A book inspired gratitude activity for kids and families - includes a free Thankful printable!
We have so many things to be thankful for in our lives, and as we approach Thanksgiving I'm trying to teach my preschoolers about gratitude. As I often do, I first turned to a book to start the conversation on giving thanks. I've discovered a wonderful new book on gratitude for children and created a family activity & printable sign to go along with it.
I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. This post contains affiliate links. See my Disclosure Policy for details.
We began with a new children's book, Thankful by Eileen Spinelli, illustrated by Archie Preston. We absolutely loved this book! It is lighthearted and fun, and captures the wonderful things that we should be grateful for in every day life.
Thankful is written with a simple rhyming cadence that is easy to read aloud and enjoyable for preschoolers. The illustrations are whimsical, capturing the colors of Fall as they follow a family who is thankful for the small blessings of each day. With examples like, "the doctor is thankful when patients get well," Thankful presents gratitude in a way that very young children can understand.
My preschoolers truly enjoyed Thankful. It provided an opportunity for us to talk about appreciating things we encounter each day, and to remember our blessings. It is a perfect Thanksgiving themed children's book but since it is not focused on the holiday, it is a great read any time of year.
After reading Thankful together, I wanted to give the boys (and myself) the opportunity to talk about the things that we are thankful for. I put together an activity that we can do every day to remember to give thanks for our blessings.
To create your own Family Thankful sign, you will need:
- 8x10 Picture Frame with a glass or plastic front
- Free Printable Thankful Sign
- Chalk Markers
Print out your Thankful Sign (I recommend printing on card stock). Click the button below to download yours.
Trim the excess edges and place it in your 8x10 frame. Now you can use your chalk markers to fill in what you are thankful for on the front of your frame. The chalk markers are awesome because you can wipe them off easily and update your sign every day!
FREE
Trim the excess edges and place it in your 8x10 frame. Now you can use your chalk markers to fill in what you are thankful for on the front of your frame. The chalk markers are awesome because you can wipe them off easily and update your sign every day!
Be creative! Use the blank space on the sign to write or draw the things that your family gives thanks for each day. This is a fantastic way to allow children to say what they are thankful for and to remind everyone in the family of the small blessings in life. You can use it as a Thanksgiving countdown activity, a fun decoration, or keep it up all year long as a reminder of the things you are grateful for.
Want more Thankgiving ideas and activities? Check out all our Thanksgiving posts here.
Love free printables? Browse our collection here.