asked to find messages that reflect the positive qualities of their peers to compliment the things they like about them.
These bookmarks also work well with the kindness challenge I mentioned above. With a focus on complimenting others, it’s a lovely friendship lesson they want to participate in again and again.
This activity is great for boosting self-esteem and confidence, but it also fosters social skills and a growth mindset. Complimenting others reinforces friendship and inclusion, and is an essential part of your classroom management strategy.
You have the option of printer-friendly pre-colored bookmarks our outlines for students to color. A must-have for positive reinforcement or to affirm students during morning meetings.
Benefits of Compliment Bookmarks
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Boosts Self-Esteem – Receiving a compliment helps students see themselves in a positive light and creates appreciation for the giver.
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What Teachers Think
My students had a difficult time last year writing encouragements.to one another. This resource allows students to have the words they want to share and transitions them into making encouragements on their own.
Dallas L – 3rd Grade
I actually printed all of these bookmarks and stapled them to a bulletin board. The students pulled them off and shared them with someone else in the class. They were gone in a few minutes and they wanted to continue it for the rest of the week. Such an important topic! Thank you.
JoAnn E – 4th Grade
My class is K-2 ASD, but during literacy week this year we were paired up with a 5th grade class. Typically that would be reading buddies, but we had to be creative because of Covid. We decided each student would make a bookmark for their buddy. It was great!
Hillary U – K, 1st, 2nd, 5th Grades
3. Positive Affirmations Bookmarks
Affirmations bookmarks are fantastic tools for helping students build a strong, positive belief system and reduce negative self-talk. These little gems feature encouraging messages designed to boost confidence, resilience, and self-belief. Whether kids are feeling nervous, frustrated, or just need a little encouragement, these gentle reminders reinforce that they are capable, valued, and strong.
Coloring the outlined bookmarks is a mindfulness activity for students needing a brain break while the affirmations encourage positive self-talk. Coloring offers a peaceful, reflective moment where kids can relax and focus. They’re also excellent for your calm-down corner, where kids can quietly color to calm down and develop spatial awareness and fine motor skills in the process.
If you’re fostering a growth mindset in your classroom, these bookmarks are a perfect complement to your lessons. They encourage self-esteem, confidence, and perseverance, helping students feel more self-assured. When kids believe in themselves, they’re more likely to build strong friendships and tackle challenges with a problem-solving mindset.
The pre-colored bookmarks can be used as positive reinforcement tools or incentives to empower and motivate your students. They encourage good behavior and reinforce the values of kindness, perseverance, and self-belief.
Imagine the smiles as students come across an inspiring message that reminds them of their strengths and worth. These bookmarks aren’t just a classroom tool, they’re a daily boost of encouragement students can carry with them!
4. Coping Strategies Bookmarks – PreK-2nd
This bookmark activity helps younger students learn and remember coping strategies for big emotions.
Coloring their bookmark helps them focus and relax while gently reinforcing techniques for emotional regulation. Coloring also helps to strengthen fine motor skills and spatial awareness, and kids practice reading simple words that are easy to remember.
The bookmarks are valuable tools that will benefit your students for years to come. By learning to self-regulate in a fun and meaningful way, they’ll develop lifelong skills for connection and emotional wellbeing.
This is a must-have self-regulation tool for your PreK-2nd grade calm-down corner, as they beautifully combine creativity with emotional learning.
What Teachers Think
I printed these out for my calm down corner! I absolutely love them because when my students need a break in the calm down corner, they are also coloring a bookmark that they can use for independent reading!!
Aleea S – 1st Grade
5. Coping Strategies Bookmarks – 3rd-6th
These calming strategies coloring bookmarks include positive suggestions and coping skills for managing emotions for older students. Each bookmark features eight simple self-regulation techniques to help kids navigate feelings like sadness, frustration, loneliness, anxiety, anger, and fear.
By giving students these tools, you’re helping them feel more in control of their emotions to create a calmer classroom with fewer disruptions. Plus, the black-and-white versions let kids personalize their bookmarks through coloring to add a fun and mindful touch!
There are also matching posters and coloring pages in this set that come pre-colored but also in black outlines, so you can use them as coloring pages or a mindfulness activity in class or as homework.
What Teachers Think
This resource is the perfect way to have students identify their emotions and consider strategies that they can use to regulate. The fact that the bookmarks are black and white, colouring in the strategy is such a good start to practising mindfulness while thinking about strategies. This resource is so, very much worth the money. It is jam packed with not only the bookmarks, but colouring pages too that younger students could colour during mindfulness time or as a supporting resource to learning. I love this resource! Thank you so very much!
Megan V – 3rd & 4th Grades
Seasonal SEL Bookmarks
6. Mother’s Day Bookmarks
There’s nothing quite as special for a mother as receiving a nice card with a kind compliment. This set of printable Mother’s Day bookmarks has a lovely floral theme and includes spelling for Mom and Mum, as well as cards suitable for guardians or step-moms.
