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13 Great Ideas for Practicing Gratitude During Thanksgiving and Year-Round

By Barbara Rainey

First posted on EverThineHome.com



The more I learn about, think about, and practice gratitude, the more I realize it is one of the best ways of demonstrating our faith in God. Thanksgiving week provides an opportunity to teach your children about the value of showing gratitude as a way of life—all year long.


1 Thessalonians 5:18 tells us to “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus.” Gratitude is a mindset to be cultivated and grown. The more you focus on gratitude, the more you truly desire to give thanks in all things, the more it becomes a practiced way of life every day.



Here are some ideas for helping you and your family cultivate and train your hearts and minds to be more grateful: two new resources from our Etsy store, five Thanksgiving crafts for kids (from my friend Janel Breitenstein), and then six ideas for practicing gratitude every week.


Ready to grow in gratitude this season?


Two new Thanksgiving resources from the Ever Thine Home Etsy store:


1. I promised my family that I would create a shorter version of my book, Thanksgiving, A Time to Remember, which tells the story of the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving. So this year we present a 10-15 minute version that can be downloaded and read on a tablet. You can also print hard copies, which is what I’m doing for our family this year. Reading the story of the Pilgrims every year at Thanksgiving encourages gratitude both for all they sacrificed and for all the benefits we enjoy today. I hope this shorter version makes it easier for your family to add this reading tradition to your Thanksgiving Day every year. You can find the ebook here.



2. Another new item in our Etsy store is a template for a “gratitude tree.” This is a really fun way to get your whole family involved in writing down what you are grateful for! The leaf template is easy to print at home and then add to a branch from your yard or a cutout tree from construction paper.


Use this leaf template to create your own gratitude tree! You can cut as many leaves as you want and have each family member write what they are thankful for each day. Punch a hole in the leaves and tie a string on to hang them, or simply use tape or glue to hang each leaf.



These are just two of our Thanksgiving resources in our Etsy store. You can find all of them here.



5 Easy Crafts to Encourage Your Children to Be Grateful on Thanksgiving, by Janel Breitenstein


1. Create a paper chain to countdown to Thanksgiving. As the links are removed each day, kids can write something new for which they’re thankful. Keep the slips in a jar and have them read random selections at Thanksgiving dinner.


2. Craft thank-you cards together to send to meaningful people in their lives. Use a 3-D material, like felt or craft foam, to add excitement and sensory interest for younger children. Or use vibrant colors clipped from magazines to form the feathers of a funky turkey on the card front.


3. Create a “Give Thanks” banner and hang it in your home to remind your whole family to give thanks during this season. You could even encourage each family member to write specific things they are grateful for on the back of each letter. Click