Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; His love endures forever. -Psalm 107:1
Sometimes, Thanksgiving can get overlooked by the upcoming Christmas season. But it’s important that we teach our children the art of giving thanks. How can we instill in our kids’ thankful hearts? Below are some ideas for imparting the central theme of Thanksgiving.
Bless it Forward
We have all heard about paying it forward. Is there someone in your child’s class who could use some Thanksgiving blessings? Children are very creative and can come up will all kinds of ideas on how to bless those in their sphere. Have your children make a list of who they would like to bless and how. Remind them that the Lord has blessed us, and He desires us to bless others. If they can’t think of anything, here is a list to start:
- Thank you notes
- Homemade cookies
- Wooden crosses made from popsicle sticks
- Pumpkin pies/pumpkin-flavored cupcakes
- Hand-written letters
Thanksgiving Bingo
Make a blank Bingo card – Or you can print the one we made here. In each box, write simple activities that your children can do for others: make their siblings’ bed, clear the table after dinner, take some dessert to an elderly neighbor, rake the leaves, etc. When your child does an activity, have them sign their initials or color it in with a crayon (for multiple children – have each child pick a color). When they get a row of thankful acts, have them plan an activity for the family to do or give them a reward. Children will demonstrate thankful acts of service and learn the importance of giving themselves for the benefit of others.
Thanking a Veteran
This month celebrates Veteran’s Day. Military men and women love to receive notes of gratefulness for what they do each day to protect our freedoms. Teaching our children to be thankful for the freedoms we have is so important. Children can write letters and cards, make cookies, or put together care packages to be delivered. Operation Gratitude is an organization that strives to express thankfulness to our military. Find ideas, suggestions, and testimonials of how these cards and letters impacted military members. You can find out more at: https://www.operationgratitude.com/volunteer/anywhere/letters/
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” John 15:13
Thanksgiving is a holiday to be thankful for our many blessings. We should encourage our kids to be thankful and grateful and this can be done using simple gestures and tasks. We talk about the difference between being thankful and grateful and offer even more ideas in our Thanksgiving podcast episode!
