These easy thankful activities for kids teach your children how to be grateful for what they have. Thankfulness activities and kids gratitude activities help teach kids to reflect on the blessings in their lives while making beautiful crafts. Use these gratitude activities at home, church or in the classroom as gratitude group activities too!
Gratitude Activities for Kids
Raising thankful kids this a high priority in our family. These 25 thankfulness activities for kids will equip you to make gratitude a focus in your home.
Related: More gratitude activities & Free Printable Gratitude Journal Prompts For Adults
There is something special about celebrating and cultivating thankfulness in our children. As we all can attest to, having a grateful spirit can often dissuade feelings of discontent, sadness and frustration. Thankfulness can be a difficult character trait to grow in our children in today’s self oriented culture!
Thankful Activities
Use these thankfulness activities for kids to help make the idea of thankfulness fun, teachable, and in many cases, seek to make thankfulness a daily practice!
Related: Gratitude for kids
1. Thankful Tree
Thankfulness Tree by Meaningful Mama: I love the idea of instilling the idea of Thankfulness throughout the Thanksgiving season. With this tree, your family can discuss things they are thankful for every day and make a beautiful keepsake of those thoughts.
–>More gratitude tree ideas
This craft can also double as a fantastic centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table!
2. Gratitude Garden
Gratitude Garden by All Done Monkey: This is an awesome activity for showing younger children the power of choosing thankfulness in changing our negative attitudes. Super simple with a great message!
Related: Thought of the day
3. Bible Stories About Thankfulness
Thankfulness Verses and Activities by Disciplr: There is nothing better than using Scripture to teach our kids our core character values.
These verses and activities reinforce having a God-centered perspective on thankfulness and include great conversation starters for kids of all ages.
4. Thankful Turkey
Thankfulness Turkey 3D Cut Out by Real Life at Home: A simple craft that kids of all ages can finish with pride.
Who doesn’t love a turkey with thankful feathers?
5. Gratitude Jar Ideas
Gratitude Jar by Kids Activities Blog: This is another activity that can be carried through the entire month of November and enjoyed as a family on Thanksgiving day.
A delightful way to record memories of both big and small thankful moments.
–>How kids can show gratitude to teachers
The Best Thankfulness Activities for Kids
6. Gratitude Journal
Homemade Thankfulness Journals by A Mom with a Lesson Plan: These DIY journals would make a great activity to start the month of November.
Jill has included an inside page template to prompt thoughts of thankfulness for kids of any age.
7. I Am Thankful For Worksheet
Give Thanks for Others by Your Modern Family: Do you like to have place cards on your Thanksgiving table?
Before the big day, have your children fill out these beautiful “I Am Thankful” cards for each of your guests and place them at each place setting.
Related: Download and print the love coloring pages too.
8. Thankful Tablecloth
Thankful Hands Tablecloth by Your Modern Family: This is a fun, inexpensive way to not only record the things your family is thankful for each year, but also keep those coveted handprints for years to come!
9. Thank You Card Ideas
Thankfulness Post Cards by The Spruce: Everything you need in one place to make a loved one feel appreciated each day of the month of November.
Who doesn’t love getting a card in the mail?
10. Gratitude Journal For Kids
Kids’ Gratitude Journals by Growing Book by Book for Lasso the Moon: Another spin on the gratefulness journals, Jodie shares simple tips for making gratitude journals appealing to your kids.
Gratitude Crafts
11. Thankful Heart
A Thankful Heart by Lasso the Moon: This is a precious way to combine a craft (making adorable fabric hearts), a simple gratitude journal and the practice of giving gifts to others all into one great thankfulness activity for the month of November.
12. Homemade Thank Your Cards From Toddlers
Kid Made Thank You Cards by Inner Child Fun: Stamps, markers and cardstock come together to make cute thank you notes that can be used throughout the season- and the year!
Practicing Gratitude Daily
13. More Thank You Jar Ideas
Activity Based Gratitude Jar by Inner Child Fun: Take your gratitude jar to the next level by taking an action step for each one of the things/people your child is thankful for!
