Grab this gratitude tree printable for a fun twist on cultivating thanksgiving in your home throughout the month of November!
As the leaves turn to vibrant shades of orange, red, and yellow, and the chill of fall settles in, we know it’s that special time of year — the Thanksgiving season. This is the perfect time to reflect on all the blessings we enjoy and cultivate an attitude of gratitude. One great way to embrace this positive mindset is by creating a gratitude tree with your family. It’s a fun project that can turn into a new family tradition, adding meaning and warmth to your holiday celebrations.
A gratitude tree printable is a simple craft that’s fun, easy, and requires little preparation. It’s the perfect activity for kids and adults alike to express their thankful thoughts as they count their blessings throughout the whole month of November.
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What is a Gratitude Tree?
A gratitude tree is a thankful craft where each person writes or draws something they’re grateful for on a leaf and attaches it to a tree. Over time, your tree blooms with grateful hearts and wonderful things that you and your loved ones appreciate. This Thanksgiving craft is a visual way to encourage reflection and thankfulness while creating a lovely decoration for the home.
If you’re hosting Thanksgiving dinner or want a way to spread some thankful spirit throughout the holiday season, a gratitude tree is a great idea. It’s a fun way to involve the whole family and keep the focus on what really matters during this wonderful time — family, friends, and the many blessings we have.
Why a Gratitude Tree is the Perfect Thanksgiving Activity
There’s no better time than the fall season to engage in gratitude activities, especially during November, which leads up to Thanksgiving day. The gratitude tree printable offers a great activity for the whole family to reflect on their favorite things and express their gratitude.
This craft not only helps with mindfulness and a growth mindset, but it’s also a way to improve fine motor skills for young children. As kids cut out blank leaves or color their own paper leaves, they engage in a fall craft that’s both creative and meaningful. And since this project works for kids of all ages, everyone from toddlers to grandparents can join in. It’s a wonderful way to spark conversations about gratitude, helping instill these values from an early age.
How to Use a Gratitude Tree Printable
Creating your own tree is incredibly easy and fun, thanks to this free printable! You can find large tree trunk templates and blank leaves in a variety of fall colors that can be printed on white cardstock or brown paper. Here’s how you can get started:
1. Print Your Gratitude Tree
Start by downloading and printing the gratitude tree template. The printout comes with four pages including the tree template, a coloring page, and two pages of leaves. The first page has prewritten thankful words written on the leaves and the second page has blank leaves to write your own gratitude sentences or words on.
2. Customize the Leaves
Once you have your paper gratitude tree printed, it’s time to cut out the leaves. Each family member can write or draw on their leaf, sharing things they’re thankful for — whether it’s something as small as pumpkin pie or as significant as health and happiness. This fun activity allows you to focus on thankful thoughts and reflect on the meaning of Thanksgiving.
Hot tip – if you don’t want to cut out the leaves from the template, grab some pre-cut leaves on Amazon!
3. Attach the Leaves
Use a glue stick or tape to attach the leaves to the tree. Some families like to use real branches from their yard to add a more authentic touch. You can either glue the leaves directly onto the tree or pin them up on a board. Over the whole month of November, your Thanksgiving tree craft will grow fuller as more grateful thoughts are added.
4. Display Your Gratitude Tree
Your gratitude tree can become the centerpiece of your Thanksgiving table or be placed near the dinner table to remind everyone of the thankful spirit. It’s a great way to set the tone for Thanksgiving dinner, encouraging everyone to share what they are grateful for before digging into the feast. This visual way of expressing gratitude serves as a beautiful reminder of all the blessings we have, making it the perfect way to celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday.
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I have a passion for encouraging and equipping moms with resources for creating a Biblical home. This vault is filled with printables for teaching your child Bible stories, scripture verses, holiday printables, and more. The activities here are designed for you to do with your child. They are great for family devotional times, homeschooling, Sunday School, or just a fun activity for a rainy day!
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Fun Variations and Ideas
A gratitude tree can be adapted in so many ways to suit your family’s preferences and traditions. Here are a few fun variations to consider:
Gratitude Tree for Sunday School
This thanksgiving activity is also a wonderful addition to Sunday school classes. It allows kids to participate in a fun craft while learning about the meaning of Thanksgiving. Each child can create their own thankful tree or contribute to a class tree as they think of things they are thankful for.
Thanksgiving Bulletin Board
In schools, community centers, or even at home, you can turn this project into a Thanksgiving bulletin board where everyone adds their thankful thoughts. It’s an interactive and heartwarming Thanksgiving lesson that can be enjoyed by all ages.
Thankful Turkey Craft
Another twist on the traditional gratitude tree is the thankful turkey. Instead of leaves, each feather on the turkey represents something someone is grateful for. It’s a fun way to combine the classic Thanksgiving symbol of a turkey with the spirit of gratitude.
Turning Gratitude into a Tradition
A gratitude tree is more than just a thanksgiving craft — it’s an opportunity to start a new family tradition that encourages a positive mindset and teaches the value of thankfulness. It can also become a holiday season keepsake that you reflect on next year as you prepare for Thanksgiving once again. We have saved our Thankful Turkey over the years and when we pull it out the next year, we see all the reasons we had to be extra grateful.
The best part about this craft is how it brings people together. As the tree fills up, you’ll notice a beautiful reflection of the grateful hearts in your home. Whether it’s shared during a cozy evening or after Thanksgiving dinner, adding to the tree becomes a wonderful way to bond with family and friends.
give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 ESV
Happy Thanksgiving!
As you prepare for this special Thanksgiving day, consider adding a gratitude tree to your Thanksgiving traditions. It’s the perfect time of year to count your blessings and share grateful thoughts with the people you love. With the gratitude tree printable, you have a fun activity that can engage everyone, from young kids to grandparents, in expressing thankfulness and appreciation.
Ready to download the Gratitude Tree Printable?
You can get the full free download through my Gumroad shop! It comes with the tree template, coloring page, and two pages of leaves.
I hope you enjoy using this for your Thanksgiving tradition.
So grab some coloring pages, cut out your own paper leaves, grab the gratitude tree printable, and start growing your own tree of gratitude. Happy Thanksgiving!
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