If a student is feeling down, the glitter bottle can be used as a fun and positive reminder. Russell, H. (2016). Next, write them an email or letter. 6. Nicole | Community Manager. You might be surprised with the slow and steady benefits this simple tip brings. PDF Brightening the Mind: The Impact of Practicing Gratitude on Focus - ed Built with love in the Netherlands. Challenge #1: Take a photo every day of something you're thankful for. The following gratitude exercise was invented by Seph Fontane Pennock. SHIFT STATES : As students write notes and share them, their brains shift to a positive state. Journaling about things for which to be grateful. It is a powerful exercise. One way to shift negative thought patterns is to develop an attitude of gratitude. This gratitude challenge activity for students is perfect for any time of year but is particularly timely for Thanksgiving in November and/or any December holiday. Create a gratitude collage or bulletin board, with pictures of things each student is grateful for. It has health benefits like increased endorphins that decrease stress, increased heart health, and circulation in the body, decreased lethargy, and decreases in blood pressure. However, it can be tough to get started without practical ideas. The pom-poms or items in the glitter bottle can represent one positive thing for the student. An intervention group of 50 college students were consistently reminded and encouraged to engage in gratitude practices related to their learning. Gratitude Activities for the Classroom Greater Good wants to know: Do you think this article will influence your opinions or behavior? If you have the time personally deliver this letter to the person yourself. Once you sign up, you will get an email that contains a link to a set of instructions. Featuring acclaimed author and grounded theory researcher, Brene Brown, the topic of. If you are delivering your letter in person via a gratitude visit, follow these steps: If you are located far away from this person, you can arrange a phone call or video chat instead. What if we didn't take good things for granted? Here are just a few reasons to focus on teaching your kids to be grateful: Gratitude is a positive emotion. Beautiful Gratitude Activities for Kids - Teach Starter Writing down a few things you are grateful for is one of the easiest and most popular exercises available. Marsh, J. Thank you so much! While it is admirable to want to share our gratitude and good feelings with others, we rarely stop to think about what giving others our gratitude does for us. Let your awareness move to your immediate environment: all the things you can smell, taste, touch, see, hear. ). This can be incorporated into the gratitude journal or practiced as a standalone exercise. Here they are. 16+ Gratitude Activities For Kids That Are Fun And Engaging This outstanding picture book paired with classroom activities for kids like having students write surprise gratitude sticky notes and gratitude journals will support social-emotional learning, increase positive thinking, and inspire gratitude., Teaching gratitude to younger students is a rewarding experience. If you need a quick pick-me-up, take a few notes out of the jar to remind yourself of what is good in your life. The arguments against doing it every day are that it can be tedious and forced. What can we do to show people that we appreciate them? The 7-Day Gratitude Challenge That Brings Fast Results Then, students can watch a video, such as Gratitude HD, Moving Art on YouTube, and jot down reflections from it on post-it notes. For example, after reading through the slips of paper in your gratitude jar, clap, high five, and celebrate all the gratitude your class has experienced that week or month. Simply fill in the blanks on this worksheet to discover more to be grateful for in your life! . Words are powerful and the simplest, most direct, way to express gratitude to the people we may take for granted. Its main goal is to introduce you to the attitude of gratitude and the concept of feeling grateful for what you have, which is scientifically proven to improve your life in numerous ways. You can use several different colors for a bright and vibrant flower, or the same color for a more uniform looking flower. Nature, like crisp air and beautiful trees, offers a lot to feel grateful for. (Gratitude for Tweens and Teens Lesson 2) Topics: SEL for Students: Self-Awareness and Self-Management, SEL for Students: Social Awareness and Relationship Skills, Kindness and . Check out the following studies. The student to their right repeats what the first person said and adds their own statement. Have the children create gratitude surprise sticky notes. This exercise may sound a little silly. Think about your present situation and what is going on in your life. Make us happier Simply journaling for five minutes a day about what we are grateful for can enhance our long-term happiness by over 10% (Emmons & McCullough, 2003; Seligman, Steen, Park, & Peterson, 2005)! Use photos, calendar