Thankful Basket

This is an activity we did last year, and we will be repeating it this year. It is quite a simple way to help teach your children (and remind yourself!) about being thankful for what you have.

November is a logical time of year to do this activity since it is Thanksgiving, but there is never a wrong time to focus on gratitude.

PREPARATION

• Get a basket or some other container
• Cut up small pieces of paper

LESSON

Opening Song Ideas

• A Song of Thanks (Children's Songbook page 20)
• Father, We Thank Thee for the Night (CSB page 8)
• For Health and Strength (CSB page 21)
• For Thy Bounteous Blessings (CSB page 21)
• I am Glad for Many Things (CSB page 151)
• I am Thankful to Be Me (CSB page 11)
• I Thank Thee Dear Father (CSB page 7)
• A Song of Thanks (CSB page 20)
• Thanks to our Father (CSB page 20)
• Thanks to Thee (CSB page 6)
• Thank Thee, Father (CSB page 24)
• Thank Thee for Everything (CSB page 10)
• Count Your Blessings (Hymn number 241)
• Prayer of Thanksgiving (Hymn number 93)

Scripture Ideas

D&C 62:7--I, the Lord, am willing, if any among you desire to ride upon horses, or upon mules, or in chariots, he shall receive this blessing, if he receive it from the hand of the Lord, with a thankful heart in all things.

D&C 78:19--And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more.

Thankful Basket

Introduce the Thankful Basket (you could also call it a "Blessing Basket"). Explain that each night, each person is going to tell something they are thankful for. They (or mom or dad if the person is too little) will then write it down on a paper and put it in the basket. 

At Thanksgiving, you can look and see the many things your family has to be grateful for. 

Whenever you first start an activity like this, it can be hard to think of something new after the standard answers have been used up. But you soon find that it is hard to stop thinking of the blessings you have once you start to focus on them.

Thankful Basket