Today we are making a gratitude tree out of paper! Kids of all ages will love, and can benefit, from making a gratitude tree. This budget-friendly craft is not only fun to make, but will teach your kids to be grateful! Which is a perfect lesson for the Thanksgiving season! Make this gratitude tree at home or in the classroom.
Paper Gratitude Tree
A gratitude tree is a tree that you write things you’re thankful for on the leaves. It can be anything from little things you’re grateful for to the big things. Either way, it is important for us to slow down and count our blessings sometimes.
Plus, this gratitude tree craft is not only a great lesson in being thankful and counting blessings, but it is a fun coloring craft that uses minimal craft supplies. Kids can color, cut, and glue which also makes this a great fine motor skills activity. So without further ado, let’s make a colorful gratitude tree!
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Related: Make a thankful tree for kids!
Supplies Needed To Make A Gratitude Tree
How To Make Your Very Own Gratitude Tree
Step 1
Download and print our fall leaves coloring page. Color the leaves your favorite fall colors. Cut them out.
Craft Note:
You can make your own paper leaves if you want, we just found the premade leaf shapes on the leaves template was a wonderful way to save time.
Step 2
On the brown construction paper, draw the trunk of a tree. Cut it out.
Step 3
Using the black marker, write things you are thankful for on the leaves.
Step 4
Add some decorations to the tree like a hole in the trunk.
Step 5
Glue the leaves on the tree! And you’re finished!
How To Make This Gratitude Tree Craft Your Own
Like all our other crafts, feel free to change this craft up anyway you see fit to fit your needs. You can do stuff like:
- Use foam for the tree trunk.
- Add paint for texture to make bark.
- Use cloth leaves.
- Write on all the leaves.
- Add glitter to the leaves you didn’t write on.
- Color the leaves with water colors.
- Use different markers on the thankful tree leaves.
- Add a tree branch or two, to easily add the leaves.
- You can add things to the base of the tree like animal stickers, mushroom stickers, flower stickers, or draw some grass.
- Add more than one thing you’re thankful for on the thankful leaves. Like if you’re thankful for candy, what one in specific? If you’re thankful for God, why? Because He loves and forgives us. If you’re thankful for the house, why? Because it keeps us safe and warm.
Our Experience Making This Gratitude Tree
We’ve made other gratitude tree’s before using sticks, but I wanted one that the kids had a bigger hand in. And as you can see, we are all thankful for different things may it be God, our family, our country, or our pet, candy, and the playground.
It’s important to remember to be thankful for the things we have. We have a tendency, especially in the holiday season, to be like “I want, I want, I want.” And I don’t think we spend enough time saying; “Thank you God for -“.
Also, while making these thankful trees, my kids got to practice gross motor skills with all the coloring and cutting. This paper craft is educational in more than one way. And it makes a great Thanksgiving craft too.
I think, making a Thanksgiving tree will be a new family tradition for us, because I think it is something the entire family should remember.
Materials
- Our Leaves Coloring Printables
- Colored Pencils
- Scissors
- Black Marker
- Brown Construction Paper
- Glue Stick
Instructions
- Download and print our fall leaves coloring page. Color the leaves your favorite fall colors.
- Cut them out.
- On the brown construction paper, draw the trunk of a tree.
- Cut it out.
- Using the black marker, write things you are thankful for on the leaves.
- Add some decorations to the tree like a hole in the trunk.
- Glue the leaves on the tree! And you’re finished!
More Gratitude Crafts From Kids Activities Blog
We have even more gratitude activities that will teach kids thankfulness, kindness, and appreciation.
Looking For More Thanksgiving Crafts? We Have Them!
Check out these other easy Thanksgiving crafts!
How did your gratitude tree turn out? What are you thankful for?