Weekend Rewind — Gratitude Activity Jar
This was one of my all-time favorite posts — a fun ACTIVE way in introduce kids to the concept of gratitude. It’s perfect for this time of year, and we enjoyed this activity so much last year that we are doing it again this year. Enjoy!!
Around Thanksgiving we try to do crafts and activities that promote gratitude and focus on the things we have to be thankful for. Last year we did gratitude journals, but this year we’re trying something a little more active — Gratitude Activity Jars!
I asked Emily to name some of the things she was thankful for, and together we came up with a coordinating activity to go along with it. At first, we were just going to type these up and print them out, but I like to think that by physically writing these things down it sends more positive energy out into the universe. Mark would probably say that’s just a bunch of new-age crap, but that’s how I like to picture it, anyway!
Decorate your cards with stickers!!
Some of the cards we wrote:
I am thankful for…..
:: Dad — Do something nice for Daddy.
:: Friends — Make 1 new friend today.
:: Hugs — Hug 3 people today.
:: Books — Visit the library today.
:: Home — Clean the guest bedroom, and invite a guest over to stay.
:: Play Time — Invite a friend over to play.
:: Good Health — Make a “
Jared Box” to donate to the hospital.
:: Toys — Donate a toy to Goodwill.
:: Clara — Spend some time playing with your sister today.
:: Good Food — Donate canned goods to the food pantry.
:: Pies — Bake a pie for a neighbor.
:: Nature — Play a fun game outside today.
…. and so on. The idea is to pick one card from the jar every day between now and Thanksgiving and do the activity on the card. Emily is looking forward to this with great anticipation!
Fill your jar with the cards….
…tie with a pretty bow….
…. and remember to take time to appreciate all the wonderful things in your life!
