Count Your Blessings in a Gratitude Jar
Want to encourage gratitude in your kids and in yourself in this challenging Thanksgiving season? Make a "Count Your Blessings" Gratitude Jar! This is a very fast and easy project that may make a lifetime of difference.
Repost of a favorite project
This is a repost of one of my favorite projects. In this difficult season it is ever more important to nurture gratitude and thanks. Thankfulness helps us refocus on all we have and that we can all be grateful for something! As we focus on gratefulness may we be quick with a thank you and an expression of kindness to others in word and deed. The world is changed by many small kindnesses. Teach your children well.
Encourage Gratitude!
Teaching Thankfulness With a Gratitude Jar
Seems that the retailers hop right over Thanksgiving to Christmas. I'm always a bit sad about that and think perhaps it encourages us to want more stuff instead of being grateful for all that we do have. Go ahead and grab the opportunity to encourage gratitude in yourself and in your grands this November!
Making A Gratitude Jar
The first step of this easy project is to find the perfect container for your gratitude jars. This can be anything you have that will hold a series of written notes- like a mason jar, jewelry box, cookie jar or gift box. Let your kids choose the container they would like for this project. If this is a permanent fixture in your home, you may want to go together and purchase that perfect jar that can sit on the counter all year long! There are a lot of these types of treasures at a second hand store which is a fun adventure.
What is Gratitude?
This is the perfect time to introduce the concept of gratitude to your children. Perhaps you can tell a story of someone you know that keeps a gratitude journal or practices being grateful, or review the story of the first Thanksgiving. You can challenge them to a month of "counting our blessings" where you will both look for things each day that you are thankful for and write them on notes or draw pictures to slip into the gratitude jar. On Thanksgiving Day, whether together or apart, the notes are taken out and read.
Gratitude Jar Labels
Make a copy of the Free Gratitude Jar Labels made especially for you to use with your container (printing on card stock would be helpful). You can color the labels on the pre-made tags or use the blank tags to color and write your own saying if you wish.
Gratitude Jar Labels
Cut out the tag and tape it to your gratitude jar or tie it on with a pretty ribbon.
Write a Note
Don't forget to have some 3x5" notecards or a note pad and pen handy to write your notes each day!
It's amazing how many things we have in our lives to be thankful for when we are looking! This is sure to be fun for you as well as your kids.
A Year of Gratitude?
Who knows, you may want to keep the gratitude jar out for the whole year to keep the focus on the many blessings in our lives. They say there are a multitude of blessings that come from counting our blessings! Let's start by teaching Thankfulness with a gratitude jar.
My first note was about thankfulness for my grandkids- how about you?
Enjoy!
You'll Need:
- Gratitude jar- Glass Jars
or container of your choice - Free Printed labels for your gratitude jar
- Markers, crayons or colored pencils
- Scissors
- Scotch Tape
- Ribbon about 2 feet long (optional)
- Index Cards, White, 3x5 or notepad
- Pen or pencil
or container of your choice
or notepadInstructions:
- Choose or purchase a gratitude jar container.
- Color a label for the gratitude jar.
- Cut out the label and attach it to the container with tape or a ribbon.
- Write your first note and slip it into the gratitude jar
- What are you thankful for today?
Welcome to Nana’s! Where there’s fun things to do with your “grand” kids!
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