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Looking for a fun and meaningful Thanksgiving activity for kids? Check out this free printable Gratitude Jar! It’s an easy way to teach kids the value of thankfulness while creating lasting memories. Whether you print the jar or use a real one, your family will love filling it with things they’re grateful for. Grab your free printable and start this heartwarming tradition today!
I am so excited to share with you a fun and easy gratitude activity for kids! I’ve been looking all over the internet, and I couldn’t find a printable jar that was free to include in our homeschool Thanksgiving adventures. So, I created one myself. It took me about 10 minutes to create this design on Canva, but it is completely worth it because now your child can have their own printable Gratitude Jar they can make at home.
And if you don’t have access to Canva or aren’t great at computer graphics then just grab some construction paper and markers from your local craft store and draw your own!
This gratitude activity is as simple as printing out the PDF file onto cardstock paper (or regular printer paper). You can choose to cut your jar out or leave it on the sheet of paper.
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How to Enjoy the Printable Gratitude Jar
Once you’ve printed out your paper gratitude jar, the rest is easy. Every day, have your kids write down or draw something they are grateful for inside of their paper jar. Over time, the jar will fill up and the blank spaces will get smaller and smaller.
Keep going until there are no more blank spaces left!
Or if you prefer using a real jar, write down or draw what your kids are thankful for on slips of paper and have them stick them inside that jar. See how long you can go before the jar is all the way full. Then this time next year, go back through your jar and reminisce on all the wonderful things you have to be thankful for in your life.
For some kids, it might be hard to think of things they are grateful for. But with practice and patience, they will come up with all sorts of things and soon it will become a fun game for the whole family!
The gratitude jar is a great way to get kids (and parents) involved in this important lesson. No matter how crazy life gets or how difficult things are, we always have so much to be thankful for and we need to always remember that.
Grab the Free Printable Paper Gratitude Jar
This printable gratitude jar is super cute, if I do say so myself. Your kids will love hanging this on their bedroom walls or on the fridge, or wherever else you choose to hang it.
If you fill it up before you’re ready to be done, just print out another copy! Because, why not?
Grab your free printable paper gratitude jar now!
Why is it Important to Teach Kids About Gratitude?
Gratitude is an important skill that can have a positive impact on a child’s entire life.
Many of us are taught to be grateful when we are kids, but just like anything else, it becomes more difficult as we get older. Kids are so impressionable and their brains are still developing. If they aren’t constantly reminded about gratitude, they are likely to forget and focus on other, less important things.
It’s important to teach kids about gratitude because people who are innately more grateful are also more successful (both in work life and life in general).
People who are grateful have higher well-being, a strong self-image, are more liked by others, perform better at their jobs, cope with stress better, and recover from negative life events faster than people who are focused only on themselves.
In life, it is important to keep things in perspective. We need to remember that there are always going to be people who have more or less than us and we shouldn’t let it get us down. It’s not about how much money you have or what kind of car you drive (or if you even can afford a car).
It’s about the life you have and the people in it. It’s about how much you enjoy what you do on a day-to-day basis and if you are doing what you love to do. And it’s most certainly about living the life God wants you to live rather than the life you think you want to live.
Give your kids a head start in life by teaching them about gratitude now.
Be sure to check out the other gratitude activities I’ve written about! There are so many good options for families in all sorts of circumstances.
Recommended Gratitude Activities
Gratitude Challenge for Kids
Gratitude Journal for Kids
Persons I Am Grateful For Gratitude Activity
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