I love the idea of actually documenting the things we are thankful for this time of year, and even though we are thankful all year round, Thanksgiving is the perfect time to take a moment to really think about each blessing and recognize them all. I wanted to get our children involved, so I enlisted their help with making our family’s Thanksgiving tree.
To make this Thanksgiving tree, here’s what I used:
- Tree branches (sticks from the yard will work great)
- Cardstock (We used red, yellow and orange to mimic fall leaves)
- Scissors
- A leaf-shaped template (you can freehand this, or Google “leaf printables” and print one out.)
- Mini Hole Punch
- Bakers Twine
- Gold Sharpie Pen
- Label or Tag (I purchased a pack of pretty-shaped tags at the craft store to use on the front of my vase.)
- Alphabet Stamps and Ink Pad (Optional – I used these to stamp “give thanks” on the front of my tag which I hung on the front of my vase.)
First, trace and cut out your leaves.
I wanted a completely honest, unrevised list of things that my boys are thankful for, so I wrote down each thing they said and I included them all – even “magnets” and “staplers” (very important things according to my 3 year-old).
This is a great opportunity to get your whole family involved. If you are hosting Thanksgiving dinner at your house, I think it would be really fun to have each guest write one thing they are thankful for on a leaf as they arrive, and hang it on the tree.
Next, punch a small hole at the top of each leaf. I alternated directions so some of my leaf tips point the the left and some to the right. I used baker’s twine to tie each leaf to the branches.
For the label on the front of the vase, you can stamp your message (“Give Thanks” or “Happy Thanksgiving” or “We Are Thankful”, or whatever you choose) or just write it with your Sharpie pen. Use baker’s twine to tie it to your vase or urn.
You could add all the leaves at once, or have everyone add one leaf per day throughout the month. There’s obviously no wrong way to do it – it’s just a fun project and a great opportunity to start a conversation with your kids about being thankful.
Does your family have any crafty Thanksgiving traditions? I mentioned my Thanksgiving plans here. What are yours?
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I do this with my preschool class every year and we call it a “Gratitude Tree”… such a lovely exercise! They each get to hang their leaves on the tree and then we pray over it, thanking God for all our blessings. We’re traveling for Thanksgiving this year, so we’ll be doing this at my MIL’s next week for the family.
Love that you write down everything they say…precious and important!
xo Heidi
That’s great that you do this with your class! It’s a great preschool activity. Have a great Thanksgiving, Heidi!
This turned out so pretty and I love their simple answers, crayons and food how cute is that!