It’s so important to teach kids about gratitude but it can be a tricky concept to teach to children. Here’s a fun way to start the conversation – a Thankfulness Hand Print Tree! Work gratitude into the conversation while you’re tracing those cute hands on fall-colored paper. Mention their favorite places, things and people and write them on the hand print. The more things to be grateful for, the bigger the tree! This makes a great activity to keep kids happy during a large family gathering.
Supplies:
- Construction paper (orange, red, yellow, brown and/or other earth tones)
- Pencil
- Scissors
- Marker
- Tape
Instructions
- First decide whether you want to make one large group Thankfulness Hand Print Tree or individual trees for each child. We made both!
2. Using a pencil, trace your child’s hand prints onto the construction paper. These will be the leaves.
3. Cut brown construction paper in half lengthwise to make the trunk.
4. Cut out the hand prints. To make it quicker, we stacked four pieces of construction paper so that when we cut each traced hand, it made four hand prints.
5. Once you have all your hand prints cut out, ask your child to tell you all the things they are thankful for. Use a marker to write the things they are thankful for on the hand prints.
6. If you are making a large wall or door Thankfulness Tree, tape the brown trunk paper up and then tape the hand print leaves coming off the top of the trunk.
7. If each child is making their own individual tree, tape the leaves to a brown strip of construction paper then tape the hand print leaves coming off the top of the trunk.
This project makes a great conversation piece! Later, after dinner, have the children present their tree to the family gathered around. Each child can tell what they are thankful for and why.