images or Visual Talking Cards to provide a starting point for a discussion about gratitude and sharing knowledge among the class. Make sure to pick one you like, whether you like it because its pretty because it is smooth or has an interesting texture, or because you picked it up from a special place. Sit comfortably, close your eyes, and take several slow, deep breaths. This is where an app can help! Additionally, have them think about how this affected their perception of time.. I did read through the report. A sense of purpose or. Gratitude Activities for Students: Make Gratitude a Daily Routine See the Good Challenge. Read on to discover some of the most popular exercises and activities for this, as well as tips to cultivate your own gratitude practice. Here are more office bulletin board ideas. Some people propose doing it every day while others suggest once per week. Produced by Allina Health, this sheet looks at overlooked blessings and reflections on positive things about the individuals health and body, activities they enjoy, and relationships they are grateful for. To conclude the lesson, the class can present brief summaries of the historical figure they researched. When journaling becomes a banal task and not an enjoyable practice then you need to adjust the amount of journaling you do. In steering children away from the pursuit of materialistic goals and toward intrinsic goals, you can help children fulfill their own higher-level needs and aid in their development. Being Grateful in All Things Some examples are:, What is the best thing that happened to you this week?. This gratitude circle will prompt more positive emotions in your classroom.You can even try using gratitude stones to encourage a spirit of gratitude in your classroom. It includes space for writing down several things each day, ratings of your feelings, daily quotes, and up to three photos per journal entry. For an even further joy boost hand deliver your letter to the receivers so you can witness the receivers reactions for yourself. Showing gratitude is sometimes a required or expected thing, but at other times, a spontaneous thank you to someone who has unknowingly made our day. I am excited to listen to the gratitude podcasts. The following video shows the results of a USC study where students kept a gratitude journal for 10 weeks. The purpose of the exercise is to reflect on the past day, few days, or week, and remember 3-5 things you are especially grateful for. Heres how to help your students harness the power of gratitude: Teach children to recognize and appreciate small moments of joy and beauty throughout the day using a gratitude journal. Students can add to the gratitude jar at the beginning of the day, the end of the day, or when theyre finished with their work. Whether you're looking for 21 days of prompts or an occasional jump-start, you'll find something on this list to help you get started. Indigenous youth can find healing, strength, and well-being by engaging with their culture, traditions, and community. To see all of the categories and examples for each category, click here. Shop books about gratitude below! Step 1: Make one or more leaf cutouts to use as a template for your leaves. They say laughter is the best medicine, but gratitude is pretty potent too. People who regularly practice gratitude experience more positive emotions and less envy, sleep better, extend more compassion and kindness to others, and even have a stronger immune function (Allen, 2018). Results showed that this gratitude intervention improved wellbeing via flourishing, at multiple points throughout the duration of the study. Emmons, R. A., & Stern, R. (2013). David Steindl-Rast: Want to be happy? Going through each of these negative emotions can be a fun and interactive learning opportunity for kids. You will no longer take these simple things for granted. Makes yourealize that we dont need so much in order to satisfy our basic human needs. Split your students into small groups and have them bond about what they enjoy. The modern classroom sees teachers educating about far more than literacy and numeracy. This app is free, and you can download it on iTunes here. Similarly, have students create a gratitude ritual. I look forward to connecting with you! Bedtime Thank Yous. What is Gratitude and Why Is It So Important? Her therapist encouraged Susanna to reflect on all of the things she had to be grateful for and helped her self-right her perspective to truly appreciate each moment in her daily life while building a new life that better suited her strengths, weaknesses, and her circumstances. If you are religious, incorporating your gratitude in prayer. He is well educated in Economic and Fianance Risk Management. The effects are more potent when you can enjoy a gratitude walk with your partner or a friend. Even when we arent feeling especially grateful, going through the motions of practicing gratitude triggers positive feelings. 