In the current environment, it is pretty easy for children to become engrossed in the anxieties and issues adults face. Therefore, it is crucial to educate our students that, despite the sometimes difficult truths of the present world, there is always a lot to appreciate. Developing a mindset of gratitude is a skill that can be imparted to students, and there is no better time than the present to emphasize gratitude. Whether you are seeking a game, an activity, or a craft project, our compilation of meaningful gratitude activities offers something for children of all ages.  

Therefore, before proceeding further, let us examine how to help your students nurture a robust gratitude practice by teaching them thanksgiving activities for kids. This practice positively impacts their experiences in school and at home, as well as their overall personal growth and development.  

Advantages of Gratitude Practices for Children of all Ages  

• Enhanced mental well-being: Engaging in regular gratitude practices can help alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression, enabling students to cultivate a more optimistic and positive outlook.   

• Robust social connections: Gratitude activities motivate students to recognize and value one another’s contributions, strengthening relationships and fostering a sense of community in the classroom.   

• Increased student involvement: When students feel acknowledged and appreciated, they are more inclined to actively participate in class, resulting in greater engagement and enthusiasm for learning.   

• Better conduct can be achieved by fostering a culture of appreciation and respect. Gratitude activities can reduce disruptive behavior and enhance the overall classroom atmosphere.   

• Enhanced academic achievement: A positive perspective nurtured by gratitude can boost concentration and motivation, often leading to improved academic performance.   

• Cultivation of a growth mindset, gratitude activities, redirecting attention from results to efforts and progress, and reinforcing the importance of learning and self-improvement  

To summarize, Nurturing Gratitude: A gratitude practice among your students fosters a more supportive, positive, and productive classroom environment, equipping them with skills they can use throughout their lives.  

Thanksgiving gratitude activities for kids in Elementary School  

Gratitude Scavenger Hunt  

Spend some time with your students to intentionally seek out things for which we can express gratitude. Compile a comprehensive list of items for your scavenger hunt. Incorporate items such as:  

• Something in your favorite color  

• Something with a pleasant aroma  

• Something that brings you joy  

• Something you have never observed  

• Something that simplifies your life  

• Something you hold in high regard  

Be imaginative and devise your own list customized for your group of children.  

Appreciation Videos  

As is customary, videos are an excellent way to captivate students about a project. We have assembled a collection of remarkable videos tailored to help children develop a sense of gratitude, ranging from latitude meditations to kid-presented brief narratives. This list offers various options to enable your students to make meaningful connections.  

Grateful, Thanksgiving, Turkey Craft  

This straightforward craft offers a significant opportunity for children to reflect on what they appreciate.  

Begin with a sturdy orange paper plate for the turkey’s body, and attach feathers made from various colors of construction paper to the back, covering two-thirds of the surface.  

Subsequently, instruct students to write something they are thankful for on each feather, such as friends, family, home, school, and so forth.  

Lastly, use a brown toilet paper roll for the turkey’s body, and embellish it with eyes, a beak, a water bottle, and a hat crafted from a small black cup.  

Pick up Sticks: Gratitude Edition  

Straightforward yet enjoyable twist on Gratitude, the traditional game of pick-up sticks that aids in promoting the practice of gratitude. To play, develop a key that aligns with the colors of your specific set of pickup sticks. Next, to initiate the game, students will alternate turns picking a stick and locating the matching gratitude point on the key to express something they appreciate. For example, the key might indicate:  

• Red = name of a person you are grateful for  

• Blue = name of an activity you are grateful for  

Gratitude ABCs.  

This straightforward activity helps young learners hone their alphabet skills while also significantly enhancing their critical skills.  

To start, provide each child with an ABC worksheet featuring each letter listed in a column on the right side of the page. Include spaces for students to write a word starting with each letter.  

Once everyone has completed their worksheets, bring them together and encourage students to share their words.  

Gratitude Drawing Prompts  

Spare a few moments each day for your students to complete a different set of DIY crafts based on Gratitude Drawing prompts. Encourage them to get creative and draw something that is personally meaningful to them. Allow students who would like to share to do so, but if some students prefer to keep their drawings private, that’s fine too. Brainstorm a list of ideas, such as:  

• Draw someone who is important to you.  

• Draw an activity that makes you happy.  

• Draw your happy place.  

Thankfulness Chain  

This is such an enjoyable and straightforward family games concept. We appreciate that the only materials required for this project are construction paper and markers. Additionally, we cherish the nostalgia associated with creating paper chains in anticipation of holidays.  

To begin, cut the construction paper into strips of autumn color and arrange them in a bin or basket alongside a few Sharpie pens.  

Clarify that, as a group, you will create a paper chain representing the things for which you are all thankful. Each participant should write down three personal items they are grateful for and connect the three strips to initiate the chain throughout the week. Motivate students to add a strip each time they recall something they appreciate. Encourage them to see how long they can make the chain before Thanksgiving break.  

M&M Gratitude Game  

• All children enjoy games that involve snacks.   

• Have students form pairs and provide each pair with a small bag of plain M&Ms.   

• Present a key that outlines a task corresponding to each color:   

• Red: share a place for which you are thankful   

• Green: share a person for whom you are grateful   

• and so on.  

• Subsequently, have students take turns selecting one M&M and sharing their responses with each other.  

Expression of Gratitude to Educators  

Encourage your students to compose a letter of appreciation as a kid-friendly ritual. This impactful activity requires children to express their gratitude to an educator for their presence in their lives, as gratitude exercises for middle school students can be somewhat more complex. You might consider establishing a minimum word count. Even better, download your complimentary teacher thank you cards and share the appreciation with all the staff members in your building.  

Gratitude Champions  

Encourage students to reflect on a notable individual —historical or contemporary —whom they feel a strong affinity for. Students have great storytelling ideas, and they might select Benjamin Franklin for his contributions to the understanding of electricity. Alternatively, they could consider the prehistoric inventor of the wheel. Some may even think of Michael Jordan for his transformative impact on basketball.  

Instruct students to write the name of the individual on an index card, accompanied by three or four sentences justifying their selection.  

Spirals  

This is yet another engaging and imaginative gratitude activity for children to showcase the things they appreciate on a piece of drawing paper.  

Instruct the children to create a spiral that begins at the center and spirals outward. Subsequently, have them fill the entire line with words or phrases expressing their gratitude.  

An additional enjoyable method is to cut along the spiral lines they have drawn, resulting in a 3D whirling gig. After flattening the whirling gig, have them complete their words. Lastly, ask them to make a hole at the narrowest end of the spiral and attach a piece of yarn to display their creation.  

Gratitude Quotes  

Research shows that expressing thankfulness enhances the quality of our lives, making it an important practice to promote in our classrooms throughout the year.  

Share several gratitude quotes from children’s literature and renowned individuals. Encourage students to select their favorite quote and compose a journal entry reflecting on it.