How to Make a Tree of Thanks for Thanksgiving

During Thanksgiving it is important to teach your children to be thankful. Just talking to them about it may not be enough. Get them involved in writing out the things they are thankful for. Have them create a tree of thanks that they can put the things they are thankful on. They can hang it up as a reminder and add to it whenever they want. They can even share it with family around the dinner table on Thanksgiving.

Things You'll Need

• Construction paper
• Markers
• Scissors
• Glue
• Hand

Instructions

1. Place your hand including some of your forearm on a piece of brown construction paper. This is your tree trunk. Trace it with your free hand. Make sure that your fingers are spread far apart to become the tree's limbs. Cut it out with a pair of scissors.

2. Decide if you want a white background, yellow background to symbolize the sun or a blue background to symbolize the sky. Glue the tree trunk on the background in the middle.

3. Cut out oval shapes to use for leaves. You can cut out as many as you want.

4. Write something you are thankful for on each of the leaves.

5. Glue the leaves around the branches.

6. Hang the tree of thanks up for the family to enjoy or save it until you have Thanksgiving dinner.

Tips & Warnings

• Instead of leaves, cut out apples and write the things you are thankful for on them. You will need to create a large green circle to place over the branches. This will be all the leaves together and then you can decorate it with your apples.