3. If you are feeling down and maybe even depressed, you should most certainly give this practice a try. Makes youappreciate what you have in life, or at least, what youeat. This can be even more true for children, who are still navigating their places in the world. Step 2: Cut out the leaves, punch a hole at the top of each leaf, and loop your string or ribbon through each hole. The secret to this exercise is that the rock is a symbol, a physical object you can use, to remind yourself of what you have. A fun and simple idea is to have your students sit in a circle and share what they are grateful for. If one of the three prompts mentioned in the video resonate with you, why not give it a try? Allowing your children to be semi-autonomous helps them to build their strengths and talents, and encourages them to take ownership of their actions. It is important to give each person or item the concentration it deserves. Once the challenge is completed, have your students reflect on what they enjoyed the most. 2023 The Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. Try taking a picture of one thing you are grateful for every day for a week. Evaluating the effects of gratitude interventions on college student Try these tips to help you cultivate a fulfilling and impactful gratitude ritual (Rodrigues, 2017): The popular website www.tinybuddha.com also provides several useful suggestions on implementing and sticking to a gratitude ritual. Tell your students to get creative with what they write about this could range from their favorite foods to their most-loved books. Climate change is a mental health issue, not just an environmental one. The 32 Best Videos and TED Talks on The Power of Gratitude This app is available through iTunes here. Encourage children to help others and devote time to nurturing relationships. One study found that thanking a new acquaintance makes them more likely to seek a more lasting relationship with you. Gratitude prompts are a great way to get started, continue your practice, or kick-start a stalled gratitude practice. When I first started consciously practicing gratitude, I thought I had to be grateful and happy every minute of the day. Teaching gratitude provides students with powerful life-skills. Keeping a gratitude journal teaches students to appreciate and actively notice the small joyful, beautiful moments scattered throughout their day. B-2 B-Well: Take the Gratitude Challenge! Then, they vote on which fruit is the favorite fruit for most people in the class. Grateful was developed to make expressing gratitude both easy and fun. This activity can be either an email or a letter which you can send off in the mail or deliver personally. This handout describes several useful gratitude exercises, some of which are included above, in a short paragraph. Science Center To practice gratitude reflection, follow these steps (Still Mind, 2014): The gratitude flower is similar to the gratitude tree, except that instead of creating leaves of gratitude, we create flower petals of gratitude. Say to yourself: For this, I am grateful., Next, bring to mind those people in your life to whom you are close: your friends, family, partner. Here are a few of my other favorite challenges: The Tiny Prints 21-Day Gratitude Challenge Calendar. Order Now Need some ideas on how to bring gratitude into the classroom? Leading a weekly gratitude celebration can even be a class job. This is also a relatively simple exercise, with only one instruction: fill in the blank! Gratitude Challenge | Store - The Social Emotional Teacher Your 5-day gratitude challenge: 5 exercises to increase your gratefulness A gratitude challenge is the fastest and most effective way to become more grateful in your everyday life. Improve your physical health. While you read, pay attention to the reactions of both you and the recipient. Eboo Patel shares the path that led him to create interfaith initiatives that bridge religious differences to create a better world. We have more exercises in the form of journaling prompts available in this post if you are interested. 1. Inspire your students to write a letter to each person in their classroom community that explains why they are grateful for them. Finally, the worksheet prompts individuals to write a gratitude letter. To take this activity a step further, provide craft materials so students can build a placemat, centerpiece, and conversation cards. Increase in mental strength. Glad you found the exercises useful. Couple this activity with a grateful state of mind and you are bound to nurture a positive mind and body (Rickman 2013). Each card gives students a way to practice gratitude throughout the day. If you like easy to follow worksheets, we have several suggestions that can help you get started practicing gratitude. After the story, in pairs, have students discuss what they noticed in the book, what they connected with, and what they are thankful for. The effects of gratitude expression on neural activity.. You are performing two of the most impactful happiness practice at the same time. Please leave a comment below or on the Greater Good Facebook