You’ve got a shiny new family goals poster for the year. Now comes the fun part: letting your kids go wild decorating it. Because nothing says “we’re a team” like glitter explosions and lopsided sticker placement.
I’ve been there. My youngest once glued a googly eye onto our “save more money” goal. Honestly? It made us laugh every time we looked at it. So grab your craft bin and some patience – we’re making 33 kid-friendly crafts that turn that poster into a masterpiece.
1. Handprint Flowers
Paint your child’s palm with washable tempera paint and press it onto the poster near each goal. Five fingerprints around the palm make petals. This turns a blank space into a blooming garden of commitment.
Let each handprint dry completely before adding stems with a green marker. Pro tip: use different colors for different family members. Red for mom, blue for dad, rainbow for the kiddo who can’t decide.
Write the family goal inside each flower center. For example, “Read together” or “No yelling about Legos.” Your kids will love seeing their actual hand size on the wall all year.
If they press too hard and create a smudge monster, just turn it into a fuzzy caterpillar. We’ve done that. The caterpillar became our favorite goal.
2. Glitter Glue Goal Arrows
Squeeze a thin line of glitter glue to draw arrows pointing from each craft decoration toward the written goal. Kids love the sparkle factor. Choose gold or silver for a fancy New Year’s vibe.
Shake the bottle well first or you’ll get clear goo with sad little glitter clumps. Ask me how I know.
3. Button Collage Borders
Raid your sewing kit for old buttons – mismatched sizes and colors work best. Let your kids arrange them along the poster’s edge like a frame. Use white school glue (supervise the younger ones).
Press each button down firmly and let them dry overnight. The raised texture makes the poster fun to touch. My daughter calls it “the bumpy goal map.”
For an extra challenge, sort buttons by color around different goal categories. Blues for health goals, greens for money goals, reds for family fun. This teaches sorting skills while you craft.
Add a few buttons directly on top of bullet points next to each goal. It’s like giving each resolution a tiny, shiny checkmark waiting to happen.
4. Yarn String Art Letters
Cut short pieces of thick yarn in bright colors. Have your kids dip one end into glue and then spell out the first letter of each family member’s name near their personal goal. Let the rest of the yarn trail off like a tail.
This works best on poster board, not flimsy paper. The texture adds a cozy, handmade feel. Warning: keep scissors away from the cat.
Press the glued yarn down with a popsicle stick to avoid sticky fingers. Then draw a small arrow from each yarn letter to the goal that person chose. For our family, “D” for Dad leads to “fix the squeaky door.”
If the yarn refuses to stick, use tacky glue instead of school glue. Tacky glue holds everything – we once glued a feather to a lamp shade just to test it.
The best part? When you accomplish the goal, you can snip off the yarn tail as a celebration. My kids now beg to finish chores just to cut the yarn.
5. Fingerprint Balloons
Dip a tiny fingertip into bright paint and stamp a cluster of oval shapes near the top of the poster. These are balloons lifting your goals up. Add tiny strings with a thin marker trailing down to each written resolution.
Make one balloon per family goal. Use a different finger for each person – pinky for youngest, thumb for tallest. Our thumb balloons always look like potatoes, but we call them “character balloons.”
Let the paint dry for five minutes, then draw a small knot at the bottom of each string. This is oddly satisfying for kids. My nephew spent twenty minutes perfecting his knots.
6. Washi Tape Confetti
Tear small squares of washi tape in gold, silver, and white. Stick them randomly around the poster like confetti. No glue, no mess, and you can reposition them when your kid changes their mind twelve times.
7. Cotton Ball Clouds
Glue flattened cotton balls above the highest goals on your poster. These clouds represent big dreams. Use a blue marker to add tiny raindrops falling down toward each goal – because dreams need action.
Pull the cotton apart first so it looks fluffy, not like a sad bathroom ball. My preschooler once glued an entire un-pulled cotton ball and called it a “goal sheep.” We left it. The sheep now guards our reading goal.
Write one small step inside each cloud with a silver marker. For example, “call grandma” or “water plants Tuesday.” This turns fluffy decoration into a real plan.
