Even preschool children who haven’t learned to write yet can draw pictures of the things they are thankful for. Keep a Gratitude JournalĪ simple and effective way to model gratitude is with a daily/weekly journal that they write together as a family. where our food comes from and how it makes it to our dinner table. They can also discuss the importance of everyday things/processes that may be taken for granted, i.e. More specifically, they can talk to their children about the things in their own life that they are thankful for. They can encourage their children to be grateful through real-world connections. Adults can teach their children to be grateful by being grateful adults. One of the most effective ways to teach a little one, about any topic really, is through modeling. So what about parents and caregivers? What can they do to teach gratitude at home? Here are a few simple tips: Model Thankfulness and Appreciation Ways to Teach Your Preschooler About Gratitude We collected items over the course of a few weeks and then made thank you cards for the shelter workers and volunteers. They told us they needed items like blankets, dog and cat food, toys, and leashes, etc. We contacted the shelter and asked them what they needed in order to keep the animals safe and healthy. One year, we learned about the local animal shelter. Then we take a class vote to decide which organization we would like to do a donation drive for.

We discuss various organizations that exist to help people, animals, and the environment. We also do a community service project as a class. family, friends, food, shelter, air, etc. It’s a simple and catchy tune that focuses on various things in life that we all share and should be thankful for, i.e. There’s a a wonderful song, “Thankful,” by The Juicebox Jukebox. Preschoolers love music and I find that songs can do wonders to let children learn about a new idea or concept.

I spend the weeks leading up to the holiday break teaching my little ones about gratitude and appreciation. They will also learn how it feels to give a gift to someone else. For instance, children will begin to understand what it feels like to accept a gift and appreciate what has been given to them. Therefore, adults can use these opportunities to discuss acts of kindness and the feelings and emotions that come along with these acts. The holidays are a good time to begin discussing this topic because young children will be having some of their first experiences with giving and receiving gifts. So What Does Gratitude Mean to a Preschooler?Īt a very basic level gratitude is the act of being thankful by showing appreciation. While gratitude isn’t a time-specific concept parents and caregivers may want to use their family’s holiday celebrations to introduce their children to thankfulness and appreciation. But, what does that all mean in early childhood and how do you teach your preschooler about gratitude? This is the time of year when we hear the words ‘grateful’ and ‘thankful’ thrown around quite a bit.

Juicebox jukebox thankful