Encouraging gratitude in kids can have long-lasting positive effects on their overall well-being, but it can feel tricky to know exactly how to do that. The good news is you don’t need to do anything complex. In fact, simple is better!
Here are ten gratitude activities perfect for kids:
Start a Gratitude Journal: Get a special notebook or a drawing pad for your child to write or draw things they are thankful for. Encourage them to do this regularly, even if it’s just a few times a week. This works great for all ages. You can even have family gratitude journal time for everyone to practice.
Send Thank You Cards: Kids don’t often get to mail things, but you can change that. Set up a crafting station with supplies like colored paper, markers, stickers, and stamps. Help your child create thank you cards for family members, friends, teachers, or anyone they appreciate. It doesn’t need to be a thank you for a gift. You can simply send a thank you for being special! It’s extra fun if you can find a few people to send thank you’s to your child. Kids love getting things in the mail!
Create a Gratitude Jar: Have a jar where your child can drop short notes expressing gratitude. They can write things that make them happy or unexpected blessings in their day. Encourage your child to read a few notes from the jar when they’re feeling down or need a pick-me-up.
Make a Gratitude Tree: Create a tree on a poster board or use a real tree branch in a pot. Have your child write or draw things they are grateful for on paper leaves and attach them to the tree. This makes a great seasonal display.
Follow an Acts of Kindness Calendar: Create a calendar with daily or weekly kindness challenges. These can include tasks like complimenting someone, helping with a chore, or giving a hug. This works great for older kids.
Play the Thankful Game: You don’t need to wait for Thanksgiving dinner to show your gratitude. At a regular dinner or during family time, take turns sharing something each person is thankful for. Make it a regular part of your routine.
Design a Gratitude Collage: Provide magazines, scissors, glue, and a poster board. Have your child cut out pictures and words that represent things they are thankful for and create a collage. This is the perfect craft for a rainy day.
Decorate Gratitude Stones: Collect smooth, flat stones (or buy some at a craft store) and have your child decorate them with words or pictures representing things they’re grateful for. They can keep these in a special place as a visual reminder or they can leave them in places for others to discover.
Take a Gratitude Walk: Take a walk together and encourage your child to notice things in nature or the environment that they’re thankful for. This could be things like the colors of the leaves, the sound of birds, or a beautiful flower.
Try Story Time with Gratitude Themes: Read books with gratitude as a central theme. After reading, discuss with your child what the characters were thankful for and why.
All of these activities can be adjusted for different ages and interests. The important part is to make gratitude a fun and integrated part of your child’s daily life. And be sure to get in on the fun yourself. We could all use a bit more gratitude in our lives!