Make a Grateful Garland With Your Family

By Jessica Martinez

Oct 12, 2022

30 min activity

On family clean-up day, Buddy, Shiny, Tiny, and Don do not enjoy sweeping up leaves at first. But after learning about the beauty of deciduous trees in autumn, they grow to appreciate the colorful fallen leaves! Spend quality time with your child and your extended family by creating a garland that celebrates fall’s natural beauty. You may even get to know a little more about each other as well!

This craft comes together in two parts. First you and your child will cut out leaf shapes in fall shades until you have a leaf pile on your own table. Next, you can invite family or friends to gather around the pile and think over the things that fill them with gratitude. Then, spend time together writing each idea on a leaf. Soon you’ll have a grateful garland to warm up any room at your next gathering!

Materials

Directions

To start, create a pile of leaves! Fold a sheet of paper in half lengthwise. Draw a simple half-leaf shape. Have your child cut along the outline, keeping the paper folded.

Unfold the paper to reveal the full leaf, then repeat! Make as many leaves as you’d like. For a 5 foot-long garland, you’ll want about 12 leaves. Try creating different leaf shapes.

Next, gather the stack of leaves and some family members! Sit down together to have a conversation about gratitude. Find out what your child feels grateful for and remember, there’s nothing too small to appreciate! Encourage the conversation by being sure to share the things for which you are thankful.

Write each idea down on the leaves. Younger children can draw their expression of gratitude, or an adult or older child can write it for them. There’s no wrong way to record your ideas!

Once all of the leaves have been written or drawn on, it’s time to assemble the garland. Tape your length of string or yarn from each end across a stretch of wall, at a height any family member can reach. Everyone can take turns either taping or stapling their gratitude leaves to the string (making sure not to tape or staple the leaf to the wall!).

Once all the leaves are attached, leave the grateful garland where it is, or move it to another area of your home for everyone to admire and reflect upon!