Growth Mindset Videos: 10 TEDTalks to Share With Your Students and Children

Looking for a fabulous resource for igniting discussion about having a growth mindset with your kids? Look no further! These 10 TEDTalks are guaranteed to inspire children at school or home to reach their goals despite any difficulties or obstacles they may encounter.

I admit it, TEDTalks might just be my all-time favourite, free learning resource! But what is not to love??! Here we have ten fantastic growth mindset videos exploring important mindset themes such as stamina, perseverance, overcoming obstacles, reaching for the impossible, overcoming procrastination, striving to achieve your goals, and more, available at just the touch of a button! Love!

Growth Mindset Videos for Kids

10 Growth Mindset Videos for Kids

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1. Science Is For Everyone, Kids Included

Students who struggle in science courses often have the mentality that scientific process and discoveries are adult ventures. It’s hard to imagine that experiments and the scientific method can apply to their current reality. Neuroscientist Beau Lotto teams with 12-year-old student (and scientist, yes, she’s a published researcher with her classmates) Amy O’Toole. Science is for all ages, and scientific discoveries are not limited to the old, college-educated folk. O’Toole’s talk will inspire budding scientists to reach their goals and help resistant science students to see that science is for everyone.

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2. Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

Angela Duckworth and grit are household names in education circles (and in many households as well). Her “grit” theory goes hand-in-hand with growth mindset. Her talk focuses on how grit or that stamina, hard work, and sticktoitiveness is more of a predictor of success than IQ and academic talents. Use this talk to start a discussion with your children about what it means to have grit and what obstacles they’ve had to overcome. You may be surprised at the stories you’ll hear from your students or even your own children.

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3. The Boost Students Need to Overcome Obstacles

A mentee of Angela Duckworth (yes, the GRIT guru from the last TEDTalk) discusses how sometimes grit just isn’t enough for some students. Anindya Kundu teaches college students about inequality and race in education. His TEDTalk focuses on young people who have overcome obstacles due to racial inequality, health, and poverty, sometimes with the help of others. Watch this with your children and be prepared to be inspired.

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4. What Adults Can Learn from Kids

Talk about empowering. Adora Svitak was just 12 years old at the time of this talk. Her messages is to adult and kids alike. Embrace childlike wonderment and reach for the impossible. Watch this with your kids. You’ll both learn a lot from this young, articulate, and fascinating speaker.

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5. Kids Can Too

It’s hard to imagine an 9-year-old giving a TEDTalk let alone starting his own business. Noah Diguangco refused to be “put into a box” by adults and accept the limits put on children in the world. He talks about how he can do anything and how he upcycled items to start his own business when he was seven. This talk is perfect for inspiring entrepreneurs or kids who have heard, “you can’t do that.”

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6. The Power of Introverts

It often seems like the opportunities at school are often given to the most outgoing children with inherent leadership skills, but introverts have so much to bring to education and the world, Susan Cain explains in her TEDTalk. These contemplative, amazing individuals may be in your classroom or home. Share this talk with them.

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7. Inside the Mind of a Procrastinator

Tim Urban’s TEDTalk may have you giggling because his message is so relatable to anyone who’s even put something off. Waiting until the last minute to get things done can be a challenging habit to overcome, and Urban walks your children through his recovery (or lack thereof).

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8. Three Reasons You Should Be Bullied

Hannah Nodskov was bullied mercilessly in middle school. Her TEDTalk focuses on the benefits of being bullied. Although it was incredibly painful, her bullies gave her the courage to be unique and forge her own path. Hannah is now a fashion designer whose gorgeous full-figured fashions have graced New York runways. Her story shows how adversity can turn into a passion and a way to show her bullies how amazing she really was and still is today. Hannah’s talk will give your children a chance to reflect on their own experiences with bullying, whether they were the bully, the victim, or the bystander. Use this as a discussion to empower them and fight against bullying.

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9. Choose Positivity

Another TEDTalk about bullying from two fifth graders, Jayden and Preston Garmo, reminds students to focus on positivity and the good in the world to combat the hate that comes with being bullied. It’s always nice to see a message of healing and growth from elementary students. Share this with your children, old and young, to give them hope.

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10. A New Way to Define Self-Worth

Liz Power’s TEDTalk is about opportunity. Her presentation at TEDxYouth talks about “joblifting”, where jobs are created for those struggling based on their talents. It began as a movement with her own non-profit, “Artlifting” where homeless and other struggling artists created their own works for sale to give them opportunities for growth and to fulfill their potential. For Powers, it’s not about handouts; it’s about opportunities. Ask your children and students how their own talents can be translated into opportunities for growth.

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These 10 growth mindset TEDTalks to show your students and children range from the inspirational to the hilarious. No matter which ones you choose, they are bound to start important conversations with your children about resilience and their own personal talents. Which TEDTalks would you add to this list?

Looking for even more growth mindset learning resources? Check out our big list of Growth Mindset Picture Books and our list of Growth Mindset Books for 10-14 Year Olds, or this list of 15 Anti- Bullying Videos for Kids.

10 Inspiring Growth Mindset Videos for Kids