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    5 Fun Gratitude Activities for Kids of All Ages - 2022-11-02 08:00:00-04

Sometimes teaching our children the importance of character isn’t easy. Children naturally focus on themselves and their needs. Gradually, with a little planning, our kids can become more understanding about the needs and feelings of others, as well as how to appreciate all they have. These 5 fun gratitude activities for kids are designed to teach our children to appreciate what they have and what others do for them, we are helping them become happier, healthier adults.

Promote Gratitude with Gratitude Activities for Kids

It’s natural to prepare our hearts and minds for the Thanksgiving holiday. It is a busy season, however, so it is important to set aside time to be intentional with our focus. I find rather than adding to my ever-growing to-do list; I use this opportunity to incorporate gratitude into school activities. 

Here are 5 gratitude activities for kids you can use with children of any age to encourage an attitude of gratitude and the importance of being thankful. Each activity has the same basic premise – to record the things, people, and experiences we are thankful for so we can feel them deeply, and remember them year after year. 

Write Gratitudes

The journal of Positive Psychology reported that keeping a gratitude journal decreased materialism and bolstered generosity among adolescents. Making a list of blessings, gratitudes and things, people and experiences you are thankful for may help your children in the future, and not just at the moment!

1 . Write something you are thankful for each day. 

You can do this activity in a journal, on decorative strips that form a chain or, in my favorite way, around an outline of each child’s hand.

The size of the poster in the example is 11 x 14

Begin by having your child trace their hand on a small poster board. (We found construction or copy paper was not big enough) Each day for 30 days (or however long you would like the activity to take) have your child write one thing, person, or experience they are thankful for.

If your children can’t write, you can do the writing for them. You can also shorten the number of days to complete the activity so you’d have space to write lightly in pencil and have them trace over the letters. 

Children can use the same color marker or choose different colors each time and rotate them in a pattern. Reading what they wrote out loud at breakfast, lunch or dinner is a good way to reinforce the feelings. You can also have them read from the poster in future years. 

2. Gratitude Pockets

Gratitude pockets are an easy craft. After deciding how many days I would like my gratitude activities to last, I printed the pockets and the inserts. You can complete this activity as a family, or each child can complete their own.  You can make pockets from a pattern, or they can be envelopes.

Have kids record each gratitude on card and put in a pocket. You can organize the completed cards in a small box (like a strawberry basket) or by gluing pockets to poster board. Date each card and add new cards every year. After a few years read all the cards to see the blessings that have added up over time.

3. Create copywork for your kids

Copywork is a simple activity that packs quite an academic punch. When focusing on the character trait of gratitude you can use copywork as part of your school day. We like to begin out day with a quote about being thankful, blessed or other “gratitude” related word/feeling. You can preselect the quotes and phrases and have the kids chose one each day to copy. My favorite places to get quotes expressing gratitude are the bible, but there are plenty of secular quotes that come up with a quick google search.

Decorative Displays of Gratitude

November is one of those months we enjoy decorating our home. Involving the kids in MAKING decorations is a favorite homeschool activity.

4. Gratitude Trees

My third idea for helping kids have an attitude of gratitude is to make a Gratitude Tree. Gratitude trees can be a decorative way to encourage the whole family to participate. These trees can be created in a variety of ways

There are no wrong ways to create your gratitude tree. A quick search on Pinterest will produce many ideas. The tree can be drawn, three-dimensional, or even created directly on a wall in your living area. Favorites in our home included using small tree branches in a vase. We secured our branches with rocks. You can pre-cut (or have the kids cut their own) paper leaves or you can simply have the kids write on silk leaves you pick up from the craft store. 

One year we found a tree outline made from vinyl for the wall and used that as our gratitude tree. We took turns adding leaves and taping them to the wall. 

Add one leaf each year (per family member)  or create the entire tree in any year. Don’t forget to date the leaves if you decide to create this tree over multiple years. 

5. Gratitude Paper Chains

Paper chains make lovely decorations you can hang year after year. Cut pretty scrapbook paper into strips, or simply used construction paper in your favorite fall colors. Each day your children write something they appreciate and add the loop to the chain. Each child can make their own chain or you can make one long one the whole family adds to.

I hope you are able to use at least one of these gratitude activities as an opportunity to slow down, take a breath, and really appreciate the blessing of homeschooling.

Gratitude Activities for Kids Pack

There are more gratitude activities for kids inside Our Gratitude Worksheets Resource – Yours FREE as part of the 25 days of Gratitude! 

You can get the Gratitude Activity Pack by leaving your name & email. We’ll zip it on over to your inbox.

Christy Gandara is a homeschool mindset mentor and education strategist who challenges families to examine what matters most and to use the unique gifts inside themselves. In 2010 she and her 3 bugs embarked on a year-long homeschool journey using the holiday of the day as their curriculum. It was by far one of the most life-changing years of their journey. Inspired to bring this style of learning to others, Christy started Happy Hive Homeschooling in 2020. Using her 19 years of classroom teaching experience paired with her passion for homeschooling, Christy writes holiday of the day curriculum and provides mindset coaching and educational strategy courses to homeschooling families. Christy chose to home educate her three “bugs” because she knew no one would be a better teacher than she is.

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