Help your children understand and feel gratitude through art. Below you'll find 10 gratitude drawing prompts for your children. This sponsored post was originally published on Melissa & Doug's Playtime Press.
Time and again, studies have shown that cultivating an "attitude of gratitude" can increase one's hope, happiness, self-esteem, empathy, and optimism.
Phew! That's a hefty list of benefits for something so EASY to do!
Or is it...?
Gratitude can actually be a tricky concept to explain to young children because it’s a mindset. There's nothing physical you can point to and say, "Right there... That's what gratitude is, honey. Do you see it?"
So, how can we as parents teach our young children how to live a thankful lifestyle?
My answer? Help them FEEL the joy of gratitude.
One of the simplest ways to do this—to help them FEEL gratitude deep inside their hearts—is not through words, but through art. Read on for 10 simple drawing prompts that help kids recognize what they're grateful for right now in their young lives.
But first...
Set Up an "Invitation to Create"
I suggest that you begin by setting up an invitation to create for your child: Simply put out some art supplies and set up an intentional work station for your child to discover. Most children (and adults!) won't be able to resist participating in a semi-structured art project when you've already gathered everything needed to get started. All that's missing is the artist!
According to Jean Van't Hul of The Artful Parent:
"Invitations to create are OBVIOUS and CLEARLY DEFINED, unlike strewing, which is a more ambiguous and subtle way of encouraging learning and creativity. I encourage you and your kids to experiment with both!"
Let's get started!
Pull out some markers and a pad of paper and place them on a table. Or grab your Melissa & Doug Deluxe Double-Sided Tabletop Easel. (What's great about this easel is its mobility. You can set it up on the dining room table, outside in the backyard, or even on the kitchen floor! It's sturdy while you work, and when you're finished, it folds flat for handy storage.)
Once you've got the basic art supplies set out, you're ready to move forward.
10 Gratitude Drawing Prompts for Kids
Below you'll find 10 simple drawing prompts to help your child FEEL the joy of gratitude:
- Draw something that makes you happy.
- Draw something you couldn't live without.
- Draw someone who helps you.
- Draw something that makes you smile.
- Draw something you love to do.
- Draw something you are thankful for.
- Draw someone you love.
- Draw something you think is fun.
- Draw something that makes you feel good.
- Draw something that makes you laugh.
Give your little one the gratitude drawing prompt, then let him or her quietly think about it and doodle in solitude.
Extension Activity: Talk with your kiddo about what they are thankful for, then use the letter magnets that come with the Deluxe Double-Sided Tabletop Easel to spell out words from their drawings together.
Here's where the dynamic nature of the whiteboard or chalkboard is great...
When creating a drawing on either the chalkboard or the dry-erase side, there's no permanence to it. This allows you to use these 10 gratitude drawing prompts with your child over and over again. You might be surprised to see how your child's answers will change from day to day.
And no matter how bad anyone's day ever gets, this "invitation to create" reminds us all that...
In the end, that's our goal as parents, isn't it? To teach our kids that there is always something to be thankful for. ALWAYS.
May these gratitude drawing prompts help you uncover what those things are in your own children.
Disclosure of Material Connection: This is a “sponsored post.” The company who sponsored it compensated me via a cash payment, gift, or something else of value to write it. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
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