A Thanksgiving Craft: Make a Thankful Tree

The Thankful Tree: A Thanksgiving Craft

Thanksgiving: A time with family and friends to reflect on all that we have. All the things we can be thankful for.

What kinds of things are you thankful for? Family, a job, your faith, a roof over your head, food in your pantry. I’m sure you have many may more things on your list.

As we take time to be grateful, let’s see what we can do to encourage the attitude of gratitude in our kids. That is sometimes a little challenging because they often have blurred lines between their needs and wants/expectations, so there are many things they take for granted. Those things we take for granted often don’t make it on our thankful list.

Ask your kids what they are thankful for. (Family, pets, toys, food)

The bible has quite a bit to say about giving thanks.

Praise the LORD. Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever. Psalm 106:1
Psalm 107:1 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.
Hebrews 12:28-29 Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful
Colossians 3:17 and whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

A Thanksgiving Craft

The thankful tree was a way that we tried to get our kids to think about all the reasons they have to be thankful. The thankful tree then became a visual reminder of all the reasons we have to be thankful.

Want to do this great Thanksgiving craft? If so, I created the pages for you to print out! There are three different pages. The first one is a tree and leaves- use this one per person. The second and third pages are two trees on one and all leaves on the other.

If you choose one page per person, it is a coloring craft. Everyone chooses their own leaf colors and they will color the leaves themselves.

If you choose the other, you can make copies of the trees on brown paper, and then copy the leaves on colored paper, so all that is needed is cut out the tree and leaves. This eliminates the coloring.

The Thankful Tree

Think through all the things you are thankful for, then choose five of them to write on the leaves. 5 reasons you are thankful, one on each leaf. You may need to help younger children to write on their leaves, or pair the kids together and let the older kids help the younger.

Once all the leaves are filled out, using a glue stick, dab some glue on the back of each leaf and stick it on the tree. (You could use tape as well) Once all the leaves are attached, turn the tree over and apply the magnet, and write your name on the tree and set it aside to dry.

Once complete, the Thankful Tree becomes a visual representation of our thankfulness. Every time we look at the tree we are reminded of all the reasons we have to be thankful. We can even say a quick prayer and thank God for each leaf.