By its very name, Thanksgiving lends itself to reawakening gratitude in all of us. It’s a time for everyone to take stock of the many things for which they should be thankful. But sometimes gratitude and thankfulness can be difficult concepts for children. It’s not that children aren’t appreciative of what they have; it’s just that they sometimes take it all for granted or don’t know how to express their thanks. Here are some ways to instill gratitude and thankfulness in your children not just at Thanksgiving, but year round!
The gratitude scavenger hunt. This activity will get your kids up and moving and will help them to really see the world around them. Give your children a list of categories and ask them to find things around the house or neighborhood that they are thankful for. You can give them a camera to take a photo of each object or just have them write everything down. For older kids you may want to make it a competition to see how many they can find in a set amount of time. If you have little children who can’t write yet, just walk around with them and each point out things that fit each category. Use our sample checklist or make up your own categories…choose things that are important to you and your family.
The turkey ticket. Most children can list a couple of things they are thankful for, but it’s good to press them to really think about how many things make them happy and healthy. For this activity, find a long sheet of paper (or use a blank receipt roll) and ask every member of the family to FILL the sheet with things they are grateful for. Make the paper as long as you’d like, but try to push everyone to go beyond the basics and think of things that they take for granted. (Adapted from Lets-Get-Together.com)
Thanksgiving tree, gratitude wreath or thankful turkey. These activities not only instill gratitude but they also provide you with Thanksgiving decorations! Cut leaf or feather shapes out of colorful paper and have your children write something that they are thankful for on each one. Leaves can be tied with ribbon onto a “tree” made of real tree branches or glued into a circle to form a wreath. Feathers can be added to a turkey made of construction paper. Keep these creations and enjoy looking back on how your children’s lists of blessings change throughout the years. Toddlers once thankful for Elmo or Cheerios may grow into teenagers thankful for a car and iPods.
Thanksgiving ABCs. Print out a sheet with the alphabet down the left side and have kids think of one thing they are thankful for that begins with each letter of the alphabet. Work together with younger kids or make it into a game for older kids by timing them.
Thanksgiving placemats. Help your children create placemats for your Thanksgiving meal like Kansas mom Carolyn Schneider did. She suggests cutting out leaf or pumpkin shapes from colorful paper and having kids (and adults!) write the things they are thankful for on each shape. Be sure to include the family members who will be joining you on Thanksgiving and other things important to your family. You can even include real fall leaves if you like! Glue these shapes and leaves onto a larger sheet of paper or cardboard and laminate or cover with contact paper to make them easy to wipe off. You will be able to use these for years to come!
Show thanks: Encourage children to express their gratitude by writing thank you notes or drawing pictures for the people in their lives. These can be for the closest people in their lives, like grandparents and teachers, or you can go one step further and ask your kids to think about community helpers who make their lives better or safer. Cards for local firefighters, crossing guards, garbage men or neighbors will be much appreciated. Better yet, bake cookies to go along with your notes! Your children will see the faces of their community members light up upon receiving thanks for what they do, which will teach your kids how enjoyable it is to express thankfulness.
Serve the community. To really show children how important it is to be thankful for what they have, take them to Harvesters or another food bank or pantry in town to help package food or serve a meal. Harvesters often hosts special evenings just for families with activities before the work begins. This can be fun for your family, but even more important, your children will have to imagine what it would be like to be without food or other things they take for granted. They will understand how good it feels to help others and, hopefully, walk away with a new appreciation for the things they enjoy every day. Go to Harvesters.org for more information about their family volunteering opportunities.
Whatever activities you choose, make gratitude a priority this month and throughout the year. Your children will learn empathy and become more selfless as they realize how much they have to be thankful for. And you just might have fun together as a family while you give thanks!
Sample checklist for the Gratitude Scavenger Hunt:
We are surrounded by things to be thankful for! Find something….
- That tastes good
- That gives you comfort
- That you use everyday
- You can share with your brother/sister/friends
- You enjoy learning about
- Colorful
- That makes you laugh
- That used to be hard/scary for you
- That loves you
- You couldn’t live without
- That is beautiful
Sara Keenan lives in Brookside with her family. They enjoy volunteering at Harvesters together and will have a gratitude wreath on their door this year.