A time to be thankful

Thanksgiving is the time that we take a step back, take a look around, and stop to appreciate the things we have. It's a time of family, friends, food, and football! There are so many things to be thankful for- little things that we often times take for granted, the things we don't realize we have until they are gone, and the memories we create and share with one another. In the tradition of giving thanks, I decided to have the boys make a thankful tree. It was so much fun. I mean what boy isn't going to have fun running around the yard picking up rocks, leaves and big sticks!? Then we came inside and talked about the things we were thankful for and why we were thankful for them. The boys made sure that each family member and each friend was listed out, by name. I just thought that was so sweet and thoughtful, oh how I love these boys!

Thankful Tree

What you'll need: 

a mason jar

small rocks

leaves

big sticks

construction paper

markers/crayons

scissors

To Make:

Let your kids run around outside and pick up small rocks, leaves and big sticks for you. Gather all your items up and layer them in your mason jar. Put the rocks on bottom, then some leaves, then your sticks. Make sure you have long enough so that they hang over the top of the jar. 

Then let your kids color on some construction paper. If you have older kids you can have them write down the things they are thankful for on the paper instead of coloring. For the younger ones, just let them color to their hearts content. 

As we colored, we talked about the things we are thankful for. I wrote the words on the paper after the boys were finished, that way their artwork would be displayed on each leaf of our thankful tree. To make the leafs, cut out each word, cut a small hole at one side, and hang on the sticks of your tree. 

We talked about A LOT of things and people that we are thankful for. I decided, especially having younger boys and the fact that they were done running around and coloring so I was beginning to lose their interest, to only do a few leafs. We focused on the big things in life that we are thankful for everyday - Family, Friends, Love, Teachers, Home, Jesus, oh and of course Toys! 

What are you thankful for?