8. Paper Chain Links
Cut construction paper into strips and let your kids loop them into chains. Glue or tape the ends. Then attach one end of each chain to the poster edge and let the rest hang down like fringe.
Use one chain per family member. Write that person’s name on the top link. Every time they complete a goal-related task, they add a new link. By December, you’ll have a trail of success.
9. Googly Eye Monsters
Glue large googly eyes onto any mistake or smudge on the poster. Add a tiny marker mouth saying “rawr!” Now your error is a friendly monster cheering on your goals. My kids actively look for smudges now just to make monsters.
Use different eye sizes for different moods. Big eyes for big goals, tiny eyes for small daily habits. One year we had a three-eyed monster guarding “eat more vegetables.” It worked. Sort of.
Draw little monster feet walking toward each goal. This gives the illusion that the monsters are pushing your family forward. It’s weird. It works.
Write the goal that needs the most help inside the monster’s belly. Then every time you see it, you’ll laugh instead of groan. Laughter counts as motivation, right?
For extra fun, name each monster. “Steve the Goal Guardian” has become a legend in our house.
10. Ribbon Streamers
Cut ribbon scraps into six-inch pieces and glue one end to the poster’s bottom edge. Let the ribbons hang free. Every time someone mentions a goal, they get to flick a ribbon. It’s a silly reward system that toddlers love.
Mix textures – satin, grosgrain, and mesh. The different feels keep little hands busy during family meetings.
11. Popsicle Stick Frames
Glue four popsicle sticks around a specific goal to make a tiny picture frame. Paint them first if you have time, or leave them natural for a rustic look. My kids like to decorate the sticks with dot markers before gluing.
Let the frame dry completely before writing inside it. Otherwise the sticks slide around and you get a rhombus situation. We’ve been there.
Write “WINNING” in small letters under the framed goal. Then when you achieve it, you can replace the word with “DONE” in glitter pen. The frame makes every success feel like a museum exhibit.
12. Sticker Stars
Peel and stick foil stars next to any goal that feels extra scary. The shine reminds everyone that small steps still sparkle. Place them in a trail leading up to the goal text.
13. Feather Wings
Glue craft feathers on both sides of a goal to make it look like it has wings. Use white feathers for easy goals, bright colors for challenging ones. The visual contrast helps kids understand effort levels.
Flatten the feather quills with a heavy book for ten minutes before gluing. Otherwise they curl up and look like angry eyebrows. Ask me how I learned this.
Draw a small body under the feathers – a stick figure bird carrying the goal in its beak. My son named his bird “Gary the Goal Getter.” Gary now has a fan club.
Write the due date for the goal on one of the feathers. This turns decoration into a deadline reminder that actually looks fun.
If a feather falls off later, just reglue it and say the goal is “shedding old excuses.” Philosophical crafts for the win.
14. Pom-Pom Garland
String small pom-poms onto a piece of yarn using a plastic needle. Tie the ends together and glue the garland across the top of your poster. The puffy texture makes everyone want to touch the goals.
Use color-coded pom-poms – red for urgent goals, green for in-progress, yellow for almost done. This becomes a traffic light system your kids will actually check.
15. Foam Shape Stickers
Buy a pack of foam shape stickers (stars, hearts, animals). Let your child place one sticker at the start of each goal’s “path” – a dotted line you draw leading from the sticker to the goal text. The sticker acts as the starting block.
Peel the backing off together for younger kids. Foam stickers are forgiving – you can lift and restick a few times without tearing the poster.
Draw a finish line ribbon next to each goal using a red marker. The foam sticker is the runner. Every week, move the sticker a little closer to the ribbon based on progress. My kids now argue over who gets to move the stickers.
16. Masking Tape Roads
Lay down thin strips of gray masking tape to create winding roads connecting different goals. Write tiny cars or feet on the tape with permanent marker. This visually shows how one goal leads to another – like “save money” connects to “buy new board game.”
Press the tape edges firmly so they don’t curl up. Use a bone folder or the back of a spoon. Our first attempt looked like roller coasters.
Add a small stop sign at any goal that feels hard. Then draw a green light beyond it. This teaches persistence without lectures.
