Fun and Creative Ways to Show Thanks this Month

As you may already know, my kids are 1, 3, 13, and 14. If you have kids with such significant age gaps, you know it’s a constant struggle to find appropriate activities for all of them. And having kids in general, you are also aware of the importance of teaching gratefulness and how hard that can be in the craziness of our lives as sports parents.

Just tonight, my husband dropped off my daughter at color guard (a new sport for us!), I dropped off my son at soccer and waited in the parking lot, so he could jump in the SUV, and we then sprinted to basketball. So we get busy.

But one thing I wanted to do better this November was to embrace this season of thankfulness and really help my kids understand how important it is to be grateful for all they have.

1. Write thank you cards.

Have your kids think of special people in their lives they want to send special thanks. Their kindergarten teacher who introduced them to their favorite book? A current or past coach that never gave up on them? A team mom who always is a great support? Have them pick out a special card and write them a note. It doesn’t need to be lengthy- it is definitely the thought that counts here! And if your athlete is too young to write, drawing a picture is just as special!

2. Grateful pumpkins.

Still have pumpkins from October lying around? Yeah, so do we. And so do our neighbors across the street and down the way. Grab one and a permanent marker and have each kid think of one thing they are grateful for each day in November. Threw out those pumpkins a while ago? Use old soccer or basketball!

3. Ask grateful questions each day.

You could ask them: “What friendship are you most thankful for?” “What teacher or coach are you most grateful for?” “What does (mom, dad, pet, sibling) do that makes you feel special?”

4. Create a thankfulness tree.

Draw a bare tree on a poster board (or make one out of construction paper and put it on the wall/door). Cut out leaf shapes. Each day write something each family member is thankful for on a leaf and tape it to the tree. Watch as it fills up throughout the month.

5. Create a thankfulness chain.

Cut strips of paper about an inch thick. Each day write something each family member is thankful for onto a strip of paper. Tape the strips into loops and link them together with tape.

Whether you write notes, make a thankfulness tree, or talk about things you are grateful for, you are setting an amazing example for your kids!