Make a Gratitude Tree
Gratitude is not just about uttering a few kind words. It’s about making the world a better place to live with your actions
Thanksgiving stands apart from other holidays as a time of quiet introspection of that for which we are most thankful. It is a time to pause, reflect, and give thanks for our lives and our loved ones.
History of Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a national holiday in the United States, and this year occurs on Thursday, November 26. In 1621, the Plymouth colonists and Wampanoag Native Americans shared an autumn harvest feast that is acknowledged today as one of the first Thanksgiving celebrations in the colonies. For more than two centuries, days of thanksgiving were celebrated by individual colonies and states. It wasn’t until 1863, in the midst of the Civil War, that President Abraham Lincoln proclaimed a national Thanksgiving Day to be held each November.
Activity: Make a Gratitude Tree
A “Gratitude Tree” can be used for friends and family to hang their Leaves of Love and gratitude on.
The gratitude tree activity teaches children to:
appreciate the small things in life,
be grateful for everything they have,
be mindful of the things that are going right in their lives
and the people they hold closest to their hearts.
MATERIALS YOU NEED:
1- Craft paper or click here to download the Leaves of Love template to make your own gratitude tree!
2- String
3- Twigs or tree branches
4- A pen or marker
5- Small rocks
STEPS TO FOLLOW:
1- Take a cut out of the craft paper in the leaf shape.
2- Use the craft leaf as a template for tracing the rest of the leaves on a bigger sheet.
3- Punch holes in the leaves tie a piece of string in the holes.
4- Add rocks to the base of the vase and stick the tree branch there so that it stands erect.
5- Ask your kids to draw or write about things that they are thankful for. If they are too young, you can write for them.
6-Tie the leaves on the tree branches
Share your Thanksgiving project with us!
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