17. Crayon Melt Splatters
Hold a crayon over the poster and use a hairdryer on low heat to melt the tip. The wax splatters down in colorful drops. Aim the drops near goal headings to make them pop. Supervise this one closely – hot wax and excited kids are a sticky combo.
Use only washable crayons unless you want permanent rainbows. We learned this after a “permanent” incident involving our rental agreement.
Let the wax cool for two minutes before touching. Then draw tiny umbrellas under the drips to turn them into “goal rain.” My daughter now requests goal rain for every holiday.
18. Magazine Cutout Words
Flip through old magazines and cut out action words like “go,” “win,” “yes,” and “done.” Glue them around the poster like cheerleaders. The different fonts and colors make the poster look professionally chaotic.
19. Sponge Stamp Shapes
Cut a kitchen sponge into small shapes – circles, triangles, stars. Dip the shapes into shallow paint trays and stamp them along the poster’s border. Use one shape per goal category. Circles for health, triangles for chores, stars for fun.
Blot the sponge on a paper towel first to avoid giant paint blobs. My toddler once stamped a circle that looked like a continent. We labeled it “Goal Antarctica” and left it.
Create a stamp “key” in the corner of the poster explaining what each shape means. This turns decoration into a legend your whole family can read.
20. Paper Doily Snowflakes
Glue white paper doilies (the kind from baking supplies) onto the poster as snowflakes. They’re already lacy and perfect. Stack two different sizes on top of each other for extra fancy goals.
Write tiny goal reminders in the center of each doily with a fine-tip marker. For example, “breathe” or “high five.” The delicate look softens the serious business of goal tracking.
21. Clothespin Clips
Glue a wooden clothespin near each goal, with the opening facing outward. Cut small paper flags that say “doing” and “done.” Your kids can clip the flags onto the clothespin as you make progress. This makes the poster interactive.
Paint the clothespins first in bright colors. Let them dry completely before gluing. We used neon pink and green – you can’t miss them.
Write the date you started each goal on one side of the clothespin. When you finish, flip the clothespin around to show the end date. It’s like a before-and-after for your wall.
22. Fingerprint Fireworks
Dip a finger into red, blue, and yellow paint and stamp small clusters radiating outward from the top corners of your poster. These are New Year’s fireworks celebrating your family’s commitment. Add tiny lines with a marker trailing from each fingerprint.
Use metallic paint if you have it. The shimmer really sells the “fireworks” illusion. Our poster now looks like a celebration threw up on it – in the best way.
23. Tissue Paper Tassels
Stack three squares of tissue paper (different colors). Fold the stack accordion-style, twist the middle, and fan out the ends to make a tassel. Glue the twisted middle to the poster near a goal that needs extra encouragement.
Fluff the tissue paper gently or it tears. My five-year-old calls these “goal cheerleaders” because they look like pom-poms.
Write a one-word mantra on each tassel with a marker. “Breathe,” “climb,” “grow.” The tissue paper moves when someone walks by, so the mantas literally flutter at you.
24. Bottle Cap Magnets
Glue a small magnet to the back of a plastic bottle cap. Then glue the cap (magnet side down) onto your poster. Wait – that’s backwards. Actually, glue the magnet to the poster, then stick the cap onto the magnet. Now you have a removable cap that can hold tiny notes.
Use caps from different drinks – soda, juice, milk. Paint them first for uniformity. Each cap becomes a mini bulletin board for goal reminders.
Write “done” on a small paper circle and tuck it under the cap when you complete a goal. Then replace it with the next goal’s first step.
25. Pipe Cleaner Spirals
Wrap a pipe cleaner around a pencil to make a tight spiral. Slide it off and glue the bottom of the spiral to the poster near a goal. The springy coil adds 3D fun. Use metallic pipe cleaners for extra shine.
Make a long spiral for big goals, a short one for small daily tasks. My son now demands spirals for everything, including brushing teeth.
Attach a tiny paper flag to the top of the spiral that says “we can do this.” Every time you walk by, give the spiral a little boing. It’s impossible to feel grumpy while boinging a pipe cleaner.
26. Alphabet Sticker Names
Peel foam alphabet stickers to spell each family member’s name next to the goal they chose. This personalizes the poster and prevents “but that’s YOUR goal” arguments. Let each kid pick their own sticker color.