14. Thanksgiving Advent Calendar
Thanksgiving Advent Calendar by Happy Home Fairy: A daily countdown to Thanksgiving complete with handmade envelopes stuffed with 27 days of gratitude.
15. Family Devotions
Family Gratitude Devotions by Frugal Fun 4 Boys: Spend time in the mornings or evenings (or in the car on the way to an activity!) reading about and discussing gratitude as defined in the Bible.
This link includes printable devotions for each day of November leading up to Thanksgiving!
Inspiring Good Character Traits
16. Thanksgiving Kindness
Thanksgiving Random Acts of Kindness by Happy Home Fairy: 9 easy ways to bless and serve others in your community throughout the Thanksgiving season.
Great ideas for the whole family to do together!
17. Gratitude Activities
Gratitude Game by Bestow: Who doesn’t love family game night?
This is a simple game to play around the table that is similar in concept to Apples to Apples- a family favorite of ours!
18. The Ten Lepers
10 Lepers Story by Ministry To Children: Act out a classic Bible story about thankfulness. The kids get to dress up in toilet paper. This is a win!
19. Turkey Toss
Turkey Toss of Thankfulness by I Can Teach my Child: This is perfect for those kinesthetic learners out there.
Toss a “turkey” while shouting out things you are thankful for. Super fun!
20. Thankful Placemats
Thankfulness Collage Placemats by Meaningful Mama: A creative way for the kids to memorialize the things they are thankful for from the year.
These would make a creative and meaningful addition to your Thanksgiving table!
Reinforcing Gratitude Through Activities
21. Preschool Bible Lessons On Being Thankful
God’s Character Thankfulness by Frugal Fun 4 Boys: This is a great activity to discuss those character traits of God that we can be thankful for!
22. I Will
“I Will” Thankfulness Statements by Meaningful Mama: Catch phrases work wonders in our home when we are working on a particular character trait.
These four “I Will” statements for thankfulness will help your kids (and you!) keep their minds in a state of gratitude no matter what the circumstances.
23. Bear Says Thanks
Bear Says Thanks Sensory Play by Little Bins for Little Hands: Do you have a sensory oriented child?
This thankfulness activity combines children’s literature with sensory play for a meaningful lesson on thankfulness!
24. Thank You Tree
Thankfulness Tree by Coffee Cups and Crayons: Anytime you can proudly display your child’s handwriting is a win!
This adorable tree can be made to fit any large wall or window and gives a great focal point to place all the things your family is thankful for this season.
25. Thanksgiving Wreath
Thankfulness Wreath by Meaningful Mama: This wreath would make a stunning greeting to anyone knocking on your front door this Thanksgiving!
This one is sure to be a craft you will save for years to come.
With all these fabulous ideas, there are no excuses for not making this November a true season of thankfulness.
Enjoy cultivating a spirit of gratitude in your children while you create, read and grow together!
MORE WAYS TO BE THANKFUL FROM KIDS ACTIVITIES BLOG
- Crafts are a great way to connect with your kids, as well as Helping Kids Express Gratitude.
- We have other great ways to teach your children to be thankful like this Gratitude Pumpkin.
- Download & print these gratitude quote cards for kids to decorate and give.
- Kids can make their own gratitude journal with these free printable pages.
- Gratitude coloring pages have prompts for kids to describe what they are thankful for.
- Make your own handmade gratitude journal – it is an easy project with these simple steps.
- Read favorite books together with this list of Thanksgiving books for kids.
- Check out our bunny free printable thank you cards.
- Looking for more? Check out the rest of our Thanksgiving games and activities for the family.
- See why we think hugging your child is important!
- We have these super awesome printable thank you cards for kids.
How do you teach your children to be Thankful? We’d love to hear from you!
One can never have too many ideas to keep the kids busy during the fall season. Thanks for sharing on Merry Monday. Pinned.