Teach Kids Gratitude: 10 Easy Ways to Make a Big Difference

Inside: Teach kids to practice gratitude with fun activities, creative journaling, and key Bible verses. Plus get a free printable gratitude journal for kids. (Click here to jump right to the journal.)

This morning I picked up a book of Bible promises for kids. Bible verses are arranged by topic–friendship, peace, trust, etc.–so when you have a need for one of these things, you can easily find scripture about it.

This one had 52 topical chapters, but none devoted to thankfulness. That’s not a criticism. (How could one book possibly cover all the needs the Bible can meet in our lives?) But it did make me think: Do we see developing a thankful heart–not just as an obligation to others–but as a critical component to our own happiness, well being, and spiritual growth?

As parents, we are in a wonderful position to teach our kids that thankfulness is more than just a way to check the “polite” box. Thankfulness is even more than a way to build healthy relationships. Being grateful for the blessings in our lives is a critical pathway to the abundant life God wants for us.

The Benefits of Thankfulness for Kids

The Bible says “give thanks” 73 times and “thanksgiving” 42 times–not to mention all the other forms of the words “thanks” and “gratefulness.” Apparently, it’s important enough to mention many, many times. (And maybe God gave us lots of reminders because He knows how easily we can take things for granted.) 

I believe there’s another reason “give thanks” is so common in scripture: the Author of Life knows gratitude is good for us. Like all His teachings, giving thanks leads to a fuller, happier life for us and those around us. 

Just a few of the scientific benefits of practicing gratitude ¹ include improved:

• Relationships
• Physical Health
• Psychological Well Being and Happiness
• Empathy
• Sleep (!!!)
• Self-Esteem
• Mental Strength

Those are all winners in my book. Yep, I can see why a loving God encourages us to be thankful.

10 Ways to Cultivate Gratitude with Kids

Let’s look at 10 low-lift activities and practices to help kids grow in gratitude. Even choosing one or two throughout the year can help refocus your family on what matters and bring a greater sense of joy and happiness.

Write or Draw Reasons for Gratitude

Writing down what you are thankful for can boost the benefits of gratitude even more, and our first four ways focus on just that! For some people, a daily dose of gratitude provides the most benefit. For others, three times a week or even once a week may be better. The important thing is not to let a gratitude journal or writing prompt turn into one more “should” in your life. Explore different methods, encourage your kids to experiment, and find what works for each of you.   

#1 Family Gratitude Journal: Ring the Bell

If you have young kids or want a fun way to create a shared gratitude journal, set up an easel or other spot so family members can draw or write thanksgivings as they think about them throughout the day. To add some fun, hang a bell by your thankfulness list. When a family member adds something, they get to ring the bell. This will help keep it on everyone’s minds and add a little extra motivation for giving thanks! (Don’t forget to snap a photo so you can look back on your “journal.”)

#2 Family Gratitude Journal: Sticky Notes

Another way to do a shared gratitude journal is to use sticky notes. Family members can put them around the house–maybe on the kitchen counter if they are thankful for mom or dad’s cooking or on their pajama drawer if they are thankful for soft things to sleep in. Whenever someone finds a sticky note, they can move it to a designated spot. After a while, you’ll end up with a wall of thankfulness.

#3 Family Gratitude Journal: Seasonal Expressions

It’s important to talk about gratitude with your family all year long, not just when cute turkey and scarecrow decorations appear. A fun way to keep gratitude top of mind is to use a seasonal item as a place to record what kids and other family members are thankful for. You can:

• Write thanks on a pumpkin
• Make a gratitude tree
• Use Christmas ornaments or make a paper-chain garland
• Cut out hearts and post them around
• Use a canvas, sidewalk chalk, or other artistic element to express gratitude

I know some of you have already spawned 10 additional ideas (ahem, leave them in the comments).

#4 Individual Gratitude Journal: Inspire Gratitude Journal for Kids (Free Printable)

For a fun, quick way to give each person their own journaling space, check out this free printable gratitude journal, made with busy families in mind.

The Inspire Gratitude Journal for Kids is a flexible tool families can use to focus their hearts on God’s goodness and practice gratitude. 

In just a few minutes, kids can:

• Capture how they feel (a gentle reminder that our feelings matter and we can practice gratitude in all kinds of circumstances) 
• Write down what they are thankful for 
• Read a Bible verse to inspire thanks (a different verse on each page helps kids stay rooted in scripture)
• Record a blessing experienced that day (by reflecting on the day, kids learn to see God’s faithfulness)

If kids have trouble coming up with something new to be thankful for each day, our 11 thankfulness prompts are there to help.

Because the tool is free and downloadable, you can experiment with different ways to use it as you teach your kids to practice gratitude. The seven pages are designed simply so you can use them on your own schedule and print them as many times as you like. (You’ll also get the streamlined edition with two days per page.)

LEARN Scripture about Giving Thanks

The Bible holds beautiful keys to gratitude that can transform us from the inside out.

#5 Memorize Scripture

When we memorize scripture, we have access to words of life no matter where we are or what we are doing! God’s word is powerful, and hiding it in our hearts can change us for the better like nothing else. 

