How To Make a Thankful or Gratitude Tree for Kids (Free Printable)

Last updated: August 29, 2024

In this post I am sharing how to make a thankful tree using a free printable template for your kids this Thanksgiving so they can learn to be more grateful this holiday season. Let’s jump right into reviewing why I think this is a great activity and how to do it.

Why I Love Creating a Thankful Tree at Thanksgiving

I have always loved the idea of a Thanksgiving thankful tree, so I try to make one every November. I believe in the principle of gratitude and would really like my kids to pick up the characteristic of being grateful.

We are so blessed in life, especially being able to live here in America. I want my kids to always remember how fortunate they are, and how much they can help others. I feel like making a gratitude tree every year helps my kids be a little more grateful. We take a moment everyday to think of something we are truly grateful for.

How to Make a Thankful Tree Using a Printable Template

There are two different ways you can do it. You can download the FREE Thankful Tree printable template or you can draw your own tree and cut out your own leaves. Here’s how we did it at my house.

Update: I have since updated the Thankful Tree printable. The pictures seen below are not true to the download.

This post contains affiliate links. 

Supplies

If you are using the template:

• Thankful Tree template (optional)
• Craft paper roll (optional)
• Crayons or something to color with
• Scissors
• Pen, Sharpie, or marker

If you are drawing your own tree:

• Craft paper roll (I recommend buying a big roll and having it on hand, it comes in handy A LOT)
• Pencil
• Sharpie
• Construction paper
• Scissors
• Pen

Instructions

If you are using the template, you can print it out and pick which tree you’d like to use. There are also different leaves you can use. If you are drawing your tree, roll out your craft paper until it reaches your desired size and draw an outline of a tree with a pencil.

If you need inspiration, look up tree images on Google. Trace over it with a sharpie. Below I have included a picture of my craft roll paper with my outlined tree in pencil. I know it’s hard to see because I used pencil, but if you look close you can see it.

Then I traced it with a Sharpie.

I added a little “pazazz” to mine by putting “The Grateful Tree” on it.

Next, either color the leaves your printed out or cut out the colored ones you printed. Or if you are not using the template, draw some leaves on some construction paper.

Cut out your leaves. You can use these leaves to trace more leaves onto some construction paper for the future, or you can print out some more leaves from the template provided.

Each day write something you are grateful for on a leaf and glue it to your Thanksgiving grateful tree. I suggest everyone writes something they’re grateful for, but you can also decide on something collectively as a family.

Hang it up somewhere you can see it everyday and be reminded of all the things you are grateful for!

Things To Do with your Thankful Tree

• You could start on November 1st and go until Thanksgiving or until the end of the month. Make it a whole grateful month. You could also go all the way to Christmas.
• At the end of the allotted time you could go over all the things you were grateful for and point out how blessed you are. You could also make a suggestion on what we can do now that we have all these great things in our life.
• You can start out with some leaves already on the tree, so it’s not so bare.
• Try to help your kids think of something specific each day. If you go too broad, it can get harder to think of something later on.
• Make it a new Thanksgiving tradition.

I hope you have fun creating a thankful tree using my free printable with your kids this Thanksgiving!

That wraps up the simple steps you can take to create gratitude tree at your house. I hope you have find it beneficial and end up making into an annual tradition with your family too.

More gratitude & Thanksgiving ideas:

• Fun & Easy Thanksgiving Activities for Toddlers
• Thanksgiving Activities & Games for Children’s Sunday School
• Free Turkey Headband Template: Easy Thanksgiving Craft for Kids