We should be grateful for what we have year-round, but Thanksgiving is the time when we show it the most. There are many ways to show gratitude and to spread the love by doing acts of kindness, but on Thanksgiving Day, there are some activities you and your family can do to share what you are thankful for. These activities are especially fun if you have kids (although that’s definitely not a requirement for a fun craft activity!). Here are 5 activities to show thanks on Thanksgiving:
1. Gratitude Pumpkin
I love this idea because you can use a real pumpkin OR you can use a faux pumpkin and use it for decor every year! Either way, make sure to clean off the pumpkin before use, otherwise, the permanent marker will stick to the dirt, making it difficult to write on. Tie a beautiful strand of your favorite ribbon around the stem to make it extra photo-worthy! Everyone can take turns writing what they’re thankful for on the pumpkin. You can choose to sign your name next to your answer or make it a game and guess who wrote what based on the handwriting! This also doubles as a wonderful centerpiece.
2. Conversation Starters
I love this idea because it gets everyone talking! Put a card with a question on it next to everyone’s place setting and take turns going around and answering questions. There are a ton of free printables on Pinterest or you can make up your own questions! Here are some examples: “Tell us something you are grateful for about the person across from you.” “If you could invite anyone to Thanksgiving dinner, who would it be and why?”. If you have kids at home, get them involved in making up questions. They’ll love it!
3. Thankful Tree
There are a few ways you can make this one (and about a zillion templates on Pinterest!), but essentially, you print out an empty tree trunk, cut out some fall colored leaves, and have everyone write down what they’re thankful for on the leaves. When it’s finished, you can have it framed and use for fall decor! You could add on to this by giving everyone their own tree, or making one giant tree for the whole family. It’s a great tradition to start!
4. Gratitude/Thankful Game
Have you ever played pick up sticks as a kid? This game is essentially that, but with a grateful twist! Get some pick-up sticks (or sticks with about 5 different colors) and toss them down. Each colored stick corresponds to a question: Name a person you are thankful for, name a place you are thankful for, name a food you are thankful for, name a thing you are thankful for, and name anything of your choice that you are thankful for. Whenever someone picks up a stick, they answer the question. Remember, if you move other sticks, you lose your turn. The person with the most sticks at the end wins the game (and maybe gets to pick their pie first!).
5. Gratitude Jar
This one is great because you can personalize it any way you want! Pick out your favorite clear vase or jar and get some smaller rectangles of paper (any color you want). Have everyone write down what they are thankful for on as many pieces of paper as they want, fold them up, and place them in the jar. Then at dinner, take turns taking a piece of paper out and reading them out loud. It’s really nice to hear what everyone is thankful for!
Here at Squeaky Green House Clean, we want you to know that we are thankful for you! We love making your homes sparkling clean, without the chemicals, and getting to meet so many amazing people along the way. What are you thankful for? Leave us a comment below!
XOXO,
Your Squeaky Green Team
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