Thanksgiving Day is next Monday (for us Canadians), and it's one of my favourite holidays.
It's not just for the pumpkin pie and turkey (which I am SO looking forward to this year as it will be the first extended family dinner that I've ever hosted in our new house)!
I love Thanksgiving because it forces me to pause, reflect, and remember the blessings we've been given.
(NOTE: This post was originally published in October 2013 and has now been updated with a video!)
I've found variations of this simple Thanksgiving activity and craft on Pinterest, and I knew that I wanted to make one with my Little C.
We made this easy "thankful tree" with a branch found in our yard, some construction paper, a glue gun, and a pot & rocks to hold it all together.
You could also make one like I've made it in the video at the end of this post with a branch, construction paper, a hole punch and a large vase.
I put the branch in the pot, poured rocks around it to steady it, and then cut out some simple leaf shapes from yellow, orange and brown construction paper.
Little C and I sat down together for a chat about being thankful. I asked her what she was thankful for, what some of the gifts God has given us were, and she gave me her adorable list.
The list ranged from sweet (the blue sky, princesses) to touching (mom & dad, lots of love). I asked her why she was thankful for each thing, and we talked about how blessed we were and how important it was to remember all of the good things we have been given.
I wrote all of these things down on each leaf (you could have your child write them if they know how), and glued each leaf to a branch with a glue gun (you could also hang them with string or Christmas ornament hangers).
It's amazing how often we forget about the things we have right now that are beautiful, lovely, and amazing. Whey do we always focus on the things we don't have or the things that we think we need to be happy?
Like Little C reminded me this week, we can even be thankful for the moon that lights up the night, the sun that helps us see during the day, and the hearts that beat in our chests.
Here's a quick video tutorial on how to make this thankful tree craft:
Let me know if you & your family make a Thankful Tree this year! Come tell me on Instagram or comment below. Happy Thanksgiving!
Tamara
May I use one of your thankful tree images as an example on my blog? I will of course link to you and reference you on the photo.
Christina Dennis
You sure can! Thanks for asking.
Liv
This is amazing! I showed it to my mom and now we know what to do with my siblings on thanksgiving!!
Lindsay - The DIY Mommy
That is so sweet😀
Deepa
Very nice idea Christina! I might try that out! <3
Christina Dennis
Thanks so much! 🙂
lisa
this is really cute. where can I get the pots for cheap for a class project. any idea?
mary
What a lovely idea! We all need a reminder sometimes of all the ways we are blessed!
Brit
I took a thankful tree to all 3 (!!!) of our thanksgivings and it was a hit every where we went! Thanks so much for this awesome idea!