Gratitude Activities
November 2025
Gratitude is a positive powerful emotion and teaching gratitude to children helps them develop into happier and more empathetic people who are more resilient and have stronger social relationships. Practicing gratitude is linked to improved mental and physical health including:
Positive Peer Interactions
Lower Stress Levels
Better Sleep
More Optimistic
Practicing gratitude is a simple and easy way to improve the quality of our lives and our children. And with Thanksgiving approaching, it is a great time to strat the practicing gratitude. Start by modeling simple gestures like saying thank you to others including your children. Also, making practing gratidue routine. Establish saying what we are grateful during dinner and keep it going.
Another great way to introduce anything to children is through activiites and art projects that reinforce what we are explaining to children. Not only are you expounding on the topic at hand, but you are also creating connection between you and your child. Children will be engaged and remember these quality moments, creating postiive core memories. For gratitide, here are some great activites youand your children can do together.
Activity: Gratitude Jar:
Family members write down what they are grateful for each day and at the end of week they open up and read what everyone was grateful for. It helps start conversation among family members as well as encourages parents to reflect and redirect if the gratitude from the kids is too materialistic.
Activity: Gratitude Tree
This can be done individually or as a family project. Using paper leaves to create a tree of gratitude, hang them on a fund branch and put into a vase.
Activity: Gratitude Walk
Use the walks to discuss how to appreciate our neighborhood, our neighbors and nature. This can be done freely or more structured by using a small notebook to make note of what we appreciate in our enviornment.
Activity: Name Cards at Thanksgiving table
Create a name place card with a special note of appreciation for the guest.
Activity: Gratitude Chain
Craft a paper chain with the words of kindness and gratitude, use the chaing to adorn the table or as a fun decoration for the Thanksgiving holiday.