Make a Handmade Gratitude Journal with Your Kids this Thanksgiving

This handmade journal craft is perfect for the Thanksgiving season because you can make a gratitude journal with kids of all ages. This gratitude activity will help children count their blessings!

Gratitude Journal

You and your child can create a beautiful journal where they record all the things they are thankful for.  This project is also a wonderful way to repurpose some of that beautiful kiddo artwork you have on the fridge!

Related: More ideas on how to organize kids art display at home

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How to Make a Gratitude Journal

We could all use a fun gratitude activity  to focus on all that we have instead of all that we want.  Help your child develop this valuable life skill and create a fun keepsake in the process.

This is a wonderful gratitude activity  because you just need a few basic supplies.

Related: Looking for creative art projects for kids <–we have ideas!

Supplies Needed To Make Your Own Gratitude Journal

Instructions To Make A DIY Gratitude Journal

Step 1

Fold your piece of artwork in half to create the cover.

Step 2

Fold several sheets of plain paper to crete the pages.  You might need to trim them down slightly so that they fit inside the cover.

Place the sheets inside the cover and punch several holes along the folded edge.

Step 3

Install brads to bind you book.

Note:

If you don’t have brads you can skip the hole punching and use a row of staples or use your hole punch and then fill the holes with tied ribbon to keep journal pages together.

Step 4

Write “I am grateful for …” on the first page.

Daily Gratitude Journal Use

Have your child fill the journal with drawings/words describing things they are grateful for.

And while they fill out their journal they can draw what they are grateful for and/or practice their writing skills from making simple words to complex sentences, depending on the age of the child.  

How fun would it be to create one of these each  year and watch your child’s skills and thoughts change and develop over time?!

I hope this simple journal encourages you and your children to give thanks and focus on all the wonderfully positive things in your lives.

More Gratitude Activities from Kids Activities Blog

Related: You could use these kids journal pages inside your handmade gratitude journal.

How did your kids gratitude journal turn out? What was special about doing this activity together?