5 Ways To Teach Kids Thankfulness

“Thank you”

A simple phrase that we love to teach our kids or students. It is a respectful response that should be used often.

However, thankfulness goes beyond the words and phrases we use. Instead, a thankful posture grows out of a heart of gratitude. Below are 5 ways to help your students or children mature in gratitude and move beyond a simple phrase into a constant state of thankfulness.

A Prayer of Thanksgiving

Prayer is a simple yet powerful way to teach thankfulness. The next time you pray with children, lead them in a prayer of thanksgiving. The format for this style of prayer is to have the child list something or someone they are thankful for and say, “God, thank you for ______”. You continue the prayer until the child has run out of people or items for prayer. For concrete thinkers (elementary age) give them a goal to reach, such as to thank God for ten people or things in their life.

“I will give thanks to you, Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.” – Psalm 9:1

Thankfulness Board

Grab a whiteboard or large sheet of paper and set it around your home, classroom, or church. Allow kids to write and draw pictures of what they are thankful for on this board. Incorporate the board in a weekly routine so that children are constantly engaging with their creative side while striving to grow in thankfulness.

Thank You Cards

Anytime your child receives presents for Christmas or their birthday, sit down with them and help them write thank you cards. As a Sunday school or classroom project, set aside some time to write thank you cards for police officers, fire fighters, soldiers, government officials and local businesses. Don’t have the budget to buy cards? You can print some for free on Greetings Island Thank You Cards

Gratitude Walk

The next time you take kids on a walk, go for a gratitude walk. As you stroll to your destination, have kids point toward objects around them and say “I am thankful for _____”. For kids that may have a harder time staying focused on this activity, make it into a Gratitude I Spy Game by stating, “I am thankful for something that is the color _____”. After a kid guesses the correct object, have everyone proclaim together “We are thankful for ______” (the object just guessed).

Local Thankfulness

Bake a tray of cookies and buy a simple box or bag from the dollar store that can be decorated by kids. Package up the cookies and take kids on a trip to a local business or government building. Go inside and have the children offer the gift of cookies to an employee by sharing how they are thankful for that person or business. It is a truly sweet moment when you can see the shock on an employee’s face at the practice of gratitude by a child. Several stores that have worked well for me in the past include: City Hall, YMCA, Recreation Centers, and Small Retail locations.

By putting some of the above activities into practice, you can teach children that thankfulness goes beyond a simple phrase and is a lifestyle that comes from a heart of gratitude.

Looking for another “No Mess” way to teach children about Gratitude? Check out our Gratitude Object Lesson Blog Post.

Apple of His Eye Object Lesson

Apple Object Lesson

Supplies: apple

Did you know that the Bible talks about apples? (Show the apple.) In Psalms 17:8, it says, “Keep me as the apple of your eye, hide me in the shadow of your wings.” David was praying because he had enemies that were attacking him. He knew that God was watching over him.

What does it mean to be the apple of someone’s eye? (Give kids a chance to answer.)

Let’s look at each other’s eyes. Turn to the person next to you and look in their eye. The eyeball is also called the globe of the eye. It has the iris that is the colored part, the white and the black pupil. Together the eyeball is round or apple shaped. If you look closely in each other’s eyes you can see a picture of yourself.

When we are the apple of someone’s eye, that means that we are seen by them. Not only are we seen but also the eye is known to have great value so it also means that we are precious to them, important to them and they are watching over us.

We are the apple of God’s eye. Each one of us is important to him. Precious to him. And he is watching over us.

Excerpt from Apple Of His Eye lesson from River’s Edge. Download it today to get apple trivia, bible story, application, craft, game, take home paper, snack, small group discussion, memory verse activity and creative options.

Gratitude Object Lesson

Looking for a quick and simple object lesson to use during the Thanksgiving season?  Use this is the classroom, large group setting or at home. Just modify for your individual situation.

– Word Twist –

Supplies:
ƒTen pieces of colored paper, ƒ Marker or pen.

Preparation:
On each colored sheet of paper, write one letter from the word “GRATITUDE.” On the remaining sheet of paper write “T.”

Object Lesson:
Pick ten children to hold the letters to the word “Gratitude.”

Does anyone know what this word means, gratitude? When we have gratitude, that means we are thankful for something. We do not just expect that thing or take that thing for granted.

Sometimes it is hard to have gratitude. Can you think of a time when it might be hard to be grateful? (Give children an opportunity to respond.)

(Have the children holding the G and R sit down. Have someone stand between the A and T with another T.)

Now what word have we made? Attitude. Our attitude can help us be thankful or keep us from being thankful. What kind of attitude keeps us from being thankful?
(Have everyone but the I and the U sit down.)

When all we think about is “I,” it keeps us from being thankful. However, when we have an attitude where we think of “U,” as in others and God, we will have the right attitude to be thankful.

 

For more great content focused on Gratitude, download the Give Thanks Lesson from River’s Edge Curriculum. Download includes activities, craft, snack, object lesson, Powerpoint, stories, and more! Visit RiversEdgeCurriculum.com for more helpful resources.