How to Teach Children Gratitude in the Season of Thanks

Cultivating An Attitude of Gratitude through Practice

We all want our kids to be happy, right? Lots of research has been done to show that practicing gratitude and being grateful has the power to improve the well being and happiness in children (and adults too!). Gratitude helps kids enjoy good experiences, deal with challenging times, connect with their community, feel positive emotions and improves their health.

As we enter the season of thanks it’s a great time to learn gratitude practices that can be used throughout the year.

Start a Family Gratitude Journal

Take the time every day to ask each person in your family what they are thankful for and then write it in the family gratitude journal. If your kids have a hard time tapping into what they are grateful for use prompts to help them. Here are few questions to get started: What are you are excited about? Who makes you laugh or smile? What did you enjoy most today? To create a habit pick the same time each day for this practice, maybe at dinner or bedtime.

Gratitude Jar

The gratitude jar works the same way as the journal but is written on strips of paper and put in a jar. A fun thing to do is to pick a specific period of time to fill the jar, maybe it’s the month of November, and at the end of the month you empty the jar and reflect on what everyone was grateful for. Picking a specific time each day to add to the jar will create a daily habit of gratitude.

Give to Others

Not everyone in our community has what they need so you and your family can volunteer to help those in need. When children see how others live and what their lives are like it can give them a new perspective on their own. Here are a few places in Bend and Central Oregon you can volunteer or contribute as a family:

• Humane Society of Central Oregon (opportunities for students)
• Foster Cats or Dogs through HSCO or Street Dog Hero
• Family Kitchen
• Bethlehem Inn
• Habitat for Humanity
• Ronald McDonald House

Gratitude Activities

1. Create a Gratitude Turkey
   Source: My Crafts Better
2. Create Gratitude Rocks
   Source: Teach Kids Art
3. Go on a Gratitude Scavenger Hunt
   Source: Let’s Get Together 
4. Give Away Gratitude Slips
   Source: Teachers Pay Teachers
5. Play the Gratitude Game
   Source: Teach Beside Me
6. Connect with Your Kids with these Gratitude Conversation Starters
   Source: Creative Family Fun
7. Play Gratitude Bingo
   Source: Littles Life and Laughter
8. Play the M&M Thankful Game
   Source: A Thrifty Mom