Whether in the classroom, at home, or in a counseling setting, these printables encourage children to express love and appreciation in a meaningful way. Coloring and writing personal notes help kids develop creativity, fine motor skills, and emotional expression, making this a positive and engaging activity.
What Teachers Think
My students loved making these bookmarks for their mothers. I usually do not let my first graders use color pencils, but I did with this project. They had a blast with them!
Sharon H – 1st Grade
I love the variety of sayings and designs on these Mother’s Day Bookmarks. My student’s enjoyed picking their own bookmark with a unique saying on them. They colored them, then glued them to construction paper and I laminated them. My students are ecstatic to give them out for Mother’s Day.
Monarch Masters – 4th Grade
I used this activity with my Kids’ Church children on Mothers’ Day! Crayons and a laminator and we had a perfect make and take gift for them to give their mothers and grandmothers that day!
Kaitlyn R – K, 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th Grades
The bookmarks come 3 to a page, each with a thoughtful message or space for students to write a personalized message in their own love language.
The added bonus is that kids think about the qualities they appreciate about their parent or guardian to learn to recognize and appreciate positive traits in others.
If you’d like another design option, there’s another set below with different images and fun sayings. Each of these bookmarks also comes with spelling for Mom and Mum, plus options for stepmoms!
7. Halloween Compliment Bookmarks
Want a spooky surprise that teaches kids about complimenting others? These Halloween bookmarks are fun cards for students to share to boost confidence and self-esteem in your classroom!
36 designs with playful puns recognizing their classmates’ positive qualities make kids feel valued and loved.
Each design comes in color for teachers to use as gifts or incentives as well as outlines to print on colored paper or for students to color in.
8. Kindness Themed Christmas Coloring Bookmarks
Need an easy Christmas activity to revive tired students at the end of the year? This holiday kindness challenge gets them excited and enthusiastic about learning. After kids color their fun Christmas bookmarks with kindness messages, they get to sneak off on a secret mission to spread holiday cheer!
What Teachers Think
This was used in our Kindness Club. We passed them out to each student and teacher in the building. The students in club enjoyed picking out the one they liked and decorating it.
Amy M – 5th Grade
My students loved these bookmarks! Several game them to ME after colouring them.
Eileen D – 3rd Grade
This relaxing activity is a mindful way to encourage feelings of community. Students write friendly messages on the back of their Christmas gifts to encourage good thoughts, feelings, and actions to keep the festive season positive and happy.
What a wonderful way to end the year!
Bookmarks for Teachers
9. Compliment Bookmarks for Students from Teachers
Show appreciation for your student’s hard work or celebrate achievements with these cute compliment bookmarks. Kids will love the witty puns or heartfelt compliments that focus on positive character traits, effort, and kind behavior.
If you’d like to personalize designs or type a message, you can do so in Google Slides™ with fonts, clipart, and fun puns ready to copy and paste onto templates. These editable thank you cards are perfect as back-to-school or good behavior incentives, or use them as end-of-the-year gifts.
There are 33 designs with a set of pre-colored and printer-friendly bookmarks in 2 colorways plus outlines to print on colored card or for students to color in.
10. Personalized Christmas Notes from Teachers
If you’d like a quick Christmas gift for your students, you’ll love these fun bookmarks you can personalize with names. There are heaps of pre-written messages to choose from, or you can jump online and tweak them to suit each child!
These Christmas bookmarks will save you so much time when you’re busy at the end of the year, and there’s even a tracker to record achievements throughout the year. They’ll become a treasured keepsake for your students to look back on.
What Teachers Think
Loved this product. Worked well with what I was doing in class. Easy to use.
Kristen H – 4th Grade
My students loved receiving these personalized bookmarks for Christmas!
Jennifer Y – 1st Grade
11. Relaxing Affirmations Bookmarks for Teachers
Teachers aren’t immune to feeling flat or uninspired, so you’re not missing out! These affirmation bookmarks have important reminders of just how awesome you are! If you’re feeling stressed or out of sorts, give yourself the gift of time to relax while you color your way to calm.
What Teachers Think
This resource was awesome! Included it in a package to celebrate teacher’s wellbeing day!
Ema F
Banish negative self-talk with inspirational quotes that you can pop into your books and planners to encourage a happy work environment.
18 gorgeous floral positive mindset bookmarks with affirmations to help you prioritize self-care and confidence to help you fall in love with teaching again.
I hope I’ve inspired you to use a color your own bookmarks printable in your SEL classroom. They really are a fun tool that your students will appreciate.
If you’re ready to jump into some mindful fun, grab the free set of bookmarks below or one of the SEL sets above.
► FREE Printable Inspirational Bookmarks to Color
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AUTHOR: Lisa Currie – Ripple Kindness Project
Lisa is passionate about contributing to a happier world by building emotional intelligence in kids through fun and engaging social-emotional learning resources. Her core value is kindness as she believes it to be the “mother” of all character traits. She started Ripple Kindness Project to spread kindness in schools and communities. She also founded an outreach program to support disadvantaged families.