“What do you want to be when you grow up?” activities turn a familiar question into something kids can draw, write, act out and research: a “future me” portrait, a class book, a dress-up parade, a dream-job interview, a “day in my future job” comic, a job-skills match game, a future-self letter and a mini research poster. They work from preschool through elementary school, and the best ones ask kids why they chose a job, which gets them thinking about their interests and strengths.
Here are 12 activities, arranged roughly from youngest to oldest.
1. “When I Grow Up” Portrait
Children draw themselves as grown-ups doing their dream job, then complete the sentence “When I grow up, I want to be a ___.” Younger children dictate; older ones write. Ages: 3 and up.
2. Dress-Up Parade
Kids come dressed as their future job, using clothes and a prop from home, and march in a short parade while each one says what they want to be. Ages: preschool to grade 2.
3. Class Book
Collect everyone’s portraits and sentences into a class book for the reading corner. Children love reading about their friends’ dreams. Ages: preschool to grade 2.
4. Photo Booth With Props
Set up a photo corner with hats, tools and signs (“Future Vet,” “Future Astronaut”). Print the photos for a hallway display. Ages: all.
5. Future Job Charades
Children act out their dream job without words while others guess. Talk afterward about what the job involves. Ages: kindergarten and up.
6. “Why I Want to Be…” Sentence Frames
Provide frames like “I want to be a ___ because I like ___” and “I would help people by ___.” It moves children beyond naming a job to explaining it. Ages: kindergarten to grade 3.
7. Dream Job Interview
Pairs interview each other as if they already have their dream job: “What do you do all day? What’s the best part?” Ages: grade 1 and up.
8. A Day in My Future Job Comic
Children draw a four-panel comic showing morning, work time, lunch and the end of the day in their future job. Ages: grades 2 to 5.
9. Skills Match Game
List skills (drawing, counting, helping friends, building, running fast) and have children match them to jobs that use them, including their own dream job. Ages: grades 1 to 4.
10. Mini Research Poster
Older children research their dream job using library books or teacher-chosen websites: what the job involves, where people work, what they study. Hold a gallery walk. Ages: grades 3 to 5.
11. Letter to My Future Self
Children write a letter to open in a few years, describing what they want to be now and why. Seal the letters for a teacher or parent to return later. Ages: grades 2 and up.
12. Ask a Grown-Up
As homework, children ask a family member: “What did you want to be when you were my age? What do you do now?” They share the answers in class. Ages: all.
Tips for Running These Activities
- Welcome every answer. “Superhero,” “dinosaur” or “YouTuber” can lead to good conversations about what those people actually do.
- Ask why. The reasons children give reveal their interests.
- Avoid stereotypes. Share pictures of all kinds of people in every job.
- Let children change their minds. The goal is exploration, not a decision.
- Save the work. Repeating the activity each year makes a lovely record of how dreams change.
Final Thoughts
Asking children what they want to be is a simple way to spark talk about work, skills and their own strengths. Pair the question with drawing, acting and research, and it becomes a meaningful activity rather than a quick answer.
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