Thankful

The Holiday season is in full swing and this month we get to celebrate Thanksgiving which reminds us to be thankful and aware of all of the blessings we see in our life. Teaching children how to be thankful and what it means to be grateful is in my opinion one of the biggest things we can teach them. I thought that there had to be a game that would help kids better understand gratitude, and below are some really fun ideas.

Thanksgiving Mission
This is a two part project.
First, have the children make a piece of stationary with their art supplies. These can be as simple as tracing their hand for a sweet background or more elaborate if time permits.
Second, have each child write a note/letter of "THANKS" to someone in their family and leave it on that persons pillow Thanksgiving morning. Children could also be encouraged to do a kind deed along with leaving the note, such as: make that persons bed, set the table, tell them that they love them. Kids can look forward to reporting on their "THANKSGIVING MISSION" when they return to school.

Gratitude Grab Bag
Make up cards, some that say "THANKSGIVING" and others that have a picture on them (no words) of things children may be thankful for. Each child takes a turn reaching into the bag and pulling out a card. If the card says "THANKSGIVING" the child should express something or someone they are thankful for (parents, teachers, pet, favorite food, etc.) If they pull out a picture they show it to all and then express why we should be thankful for that item (food, clothes, trees, grass, stores, cars, etc.). This game is especially fun for preschoolers and their expressions of gratitude are priceless. Jot them down and give a list to the parents or post for all to read.

Let us know if you have any ideas that tie in with Thanksgiving and we will add them to the blog! Enjoy!

Games taken from http://holidays.kaboose.com/thanks-party.html