Press each letter down for five seconds or they’ll peel up overnight. We lost the “m” in “mom” once. Now I’m just “o” with a floating apostrophe.
27. Paper Fan Accents
Fold a small piece of paper accordion-style to make a hand fan. Glue the bottom edge of the fan to the poster so the fan opens outward. Write a goal inside the fan’s folds. When you open it fully, the hidden text appears.
Use cardstock for durability – construction paper tears. My kids call these “secret goal fans” and love showing them to guests.
Make a different fan for each season. Spring fan says “plant garden,” summer fan says “swim lessons,” etc. Glue them in a row across the bottom.
28. Yarn Pom-Pom Pushpins
Wrap yarn around a fork twenty times, slide it off, tie the middle, and cut the loops to make a tiny pom-pom. Glue the pom-pom onto a flat pushpin. Then push the pin into your poster (use a foam board backing so pins stick). Now you have movable goal markers.
Make one pom-pom per family member in their favorite color. Move the pom-pom closer to each goal as you make progress. Our poster now looks like a colorful race track.
29. Bingo Dabber Dots
Use a bingo dabber (those big ink bottles with sponge tips) to make perfect circles along the edge of your poster. Make a trail of dots leading from one goal to the next. The bright colors are impossible to ignore.
Test the dabber on scrap paper first – some bleed through. Our first attempt created a shadow on the wall behind the poster. Now we call it “the ghost of goals past.”
30. Shell and Pebble Textures
Glue small seashells or smooth pebbles around the border of your poster. The natural texture contrasts with all the glitter. Collect them from a beach trip or buy a bag from a craft store. Each pebble represents a small, solid step toward your goals.
Write a one-word intention on each shell with a permanent marker. “Calm,” “strong,” “kind.” When someone touches a shell, they have to say the word out loud. It’s a tactile reminder that goals feel better when you share them.
31. Crumpled Paper Wreaths
Crumple small squares of tissue paper into loose balls. Glue them in a circle around a specific goal to make a wreath. Use red and green for a festive look, or match your family’s favorite colors. Don’t over-crumple – fluffy balls work better than tight rocks.
Let the glue dry with the wreath facing up so the balls don’t slide. My youngest once made a wreath that looked like a crumpled mess. We called it “modern art” and moved on.
Write the goal in the center of the wreath in bold letters. The wreath frames it like a champion’s medal. Every time you see it, you remember that this goal deserves celebration just for existing.
32. Q-Tip Dot Paintings
Dip a Q-tip into acrylic paint and dot tiny circles in a pattern around the poster. Make rainbow rows or polka dot borders. The small dots force kids to slow down and focus – which is exactly the energy you want for goal setting.
Use one Q-tip per color or you’ll make brown mud. We learned this the messy way. Now we have a dedicated “mud Q-tip” for happy accidents.
Arrange the dots in a spiral pattern leading to the center of the poster. The spiral represents how small daily actions loop around and eventually reach the big goal.
33. Ribbon Bookmarks
Glue a ribbon strip vertically next to each goal, leaving the bottom end free. Cut small paper tabs that say “week 1,” “week 2,” etc. Clip or glue the tabs onto the ribbon as you complete each week of working on the goal. Use a different ribbon color per goal – red for urgent, blue for calm, yellow for fun.
Laminate the tabs with clear packing tape so they last all year. Or just replace them when they fall off. No one’s judging your crafting precision.
At the end of the year, the ribbons will show every step your family took. The messy, the successful, the hilarious. And that’s worth more than any perfect poster.
Wrapping Up Your Goal Poster
You’ve got 33 ways to turn a boring list of resolutions into a family art project. Pick five, pick all of them, or let your kids invent number 34. The point is to make goal-setting visible, tactile, and a little ridiculous.
Hang that poster somewhere you walk past every day – the kitchen works best because snacks and motivation go hand in hand. Then watch your kids point at their handprint flowers or googly-eyed monsters and say “we did that.”
One last thing: when you inevitably spill glue on the floor, just tell yourself it’s a “texture experiment.” Now go grab some pom-poms and get decorating. Your family goals are waiting to look fabulous.