Expressing Gratitude with Your Toddler: Thanksgiving Activities and Crafts

Thanksgiving isn’t just about turkey and pie, it’s the perfect time to teach your little one about gratitude. Toddlers might not fully grasp the concept yet, but simple activities and crafts can help them understand thankfulness in a fun, hands-on way.

Ready to make this holiday extra special? Let’s get crafty!

Why Teach Gratitude Early?

Kids learn by watching us. When we model gratitude, saying “thank you,” appreciating small moments, they pick up on it. Starting young helps them develop kindness and empathy, making Thanksgiving the ideal time to reinforce these values.

Plus, who doesn’t love an excuse for messy crafts and family bonding?

Simple Gratitude Activities for Tiny Hands

1. The Thankful Tree

This classic is a hit every year. Grab some construction paper, scissors, and a small branch (or draw a tree on poster board). Cut out leaf shapes and have your toddler decorate them. Each day, ask them what they’re thankful for, whether it’s their favorite toy or a cuddle from the dog, and write it on a leaf.

Pro tip: Use washable markers or dot stickers for mess-free decorating.

2. Gratitude Jar

Decorate a mason jar with stickers, glitter, or paint. Every evening, have your toddler name one thing they loved that day (even if it’s just “snack time”). Write it down and drop it in. On Thanksgiving, read them all together.

3. Thank You Cards for Loved Ones

Toddler scribbles = priceless art. Fold cardstock in half, let them go wild with crayons, and help them “sign” their name. Deliver them to grandparents, teachers, or friends.

4. Gratitude Garland

Cut out paper shapes (stars, hearts, circles). Each day, write something your toddler is thankful for on a shape and string them together to make a garland to hang up.

5. Thankful Placemats

Decorate paper placemats with drawings or stickers. On Thanksgiving, everyone can write or draw what they're grateful for on their placemat before the meal.

6. Gratitude Walk

Take a walk outside and point out things you're thankful for in nature (sunshine, trees, birds). Encourage your toddler to do the same.

7. Family Gratitude Journal

Keep a simple notebook or journal. Each evening, have everyone in the family (including your toddler, with your help) share one thing they were grateful for that day.

8. “I'm Thankful For…” Song

Make up a simple tune or use a familiar one and create lyrics about things your toddler is thankful for. Singing is a fun way to express gratitude!

Easy Thanksgiving Crafts (Minimal Mess, Maximum Fun)

1. Handprint Turkey Cards

Trace your toddler’s hand on brown paper, cut it out, and glue it to a card. Add googly eyes and colorful feathers. Voilà, a keepsake relatives will treasure.

2. Paper Plate Thankful Wreath

Cut the center out of a paper plate. Glue on fall-colored tissue paper or real leaves (from a walk outside!). Add a ribbon and hang it up.

3. Pumpkin Seed Art

After carving pumpkins, rinse and dry the seeds. Let your toddler paint them, then glue them onto paper in shapes like hearts or suns.

4. “Thankful For” Chain

Cut strips of paper. Each day leading up to Thanksgiving, have your toddler say one thing they are thankful for and write it on a strip. Link the strips together to form a chain.

5. Gratitude Jar

Decorate a jar together. Throughout November, encourage your toddler to draw pictures or you can write down things they are thankful for on small slips of paper and put them in the jar. Read them aloud on Thanksgiving Day.

6. Nature Collage

Go on a nature walk and collect leaves, twigs, small stones, and other natural treasures. Back home, glue them onto a piece of paper to create a thankful nature collage.

7. Finger Paint Cornucopia

Draw a simple cornucopia outline on paper. Let your toddler use fall-colored finger paints (red, orange, yellow, brown) to fill it in, representing the abundance of the harvest.

8. Turkey Handprint Wreath

Instead of just one handprint, have your toddler make multiple handprints in different fall colors on a large circle of paper. Add a turkey head and gobbler in the center to make a unique turkey wreath.

Making Gratitude a Daily Habit

Gratitude doesn’t have to end with Thanksgiving. Try these small routines:

Mealtime thanks: Before eating, say one thing you’re grateful for.
Bedtime reflection: Ask, “What made you happy today?”
Kindness jar: Drop a pom-pom in a jar when they share or say “thank you.”
Gratitude walk: Point out things you’re thankful for on a walk.
Thank-you notes/drawings: Create simple notes or drawings for acts of kindness.
Gratitude tree: Decorate a paper tree with leaves listing things you’re grateful for.
“I appreciate you” game: Take turns telling each other something you appreciate.
Helping hands: Engage in small acts of service for others in the community.

More Thanksgiving Fun for Families

Looking for more ways to celebrate? Check out these ideas:

Final Thoughts

Teaching gratitude doesn’t have to be complicated. With a few simple crafts and daily habits, you’ll help your toddler appreciate the little things, while making sweet holiday memories.

What’s your favorite way to celebrate Thanksgiving with little ones? Share your ideas below!