Thanksgiving Tree

Thanksgiving Tree

We all know Thanksgiving is a time of reflection on the blessings we have in our lives, yet it seems more and more a holiday to overstuff ourselves with a turkey dinner and pumpkin pie.  The thankfulness we should feel, especially on this day, but also year-round, has been replaced with a time to have the day off, watch football, and gorge on a great dinner.  We tend to forget why we even celebrate this holiday at all. 

Did you know that the Pilgrims had it extremely difficult that first Thanksgiving, yet still had a feast to consider all they were thankful for?  Here are a few hardships they endured their first year in 1621:

·    They didn’t even reach the place they had set out to go (Virginia) and ended up in Massachusetts. 

·    They had extremely bad weather (storms and snow) that first year and very rudimentary shelter.

·    They had little food.

·    Almost 2/3 of the first Pilgrims died of disease, malnutrition, or sickness from the cold.

·    Their first crops they planted, with help from the Indians, failed and what little they did get they sent overseas only to have it stolen by Pirates.

If you had endured all this, would you really be thankful?  Gratitude isn’t an emotion most of us cultivate, even on Thanksgiving.  We are more likely to concentrate on the turkey or television than on giving thanks.

Here’s my crafty solution for establishing a grateful heart in your family: a simple, child-friendly Thanksgiving Tree.  There are many ways to incorporate this into your holiday festivities, but here is my favorite.

You will need:

 

·         Construction paper (in fall colors)

·         Leaf stencil or your child’s hand

·         Markers

·         Glitter (optional)

·         Two-sided sticky tape

To do:

1. Cut a tree pattern with brown construction paper.  Make it as big as possible (note: you could also use real tree branches from outside or felt for this as well).
2. Have children use the stencils or trace their hands and make lots of leaves in a variety of colors with the construction paper, then cut out the leaves.
3. Put the tree up in a prominent spot so everyone will see it (maybe even in a glassless frame or as a centerpiece on your table).
4. Have every family member take a leaf (or several) and write something they are thankful for, then decorate with glitter if desired.
5. Stick the leaves to the tree with tape. 

This is a great way to encourage family members to express their thanks and can quickly become a wonderful Thanksgiving tradition.  It’s also fun to see how your family’s gratitude changes over the years.  Remember as the Pilgrims remembered, not to take the gifts and blessings in your life for granted and have a very Happy Thanksgiving!