The holidays are a special time when families can enjoy each other’s company away from the pressures of work and school. It can also be an opportunity for parents to expand their child’s learning and development by engaging in activities that cultivate important character traits such as gratitude.
Simply encouraging feelings of thankfulness for the people, experiences and possessions in your child’s life can be a great way to help them understand the joy of gratitude, but there are also more creative ways to foster this. For example, the curriculum at Kiddie Academy® focuses on guiding young learners to become more thoughtful, considerate and emotionally aware. Some of the activities we facilitate within our Academies that you can do with your little one at home include:
- Appreciation Tree: Create an appreciation tree together at home. Cut out leaf shapes from colored paper and ask your child to write or draw something they are thankful for on a leaf. Then, attach the leaves to a branch or board to form a beautiful display. This visual representation of gratitude will serve as a daily reminder of all the things that bring us joy.
- Thankful Cards: Writing down what we appreciate about our friends and families makes everyone feel good—both the sender and the recipient. To facilitate this activity, purchase blank cards or fold printer paper and scribe the note as your child tells you what they want to say. Have your child illustrate a picture to go along with the note. This project helps children practice expressing appreciation and encourages them to recognize and celebrate the unique qualities in their loved ones!
- Gratitude Jar: Set up a gratitude jar at home. Each day, have everyone write down one thing they are thankful for on a slip of paper and place it in the jar. At the end of the month, gather together to read the notes aloud. This activity not only reinforces being grateful but also creates a collective sense of appreciation for the small joys in life.
Teaching children the power of gratitude has a big impact on their ability to thrive in the future. A grateful child is more likely to empathize with others and understand their feelings, leading to strong emotional intelligence. By recognizing the impact of their actions, your child can learn to navigate social situations with awareness and compassion.
However, it’s important to remember that young children are naturally inclined to be self-focused. By giving young children between the ages of 2 and 3 years old gentle encouragement to express thanks, they are better able to grasp the concept of gratitude independently by the time they reach 3 to 5 years old.
Learning to be thankful requires constant modeling and practice. By demonstrating our own appreciation and incorporating these concepts into our daily lives, we can create an environment where appreciation flourishes.