page. These prompts cover multiple areas of life and dive deeper into your sense of gratitude. Provide your child with a journal and encourage them to write down five things they are grateful for each day. Here's how to help your students harness the power of gratitude: Keep a Gratitude Journal For your bookshelf: 30 science-based practices for well-being. Yes, its really that simpleand that powerful. Pin these wonderful messages on a gratitude wall. Build a classroom gratitude bulletin board. Magazine Improve your physical health. Susannas therapist worked with Susanna to develop a course of treatment that heavily incorporated gratitude. These gratitude exercises and activities are some of the most well-known and proven ways to practice and enhance your gratitude. In multiple studies, keeping gratitude journals for 30 days or even less has resulted in long-term positive benefits. Tell your students to take deep breaths and notice details about their environment. After a given time period put all your pictures together in a collage and simply be grateful for all that you have. Challenge students to practice gratitude for 16 days! When you put it on or in your pocket again in the morning, repeat this process to remember what you were grateful for yesterday. They suggest four steps (Libby, 2016): Sometimes, even when we know all of the right steps and have all of the right tips, practicing regular gratitude can be difficult. It is important to cater your practice to what you need. In groups of four, students discuss the visualization and on a large piece of paper, draw all of the people, tools and natural elements necessary to produce the fruit. Often, we only celebrate big moments or special occasions. Gratitude in the Classroom - The Social Emotional Teacher If youd like to build gratitude in your children or the children you teach or mentor, try these suggestions: For many more classroom gratitude ideas, visit this website. Each pair will write or draw something they are thankful for, which will be posted on a bulletin board. Morin, A. Whenever you see it or touch it, pause to think about at least one thing you are grateful for. Kids who practice expressing gratitude on a regular basis have a higher level of emotional intelligence. Helping them to develop strong, positive relationships is a great way to make sure they have something to be grateful for. Use your childrens strengths to fuel gratitude. Teaching Gratitude to Kids with a Gratitude Challenge Gratitude is a life lesson that, when taught properly, will follow your children long after their childhood years are over. But cultivating gratitude can shift your focus, finding gratitude isn't an easy thing in regular times, let alone during a pandemic. Bring gratitude practice into your classroom with this 30 Day Gratitude Challenge template, perfect for the Thanksgiving season! Just like with any other skill, daily practice gives students a chance to sharpen their gratitude practice and learn how they can incorporate gratitude into their daily routine. Wishing everyone a gratitude- and joy-filled Thanksgiving! Your email address will not be published. Susanna was suffering from thoughts of leaving her marriage, her husbands motorcycle accident, the reveal of an extramarital affair on the part of her husband, and finding out that her husband had been hiding a gambling addiction that had nearly bankrupted them. Find the lesson idea here at its source (Heart-Mind online, 2014). This allows you to take a moment and appreciate those usual foods, and how they fuel you. Glitter Bottle. Like most other practices, the more you do it, the easier it will get. Take your time reading the letter. Then, ask students to draw a picture of what they visualized and write a caption to go with it. By now, youre probably thinking about all the good things that can happen when gratitude is incorporated into ones life. Improve your psychological health. The more I consciously look for what I am grateful for, the easier it is to shift the negative emotions. Gratitude rock: Find a stone you like, carry it with you, and leave it in sight. This has everything I need for my Gratitude practice and more!! Gratitude stones are a stone that students can decorate and keep in their pocket to remind them to stay positive and grateful.. Return to this page whenever you need a reminder about why gratitude is important to practice, or suggestions on how to boost your own sense of gratitude. These quizzes and questionnaires are readily available on the internet. From the GGSC to your bookshelf: 30 science-backed tools for well-being. Please let us know in the comments section below. Take a look back at the pictures every week. This is also intended for children, but adults can certainly follow along to get into the gratitude spirit. Your level of gratitude should skyrocket, as you observe the bliss the receiver gets from your generous act. Walking into well-being: The power of the gratitude walk. You can schedule a day to read out the notes to the team. For just three days, one