This gratitude tree for kids will become a new family tradition in your home. There are so many different ways to hold space for gratitude during the month of November, but one of my new favorite ways is to put together a gratitude tree. Our gratitude tree prompts intentional thankfulness and family conversation during the entire month. It also serves as a decoration that is classic and holds value in our home.

How to Create Gratitude Tree

In the past, I tried to put together one of those beautiful brown paper trees with construction paper leaves like our teachers would create in the classroom. I got nowhere with it, as it became hard to secure and keep up the entire month. Since then, I have discovered the simplicity and beauty behind a simple faux tree that sits on our dinner table. You will need a few simple supplies to create your tree.

Here is what you will need for your gratitude tree:

1. A vase or container to hold your sticks. I found our clear glass container at a thrift store for $2.99
2. Something to hold your sticks in place. I stuffed our narrow glass vase with white tissue paper and added a couple led timer votives in to the tissue paper. This is optional, but adds a great glow to the vase. You can also use towels, air dry clay, or floral styrofoam from the Dollar Tree.
3. Sticks! Sticks are a bit important in this DIY and there are a couple options. First, you could simply choose sticks from nature. This is a great idea as it cuts down on the decorations you have to store during the year. When you are done, just simply give it back to nature. The other option is the LED lit twigs that are bendable and have illuminating options. These are the LED Sticks we chose to use.
4. Paper, leaves, or recycled items for leaves – You can get as creative or be as simple as you would like with this. I have a free Thanksgiving Early Learning Bundle that has leaf templates with 25 gratitude prompts written on them. You could also make beeswax dipped leaves using real leaves and beeswax.

Putting Together Your Gratitude Tree

To put your tree together, put whatever you chose to use to hold your sticks in place inside the vase/canister. Stick your twigs in the vase, adding more of the tissue or clay as needed to hold things in place. If your glass container is clear, like mine, consider adding a couple LED timer votives inside the sheets of tissue to illuminate the vase.

When your twigs are secure, move them around until you find the position that creates a tree like shape. You may want to consider the taller sticks in the center. If you are using the same LED twigs we chose, bend the branches slightly to add character. I bent the ends of the sticks just slightly to create a realistic feel.

Add any other decorations or touches you think you will need. I added a bow around the neck of the vase, but you could choose to add dried flowers or real leaves on yours.

Adding to your Gratitude Tree

Each day add a new leaf to the tree. I used the leaf cutouts and gratitude prompts that are included in my free Thanksgiving Learning Bundle. I printed the leaves on some paper we had used the week before for watercolor painting. You can also print or cut out leaves from construction paper or colored vellum paper. Another option is to use real leaves you find in nature.

In our home, we choose to do our gratitude tree and adding of leaves at dinner. I choose one leaf, that includes a prompt, and we go around the table answering the question. Some of the prompts include, name a friend you are thankful for or something you are thankful for at the park.

Each of us sharing is helping my son learn about gratitude and how it can be different from each person.

I write my son’s answer on the leaf, poke a hole in the top near the stem, and tie it to a branch. Slowly our tree fills with an abundance of things in life to be thankful for.

Books to Help Your Child Learn About Gratitude

If you are looking for books to help your child learn about gratitude, consider these books:

1. Apple Cake, A Gratitude by Dawn Casey
2. A Very Thankful Prayer by Bonnie Rickner Jensen
3. God Gave Us Thankful Hearts by Lisa Tawn Bergren
4. Give Thanks to the Lord by Karma Wilson

Celebrating God’s Blessings in November

As we journey through fall in to the Christmas Season, our family likes to hold space for gratitude for the blessings we have in our life. Big or small, our blessings are still something to be thankful for. During the month of November we also focus on prayer and preparing our hearts for the Advent Season.

My hope is that you found this post helpful and that you will download the Thanksgiving Early Learning Bundle to use as a family this year.