This Thanksgiving, help your toddler or preschooler learn to appreciate the little things with these 10 gratitude activities for kids inspired by some of the best Thanksgiving books about family, kindness, and thankfulness.
Each activity connects storytime to real-life learning, helping your child see that being thankful isn’t just something we say — it’s something we do. 🍂
Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson
Lesson: Friendship and sharing what you have.
Activity: Host a Friendship Feast.
Use play food or sensory bin items and take turns “sharing” with stuffed animals or family members. Each time your child gives something, say, “Thank you for sharing!”
💛 Teaches empathy, generosity, and connection.
The Thankful Book by Todd Parr
Lesson: Gratitude for everyday things.
Activity: Create a Thankful Collage.
Cut or draw pictures of what your child loves — pets, family, snacks, favorite toys — and glue them onto a big paper heart.
✂️ Great for fine-motor skills and self-expression.
Thanks for Thanksgiving by Julie Markes
Lesson: Appreciating simple joys.
Activity: Take a Gratitude Walk.
Head outside and name things you’re thankful for — trees, sunshine, birds, or even puddles!
🌳 Encourages mindfulness and language development.
Llama Llama Gives Thanks by Anna Dewdney
Lesson: Family, food, and celebration.
Activity: Sing a “Thank You” Song.
Use simple lyrics like:
🎵 “Thank you for my food, thank you for my play, thank you for my friends who laugh all day.”
🎶 Combines rhythm, movement, and gratitude.
Gratitude Is My Superpower by Alicia Ortego
Lesson: Gratitude changes our perspective.
Activity: Start a Thankful Jar.
Each day, add a small note or leaf with something your child is thankful for. Revisit them at the end of the week.
🫙 Promotes emotional reflection and routine building.
Bear Gives Thanks (Board Book version)
Lesson: Giving back and saying thanks.
Activity: Make Thank You Cards for friends or teachers.
Add stickers or stamps to decorate. Even a scribble counts as heartfelt art.
📬 Builds fine-motor coordination and kindness habits.
Thank You, Omu! by Oge Mora
Lesson: Community and generosity.
Activity: Cook or play pretend with Gratitude Soup.
Mix paper cutouts or play food ingredients, naming something you’re thankful for with each one.
🥣 Connects sharing, language, and pretend play.
I Am Thankful by Sheri Wall
Lesson: Family traditions and consistency.
Activity: Create a Daily Gratitude Chart.
Use stickers to track one thankful moment each day leading up to Thanksgiving.
📆 Helps toddlers visualize gratitude as a daily habit.
We Are Grateful: Otsaliheliga by Traci Sorell
Lesson: Gratitude in every season.
Activity: Draw a Seasonal Thankful Tree.
Add leaves for things you’re thankful for in each season (spring flowers, summer sun, fall leaves, winter blankets).
🍃 Builds cultural awareness and observation skills.
The Thankful Tree Craft (Hands-On Extension!)
Lesson: Visualizing gratitude as something that grows.
Activity: Make your own Thankful Tree at home!
Write or draw something your child is thankful for on each paper leaf and glue it to a paper tree trunk.
👉 Download the Printable Thankful Tree Pack for templates, gratitude prompts, and pre-cut leaf designs that make setup easy and fun.
🌳 A beautiful keepsake and daily reminder of thankfulness.
WRAP-UP
By combining books and play, gratitude becomes more than a concept — it turns into a habit of the heart.
Each time you read together, share, sing, or create, you’re nurturing connection and thankfulness in simple, joyful ways.
Because gratitude isn’t just something to teach — it’s something to live. 💛