Teaching your kids how to express their gratitude - whether it’s for their sister or their favorite stuffed animal - doesn’t just sound good. It actually makes your children feel good: There have been numerous studies showing how a child’s mental health benefits from learning to express gratitude, including:
However, gratitude is not a natural human instinct or response, necessarily- it’s something that can be encouraged. Here are 5 activities that you can practice at home with your children to help them cultivate a habit of gratitude:
Have your child write what they are thankful for on a large piece of paper and then take a picture of the child holding up his or her paper. Frame the photo and display it in your home.
Have children cut out pictures of things they’re grateful for and then use the pictures to create their own collage or to decorate a gratitude board.
This gratitude jar activity from Dr. April Duncan, DSW, LCSW, RPT-S, helps kids gain an appreciation for the things that they have and to be able to communicate those things. Encourage your children to think about the things in their life they are thankful for such as friends and family and pets (not just toys!). You can continue to utilize your jar with your kids throughout the year to help your kids appreciate what they have.
Have your children send these printable cards by PBS with a note to the family or friend about why they are grateful for the relationship.
Children get to pull out an M&M from the bag. Before they eat it, they must say something they are grateful for based on the color. For example, blue could be something in school, yellow something about themselves, orange an object, green an event, and brown telling someone why they are grateful for them.
