It’s getting close to Turkey-Day! That means that the internet is rife with Thanksgiving and thankfulness projects for kids- and here I am to make my contribution. Last year, we decided to make a “thankfulness wreath” to help introduce the idea of gratitude to my son. Here’s how we did it.
(Sorry for the curling leaves in the photos… let’s just say the wreath went through some kitchen humidity before I got to take the finished photographs. 😉 )
First, I cut a ring out of a big cardboard box to the size I wanted it. Simple enough.
Next, we went outside and collected leaves of various sizes and shapes. We traced their shapes onto fall-colored construction paper, and cut out many leaves.
Next, we started thinking of what we were thankful for. It ranged from our garden to food to my midwife to our family to toys and stuffed animals. We wrote one thing we are thankful for on each leaf. I let J draw on the leaves too. This year, if we do something similar, I will have him trace the words. If you have a beginning writer/speller, this would be a good opportunity to let them practice writing their own leaves. (If you have an older child, they could write sentences, poems, or short essays to complement their thankful leaves.)
Finally, we arranged and glued the leaves one by one onto our cardboard ring. 
Ta-da! So, maybe it isn’t Pinterest-worthy, but it’s proud mama-worthy. We hung it up to display to help us remember the things we are grateful for each day!
The nice part about this project is that you could make it very simple for the youngest of children (like J last year), or you could try to make it very artful for older children. Try using autumnal scrapbook paper for the leaves, or using metallic or calligraphy pens. You could try sketching or painting pictures of the things you are thankful for if you have an artistically-inclined child. The most important thing is to allow the children to come up with the things they want to put on the leaves. It will foster more appreciation in them if it’s their own idea!
How do you practice thankfulness this season (and everyday)?
We do this every year – so glad to know we’re not the only ones!!