Being thankful often means we’ve taken some time to slow down, think about the things that are most important to us, and remember the people who have made positive impacts on our lives. And practicing gratitude — even in difficult times — is rewarding for the whole family. When we focus on what we are grateful for, it brings us happiness. To talk with your child about gratitude, thankfulness, and appreciating those who help us, start with a few picture books. Help them identify things that make them feel good inside, like a favorite stuffed animal or a visit from grandma. Then use the activities below to explore how your family can take time to recognize the things they’re grateful for on Thanksgiving Day and all year long.
Questions to Ask Your Child
- Point out when someone does something nice or helpful for your child. “Your box of books is so heavy! I saw your sister helped you carry it into the other room. What can you do to let her know that you appreciate her help?”
- Build gratefulness into your routines to create a habit of being thankful. At dinnertime, before you go to sleep, or before your family starts the day, ask “What is something we’re grateful for today?”
Play and Learn Together With Children 2 to 5
For young children, practicing gratitude starts with saying “thank you.” Have your child think of a few people who have been nice or helpful, then make DIY thank-you notes to show gratitude. Creating and displaying a paper gratitude turkey or a thankful tree in your home is a great way to help the whole family remember to be grateful. And you can add new leaves or feathers as new ideas come up!
Learn Along Bingo for Ages 2-5: Gratitude
Play and learn with this activity packet all about gratitude!
Make Your Own Thank You Cards
15 min activityMaking a homemade card is one way your child can say thank you to a friend, relative, or teacher.
Thankful Tree
45 min activityCelebrate what you're thankful for by creating a festive centerpiece for your Thanksgiving table.
Make a Thankful Turkey
30 min activityMake a thankful turkey and talk about gratitude with this cute Thanksgiving craft!
Give Thanks With a Gratitude Jar
20 min activityCreating a gratitude jar is a wonderful and easy way to help your child acknowledge the things that they are thankful for! Try it out with this gratitude activity for kids.
Make a Grateful Garland With Your Family
30 min activityExplore all there is to be thankful for with a festive and fun gratitude garland!
Make a Card
Your child can express creativity by using backgrounds, stickers, shapes, and colors to create and print a greeting card featuring Daniel Tiger and his friends.
Picture Books to Help You Slow Down and Say Thanks
This Thanksgiving, pick up a good book to read aloud with your children and start your own conversation about what makes you feel grateful.
Play and Learn Together With Children 6 to 8
Have older children ask what members of the family are thankful for, and record the answers. Are the adults thankful for the same things as the kids? What things are different and what things are the same? Then, ask your child to turn those answers into a gratitude jar filled with notes about the things that make your family grateful. Set a time to read them all at once or pull a couple notes out each day to read and discuss.
Learn Along Bingo for Ages 6-8: Gratitude
Play and learn with this activity packet all about gratitude!
Books to Inspire Gratitude
Thanksgiving can be a difficult concept for young kids to understand. Check out these books to help show your kids why being thankful is so important.
Make a Gratitude Jar
This Thanksgiving, take some time to reflect on what you and your child are thankful for. Gather around to open your jar and read all of the reasons you have to be thankful!
Thanksgiving Time Capsule
This hands-on activity is a great way to learn about and model the idea of thankfulness.
Thanksgiving Venn Diagram
What will your family agree on while gathered around the dinner table this year? Use this Thankfulness Venn Diagram Activity to figure it out on Thanksgiving Day!
Talking About Gratitude with Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum
Gratitude means being grateful and thankful for what you have and the people around you. Watch this video from Xavier Riddle and then talk about what happened in the video.
Play and Learn By Myself
Thanksgiving Thankful Notes
This Thanksgiving, try these personal thankful notes as a way to teach your child about being truly thankful.
Cyberchase Gratitude Grams
Show your friends and family you're grateful for them with these Cyberchase gratitude grams!
Daniel Tiger Thankfulness Cards
Talk with your child about appreciation and giving thanks this Thanksgiving.
Read More
Raising Grateful Kids: Why Giving Thanks Is Good for the Soul
Gratitude is good for you — and for your kids. Here are helpful tips for raising grateful kids.
Finding Gratitude During Difficult Times
Acknowledge and cultivate feelings of gratitude in your family this holiday season.
Thanksgiving: Practicing Gratitude and Honoring the Real Story
This Thanksgiving, help your child build critical thinking skills and give them a true understanding of all there is to be thankful for.
For Greater Happiness, Teach Gratitude
Practicing gratitude leads to greater overall happiness. Try a few of these strategies to help your family engage in meaningful discussions about gratitude.