We all have a lot to be thankful for these days, but we don’t often take the time to appreciate it, let alone model gratitude for our kids. As usual, we hit Pinterest and the interwebs for inspiration, and, as usual, they delivered in style. Here are five of our favorites, chosen for their ease, low cost, and high cute factor.
Make Gratitude A Daily Blessing
Use this free printable from Get Creative Juice to make a Thanksgiving-themed dry-erase board when you frame it in an 8×10 frame. Write directly on the glass with your latest note of thankfulness, or take it up a notch like the author did by adding leaves to a branch for a Family Thankful Tree.
Make a Gratitude Paper Quilt.
What can you do with a big blank canvas, a bunch of scrapbooking scraps, and young creative minds? Make a paper quilt! Amy at Let’s Explore took on-hand supplies and made hers with her two daughters, and it turned out so cute that we can’t wait for you to try it as well. Feel free to improvise with wood, fabric, or even sticky notes; you may be surprised just how well it comes together. We love the idea of a family project that makes its way to the walls each holiday, and this one is the perfect combination of artist purity and creative ingenuity. Make one each year or keep adding as you go—there are so many things to be grateful for!
Grateful Turkey Table Toppers
This one is as much fun to say as it is fun to make. First, start by collecting pinecones (a great fall activity in its own right). To make the turkey, glue two googly eyes to a 1” brown pom-pom. While that dries, fold a piece of orange construction paper in half, and cut one triangle on the fold to make the open beak. Glue this to the pom-pom as well. Push (or glue) this “turkey face” into the top of the pinecone as shown below. To make the feathers, cut strips of card stock or construction paper and leave them on the table next to each guest’s plate, with a pen or marker. The pinecones grip the feathers pretty readily, making this a great pre-dinner activity!
Gratitude Garland
We’ve seen a lot of ideas for gratitude garland, but what we love most about this idea from Misfits and Remnants is that you can keep adding to it throughout the holiday. Plus, there is something lovely about using scraps of fabric as both the base for the garland and the ties for each of the tabs. This craft is perfect for even the youngest members of the family; take and print pictures, draw, write, use “found” materials—make this craft your own and leave it up all year long!
Tweet The Sweet Life
We’ve saved the best for last! In an effort to celebrate gratitude throughout Siouxland, we’re using the hashtag #familyhealthcares to collect grateful moments from all of our locations. Join in the fun! When the moment strikes you, take a picture, tell us what you’re grateful for, and use the #familyhealthcares hashtag so we’ll be sure to see it. It can be anything from holding hands with your child to snowball fights with your family to a warm cup of hot chocolate. Not only will your post brighten someone else’s day, but it’s a great way to actively take pictures of your blessings (and they’ll live right on your phone when you need to be reminded).
You can also tweet pictures if you end up doing any of the above crafts. We would love to see your take on them!