This week I was responsible for a Thanksgiving activity for a group of 40 kids, and we played this fun Gratitude Game. While planning the activity, I really wanted to help the children focus on things that the are grateful for in their lives. I wanted them to go beyond the list of typical answers and really thing about things that they appreciate in their lives.
The first activity I asked them to do was create these Gratitude Journal envelopes. I printed out a gratitude prompt for each of the days in November. They cut them out and made their own envelopes to store the prompts in. I encouraged them to pull out the card for each day throughout the month of November and record the things they are grateful for all month long.
Gratitude Journal Prompt Envelopes
- Print the Gratitude Journal Writing Prompts.
- Print the Envelope Template on a sheet of colored paper.
- Fold the thin tabs in first. Then fold the largest tab over the top of the folded smallest tabs. Glue the large tab to the outside of the small folded tabs. Then fold the top tab down to complete your envelope.
- Cut out the Gratitude Journal Writing Prompts, and stack them in order. Slide them into the envelope.
Gratitude Game
When the kids were done creating their gratitude journal envelopes, we were ready to play our gratitude game. I loved this cute gratitude game from Teach Beside Me, but we wanted to do our own little twist on it.
*Cute turkey clip art provided by the always amazing EduClips.
Here’s what we did:
To Play in a Group:
- I broke the kids up into groups of 5-8 and had them sit in a circle.
- Next I game them each a pack a Skittles, with the corner cut off, and a Gratitude Game Turkey Card.
- The kids passed the Skittles pack around the circle, pushing one Skittle out at a time. When it was their turn to get a Skittle, they had to say something they were thankful for that matched the list from the Gratitude Game Turkey Card.
- To make it even more fun, we did a NO REPEATS rule. That meant the longer we played, the harder they had to think to come up with things they were thankful for.
The children loved it, and asked for another bag of Skittles when the first one ran out.
To Play on Your Own:
I love this idea for a take home activity too. You could purchase snack size packs of Skittles, staple the mini game cards to each pack, and send them with the children. They could play this game while they are waiting for dinner on Thanksgiving day or whenever they need a thankful moment.
Thank you for stopping by to check out these fun activities. I hope you enjoy them as much as we did, and have a fantastic month of Thanksgiving!
How do you download the skittle gratitude game? When I try to download, it takes me to a page where I have to install an extension. Is there a PDF available that I am missing? Thanks!
The links are in the actual text of the post. If you go to the instructions for the Gratitude Game, the link to the pdf is in number two. You don’t have to download anything to print it. I hope that helps. -Amy
I could not find a link in direction #2 of the Gratitude Game. The Gratitude Journal Writing Prompts has a highlighted line, but not the Gratitude Game.
There is a form to fill out. If you put in your email address, we send it to you automatically. I hope that helps.
You could also spin this off of a lesson on nouns.
That’s a fun idea. Thanks for sharing.
Great idea for families! Thanks!
You are so welcome Jacque. Have a fantastic Thanksgiving.
Hi!
I too, am having difficulty printing! WHAT a cute idea! My first graders would love this! I download the PDF but when I print only the envelope prints out. I am printing all of the pages but only the 1st one prints. Thanks!
Hi Karen. I’m sorry you’re having trouble. When you open the pdf, can you see all of the pages? Send me an email through the contact page if you’re still having trouble, and I’ll see if I can help.
-Amy
I’m trying to print the game cards too, but can’t. I followed the link in the instructions, but it took me to a game card with different colors. I need this for tomorrow.
Hi Linda. I’m sorry you’re having trouble printing. The link to the pdf is https://planningplaytime.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Gratitude-Skittles-Game.pdf. There are larger and smaller card options. Pick which one works best for you.
Hi Amy,
I love your gratitude game:-)But,
I am unable to print out the Gratitude Journal Writing Journal Prompts.
If you could kindly tell me how can I get it done please?
The links to the pdfs are in the article above.. Click the text link, and then print. I hope the helps.
I enjoy your emails. I don’t enjoy having to sign up to get them every time!!!!!
Hi Margie. Thank you for your feedback. I totally get it. The reason we do it that way, is that we have thousands of people asking for our freebies. We had to automate how they are sent out. Otherwise we would never be able to keep up. Typing your email in and hitting submit is how our automated system knows to send you that freebie.
Could I please have the Gratitude Game (Skittles part) printable?
Hi Daphne,
If you fill out the form near the end of the post, we’ll send you the email with that printable.
I hope that helps!
Amy N.
Can you please send me the I’m Thankful Skittles game card? Thank you!
Hi Jill,
If you enter your name and email in the form, our system will automatically send it to you. You’ll get the email within a minute or so. Click the blue button, and the pdf will open up for you. I hope that helps.
Amy N.
Where is the link to print out the Skittle Thankful cards?
The link is not showing up in the email or directions.
Hi Cindy,
Sorry about that. I’m not sure what happened with the form, but we reuploaded it. It is working for us now. If you enter your email in again, you should recieve an email within a couple of minutes. Click the blue button in that email, and it will open the pdf for you to print.
I hope that helps.
Amy N.
I am wondering where I can find the printable for the Skittles gratitude game? I LOVE this idea for my 3rd grade class. I filled out what it says to fill out to have it sent to me and a 1st grade phonics lesson was sent.Thank you!
Hi Amy,
Sorry about that. I’m not sure what happened with the form, but we reuploaded it. It is working for us now. If you enter your email in again, you should recieve an email within a couple of minutes. Click the blue button in that email, and it will open the pdf for you to print.
I hope that helps.
Amy N.
Cute activity!
I would love to play the gratitude game with my kids!!
Do you have this in other languages, in particular, Spanish.
Skittles de agradecimiento
Juego de agradecimiento
Estoy agradecido por
Una persona
Un lugar
Una cosa
Una persona
Algo sobre me
I love this. Looking forward to using it at school and home. Thank you for sharing!
Can you send me the link to print the Thankful Skittles? I love these and printed them last year, but can’t find my PDF for them. 🙂
Love this
Thanks so much for sharing the printables!
I love these! I teach and this will be a great activity for every grade level I work with!! Thank you!
Very cute idea!