Research shows that when children practice gratitude, they experience greater happiness, develop stronger relationships, and are more resilient to life’s challenges. As we approach Thanksgiving and Christmas, here are some activities I do with my kids each year that you can introduce to cultivate a spirit of gratitude in your children.
1. Thankful Turkey Craft
- What It Is: A creative Thanksgiving activity where each family member writes something they’re thankful for on a paper feather and attaches it to a turkey cutout.
- How to Do It:
- Create a turkey body and colorful feathers by cutting them out of construction paper.
- Each day leading up to Thanksgiving, ask your children to add a feather with something they’re grateful for.
- Display the turkey on the fridge or a wall, watching it grow fuller with gratitude.
- How It Cultivates Gratitude: It encourages children to pause and reflect on the positives in their lives, from small daily joys to larger blessings. You'll get a variety of answers, some funny and some poignant.
Some memorable items of gratitude: "Tape" "Myself" "Plates"
2. GRATITUDE JOURNAL FOR THANKSGIVING
What It Is: A mini journal project to encourage kids to express gratitude every day leading up to Thanksgiving.
- How to Do It:
- Give your children a special journal. They can decorate it if they wish.
- For a week leading up to Thanksgiving, ask them to write down three things they are thankful for each day.
- If they are younger, they can draw pictures instead of writing.
- How It Cultivates Gratitude: This activity builds a habit of daily gratitude and helps children focus on what they appreciate in their lives. We do a version of this in the summer where I write letters to my children in their notebooks and they write me back and we secretly place them on the others pillow when it's ready. You could incorporate that here and add what you're grateful for as well.
3. THE GIVING MANGER
- What It Is: A beautiful Christmas tradition where children perform small acts of kindness, placing a piece of straw in a manger for each act. By Christmas, the manger is ready for the baby Jesus.
- How to Do It:
- Create a simple wooden manger. Or if you're not crafty you can purchase one here.
- Explain that each time they do something kind or helpful, they can add a piece of straw (representing their good deed) to the manger.
- On Christmas Eve, place a baby Jesus figure in the now-filled manger, symbolizing how their acts of kindness have prepared a place for Him.
- How It Cultivates Gratitude: This teaches children the value of giving and connects gratitude with action, showing that kindness is a way to show thankfulness.
4. SECRET SANTA WITH A TWIST
- What It Is: A Secret Santa gift exchange within the family or for neighbors, but instead of just giving a gift, it focuses on acts of service.
- How to Do It:
- Have each family member draw a name (of a family member or a preselected neighbor/friend) and become a "Secret Santa" for that person.
- Throughout December, perform small acts of kindness for their chosen family member.
- On Christmas, reveal who was each person’s Secret Santa and share the kind acts done in secret.
- How It Cultivates Gratitude: By focusing on service and acts of kindness instead of material gifts, children learn that making others feel loved is one of the greatest gifts of all.
I hope incorporating these activities into your holiday traditions will not only help your children grow in gratitude but also create meaningful memories that bring your family closer together. Gratitude is a powerful virtue, and fostering it during these special times will enrich your family’s celebrations long after the holidays are over.
Would you like more ideas for how to foster gratitude in your children year-round? Let me know, and I'd be happy to share!