group wrote about intensely positive experiences while the other group wrote about a control topic. When you flip this switch multiple times a day, you will likely find that your average day has become much more positive. With so many people facing loss and isolation this year, I asked Kristi, how do you live gratefully during difficult times? You can either explain the exercise to them and invite them to join you if they wish (its important that they decide to do so themselves), or do the exercise on one of those evenings that you dont get to eat together with your family or spouse. Share examples of what you're grateful for and inspire your classroom to do the same. The authors also outline several different methods of applying gratitude interventions to adults, including keeping a journal. Say to yourself, For this, I am grateful., Next, turn your attention onto yourself: you are a unique individual, blessed with imagination, the ability to communicate, to learn from the past and plan for the future, to overcome any pain you may be experiencing. Start by cutting out a circle from colored paper. Gratitude Challenge at The English School | Round Square Bonding activities like creating a classroom gratitude book and reading Our Table together will foster a compassionate and generous culture.. A gratitude journal has tremendous benefits (like feeling happier and more connected to the present moment) and is a great way to encourage children to explore their thoughts and feelings. This will serve a great reminder to spend time in nature and be thankful for everything mother nature has to offer., Encourage your students to write down something they are thankful for about one of their peers. Let him or her know you would like to meet with them to share something, but be vague about what you have to share. Need some ideas on how to bring gratitude into the classroom? This intervention was effective whether administered via paper or online and showed that gratitude journaling can have a significant positive effect on older adults. Now, I speak about gratitude all over the country. Kristi Nelson: The big challenge right now is how not to take anything for granted . It can also act as a switch to more positive thinking. At first, they thought I lost my mind. Help your child to think of happy things that happened to them during their day. I keep a gratitude diary on my calendar of what Im grateful to God for. Besides the benefit of focusing on the wonderful things, this practice actually can increase your quality of sleep, decrease symptoms of sickness, and increase joy (Marsh, 2011). You can even play a gratitude game by having students guess the top five things they are thankful for. Practicing gratitude regularly can help you sleep longer and better. 4. Next, have each group create a gratitude collage by using old magazines that visually captures what they are grateful for. . Have your child sit comfortably and close their eyes. It may be intended for kids but there is no age limit on finding creative ways to cultivate your gratitude, so get to drawing! This exercise can ensure that your child drifts off to sleep with a heart full of love and gratitude. The instructions are about as simple as instructions can be: just find a rock! (2015). Spend time with your kids and being mindful with them. With inspiration from Our Table, read on for a list of engaging gratitude games and activities that will teach your students about self awareness and thankfulness. Lets celebrate! and having everyone applaud or high five. The Gratitude Journal. Here are some ways how you can practice gratitude: 1. It also will cultivate a practice of expressing thanks. Do this every day, write down what you are grateful for on little slips of paper and fill the jar. The gratitude box is a thoughtful way to share your feelings with loved ones and cultivate your own sense of gratitude. Model and teach gratitude. Those who show their gratitude are less likely to seek revenge against others and more likely to behave in a prosocial manner, with sensitivity and empathy. Self-compassion reduces our feelings of shame and self-doubt. Step 5: Hang the leaves from the branches, and behold your gratitude tree! The website www.blissfulkids.com also provides popular gratitude exercises that can help develop gratitude in children. Daily Classroom Gratitude Challenge We challenge you to practice gratitude in your class! The ABCs of Gratitude. By recording your blessings in Grateful, during those down moments you can be reminded of all the things in your life that you have to be grateful for. Gratitude jar: Write down things you are grateful for on little slips of paper and fill them in a jar. Their steps are as follows (Russell, 2016): The popular dating website eharmony also provides tips on how to cultivate gratitude, especially in the context of dating and relationships. 2023 PositivePsychology.com B.V. This activity will spark an attitude of gratitude in your students.. Create a gratitude book to send home with a different child each week.