3 Bible Verses to Teach Kids Gratitude

Each of the verses below is included in our Inspire Gratitude Journal for Kids (along with three others). Here are some ways to talk about them with kids as you practice. (INCLUDE VIDEOS)

• I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart; I will recount all of your wonderful deeds. Psalm 9:1
  • If you’ve ever seen someone force a “thanks” as they looked at their shoes, you understand that how we give thanks matters. Let’s practice giving thanks with our whole heart.
  • One motivation for giving thanks is all of the wonderful things God does in our lives. Help your kids reflect on where they see God at work around them and then thank him.
• Hallelujah! Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his faithful love endures forever. Psalm 106:1
  • Another reason to give thanks is because of who God is. So many times in the Bible, “give thanks” is followed by “for he is good” and/or “for his faithful/steadfast love endures forever.” It’s a great reminder that when we root ourselves in the truth of God’s goodness, we respond with gratitude.
• Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16–18
  • God encourages us to give thanks, pray, and rejoice in all situations. I still struggle with these practices, but I love that it is not too late to grow into them and to teach my kids to do the same.

another Scripture and Prayer Resource

For printable Bible verse cards, bookmarks, and tear-off sheets, check out: 3 Simple Tools for Raising Resilient Kids.

#6 Paraphrase Scripture

To expand kids’ understanding, you could also help them paraphrase the verse into “kid speak.” This weekend, I watched fellow blog author and children’s minister Karis McQuinn work on this with kids ages 5 to 10 during a virtual Sunday School meeting.

She read Psalm 117 and then, phrase by phrase, asked them to generate words that more closely matched their everyday language. They really had to put on their thinking caps, but as they wrestled with it, their understanding of the verse became much deeper than if she had just told them “this phrase means that.”

This is a meaningful, memorable activity to do with kids anytime you run into some unfamiliar words or just want to take a few minutes to process scripture in a deeper way.

More Ways to Give Thanks with kids

#7 Get Active: Gratitude Scavenger Hunt

What is a Gratitude Scavenger Hunt?

In this gratitude activity, family members hunt for items on the list like “something yummy” and “a gift you’ve received.” I love the idea of giving thanks for treasured items we can touch and things that we might overlook as we go about our busy lives. 

Ways to Wrap Up Your Gratitude Scavenger Hunt

After family members collect their items, come back together to share by:

• Having show-and-tell
• Saying a prayer, touching or holding up each item while giving thanks to the Lord
• Making a little video journal to look back on

If you have young kids or wiggle-worms, be sure not to spend too much time on this portion. Keep it brief and fun!

Spark More Conversations about Gratitude with Kids

This Gratitude Scavenger Hunt could be a great way to start a conversation with your kids about the even more valuable things that we can’t touch. You can use questions like:

• What would it look like if you could do a gratitude scavenger hunt where you collect peace, friendship, and wisdom?
• Where have you seen God this week?

Get Your Gratitude Scavenger Hunt for Kids

Pop your info in below to grab our Gratitude Scavenger Hunt for kids and become our email friend. It’s fun, free, and we promise not to clutter your inbox.

#8 Use Children’s Books to Teach Kids to Practice Gratitude

An engaging story or a beautiful book can inspire kids and open their hearts. That’s why I love finding brilliant children’s books that can help me teach kids gratitude. Talk about making my job easier!

This post originally contained three fun, multi-cultural books about gratitude, which I paired with 3 simple gratitude activities. Over the years, I’ve added even more gratitude books to my favorites list, so it only made sense to share my BIG LIST with you.

Head over to this post with 15 gratitude books and 3 book-related activities for helping kids ages 0-12 grow in gratitude. Inside, you’ll find the 3 books that originated in this post and lots more. I hope you’ll take a peek and share your favorite gratitude book in the comments. Think of it as a mini book club!

#9 Gratitude Cards

Why keep gratitude to ourselves? We can help our kids grow in gratitude when we teach them to share it with others.

• One fun resource is our free, encouraging coloring sheets we created for our “Many Ways to Be Smart” post.
• You could also try these printable gratitude cards by author Mary Murphy. We highlight her book What I Like Most in this post: “Big List of Gratitude Books for Kids,” which has tons of books and 3 fun gratitude activities.
• Of course, a blank sheet of paper will do as well! The key is to help kids be as specific as possible when they’re giving thanks for someone else. This is not easy, so kiddos will likely need your patient coaching and encouragement.

#10 Model Gratitude

One of the best ways to help our kids cultivate grateful hearts is also the simplest: model it. Of course, I mean “simple” as in no-prep, not simple as in easy. But challenging ourselves to show more gratitude, won’t just help our kids. It will help us, too!

We can express thanks for something as small as the kitchen being stocked with our favorite chips and salsa or as big as a family member recovering from an illness. Sometimes, the small things are the hardest to take note of, so when we do it regularly, it can really impact our kids.

Thanks for being here! We would love to hear how you are teaching your kids to practice gratitude. Drop us a line with your favorite kids’ books, Bible verses, or activities in the comments section or simply share which of these tips you want to try.

¹ Morin, Amy. “7 Scientifically Proven Benefits of Gratitude.” Psychology Today, Sussex Publishers, 3 Apr. 2015, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/what-mentally-strong-people-dont-do/201504/7-scientifically-proven-benefits-gratitude.
Scripture in this post is from:
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.