Making Thankfulness Leaves
It’s Thanksgiving…
It’s that time of year where everyone talks about the things that they are thankful for. November seems to bring it out in us, it’s a time pause and a time to be thankful.
Sometimes Being Grateful is Hard
Being thankful can, in general, be hard sometimes… especially for adults. It’s hard to be thankful when your fridge is on its last legs, your sewer pipe keeps backing up, your finances aren’t what you’d like them to be… and of course the list goes on… but being thankful doesn’t mean everything is going right and all is perfect, it means simply appreciating life.
I think most of us forget that there are so many basic things that we should be thankful for… things others don’t have.
Running water, electricity, freedom of speech… these are things that some in our world do not have, which is ridiculous but true, and they are things that people just a short time ago (in regards to history)… didn’t have. We take so many of the everyday things of today for granted.
Does that mean our problems aren’t hard… no… but I do think that we often glance over the small (and sometimes big) things that we should be thankful for. We all live life for such a short time, in comparison to time, and living life with joy and thankfulness allows us to appreciate all of it!
Often this takes a little mental adjustment, and not just once, everyday… and sometimes several times a day.
Helping My Kiddos Understand
Raising thankful or grateful children is a big task. A few years ago I decided to have the kids make leaves and write the things that they were thankful for on them. We did this everyday and it was amazing. They were young and sometimes the things were…
“I am thankful for juice”
“I am thankful for markers”
“I am thankful for blankets”
… but these things really are amazing things to be thankful for. Juice can have a great taste. I am also thankful to be able to taste yummy stuff. Markers are fun and the colors are pretty. I am also thankful to be able to enjoy art and to be able to see colors in all their glory. Blankets are warm. I am also glad to cuddle up on cold days with a blanket.
These things seem small… but there are no small things in thankfulness.
I really liked doing this with my kids because it opened up conversation and helped me learn about their likes, and what things really mattered to them. Hearing why sometimes was a blast too! If you notice above, one of the leaves says “I am thankful for scissors” and this was because scissors helped mom open chip bags faster! I loved that one!
For the Month of November
We made the leaves the whole month of November and hung them up… by the end I was amazed by what I saw! I loved doing this with my kiddos and it is something we do still.
When they were little we just cut construction paper and taped them to our mantle, but there are many ways you could display these. I haven’t been as vigilant with the pictures of this as the years have gone by, but I do plan to update or post about this again, because it is important to me that being thankful… be an everyday practice.
Making Thankfulness Leaves
Making the leaves are very simple.
- Gather some construction paper, scissors, and either a marker or pen (maybe several markers)
- Cut out a leaf, you can do this for your child or the older ones can do it for themselves. This could be a great opportunity to collect a few samples outside or to even learn more about what tree each leaf came from. For older children, this could be an opportunity to discuss photosynthesis, chlorophyll, and maybe even the plant cell!
- Have each person, adults can participate too, write out something they are thankful for
- Display how you would like. Glue to a board, tape up like I did. Laminate them for future use. Hang from twine with little clothespins. The sky is the limit here!
Notes:
- Laminate these, you’ll thank me later! If you don’t have one, I would recommend picking one up. They are usually under $30 and well worth it. I have had mine for over 20 years and have used it for just about everything! Here is a list of 4+ star laminators
Being Thankful Beyond November
As I write this, it is only a few days out from Thanksgiving, however, that doesn’t mean that you can’t do this with your children or even just by yourself. Make it a Thanksgiving Day tradition from her on out, save the leaves each year, and enjoy the memories after they are grown!
The month of December is a month of giving and is a very easy time to think about being thankful. Making cut out snowflakes or snowmen and writing notes of thankfulness would just as fun!
Bring the art of being thankful year round by making it a weekly or monthly tradition. Take a few minutes to discuss what everyone in the family is thankful for all year. There are so many things to be grateful for all year, and it will make the concept more of a habit!
Happy Thanksgiving
It is easy to get caught up in the crazy and sometimes not so fun parts of life, but living with thankfulness really can help us appreciate the richness around us. Being thankful for those special earrings that your grandma gave you, your favorite molasses cookie, the way rain feels on your skin… these are things we can be thankful for no matter what life has thrown at us. It doesn’t need to be November or December for us to be thankful… write it down on a post-it and stick it to the mirror for the days that make you feel there is nothing to be thankful for!
If you or your kiddos make these thankfulness leaves, I would love to hear what you think! Comment below and share or head over to Instagram or Facebook and tag me @bemandfam to share pics… I’d love to see them… especially if you took a different spin on it!
Don’t forget to pin this for later and if you like Pinterest, I am there too!
For more Fall Activities check out my Fall Seasonal Page and check out my Thanksgiving page for ideas!
Happy Thanksgiving!
Bet + Fam 🙂 
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