Gratitude or thankfulness is a skill that can be learned through repetitive behavior. This free gratitude activity for kids is an easy way to practice thankfulness with your kids. Plus kids love the fun folded paper cootie catchers / fortune tellers.
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Why Gratitude is Important
Gratitude is closely tied to happiness and satisfaction. Research has shown that grateful people are more likely to be happy, positive, hopeful and physically energetic. They also tend to be more spiritual, more forgiving, and more empathetic. In addition, thankful people tend to be less depressed, envious and neurotic.
Verbally Expressing Thankfulness
Simple activities that model gratitude can help children make it a habit for life. One easy way to create this habit is to set aside a certain time of day to verbally express and reflect on what you are grateful for in life. Children need to hear adults expressing gratitude.
The Thanksgiving season is a great time to begin practicing this habit of expressing gratitude with your family. Set aside a few minutes each day to express thanks out loud. Our family does this at our evening meal.
Easy Gratitude Activity for Kids
Finding an easy gratitude activity for kids can make establishing the habit of thankfulness easier on parents. A list of questions can spur the minds of children to get them thinking about gratitude in a bigger way, while a game can keep them interested in the conversation.
This can be as simple as:
- an easy printable dry erase board that asks kids to reflect and physically write down what they are thankful for
- a beautiful fabric scrap thankfulness garland that can be used as both an activity and a decoration
- a fun gratitude bowl that is easy for kids of all ages and encourages discussions
Free Printable Cootie Catchers
I have created a free printable thankfulness activity that kids can fold and use to discuss gratitude. It’s a simple paper fortune-teller (sometimes called a “cootie catcher”) that is popular with elementary school students.
How to Make Cootie Catchers for Thanksgiving
The cootie catcher features fun fall designs and 16 gratitude questions that will encourage family discussions.
Get a PDF copy of the free printable cootie catcher, the black and white version, and folding instructions HERE.
Tip: I print my fortune tellers on matte photo paper , it is thicker than copy paper and prints with extra bright colors. This makes a sturdy paper cootie catcher that can stand up to littlle hands!
Black and White Version for Coloring
This project is popular with teachers who don’t always have access (or the budget) for color copies. I’ve included a black and white version in the PDF download for kids to color and use.
More Free Fortune Tellers
I’ve designed lots of fun holiday cootie catchers for kids. Check out these fun versions:
- Valentine’s Day Joke Tellers are a great non-candy classroom treat or lunchbox surprise.
- Father’s Day Joke Tellers make a perfect gift for Dad.
- Silly Snowman Joke Tellers are perfect for classroom parties.
- Hanukkah Joke Tellers (and Christmas Joke Tellers) are perfect for holiday celebrations!
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Tip: Be sure to check out my Thankfulness Dry Erase Boards for kids. It is a fun gratitude activity you can print and also use as a Thanksgiving decoration.
Lyne
Thank you so much for sharing this cute activity!
Evelyn
Hi Bren!
This is n awesome activity for Thanksgiving! Thank you very much!
Evelyn
Justin
Hey,
Thanks for the great work! I would like to make the Thanksgiving fortune teller with my class. What is the yellow hat/horn/shoe/net looking thing next to the number 7. Can’t figure it out.
Thanks again.
Bren
It’s a cornucopia, a symbol of abundance and harvest. In the United States a cornucopia is usually a hollow, horn-shaped wicker basket filled with fruits and vegetables.
Justin
Ah, I see. Thanks
krysta
love the cootie catcher ideas. my daughters love these. I have tried to down load though and have changed the cookie settings and it still won’t let me pull it up. do you think you could email me the printable?
~god bless,
krysta
Bren
Krysta, send me an email at hello @brendid.com and we’ll get you a copy! 😉
Kelly
HI. First of all THANK YOU, this is a great tool to use in my classroom this week! Do you have/ can you share a blank Fortune Teller template? I would love to be able to customize one with topics specific to what we are learning about in my classroom.
Thanks again.
Bren
I don’t have a blank template, but you can easily make your own by using an 8×8 sheet of paper and folding them into the cootie catcher shape then fill out the spaces however you desire. You can get the folding directions in my free printables library.
Tabatha
hi I have been trying to download the cootie catcher and can not get it to download. I would love to use this at my sons harvest party. Thank You!
Bren
Tabatha, to get to the free printable you need to visit https://brendid.com/free-printables, a pop up will appear, enter your email address, and then you will be able to scroll down to find the cootie catchers.
Karis
This is so cute! My oldest got in the car yesterday with a homemade cootie catcher from school. I have this one printed and ready to celebrate the first day of November with my kids. I shared your link on my Facebook page.
Bren
Thanks, Karis! I hope your kids love the cootie catcher.
Anita Heihn
What a cute Thanksgiving cootie catcher. I was not able to download it.
Bren
I’m sorry you’re having problems accessing the printables! To get to the free printable you need to visit https://brendid.com/free-printables/, if a pop up appears simply enter your email address as your password and then you will be able to scroll down to find the cootie catchers. (You will not be resubscribed if you reenter your email, the program will only collect that information once and delete any duplicates.) The printable is on the page https://brendid.com/free-printables. Hope this helps! -Bren
jlacombe3
OMG I love the cootie catcher idea! My son loves them so I could not ask for a better little craft on Thanksgiving! Much thanks from our family!
Julie Peek
Wow, Bren! Thanks for the craft idea AND the lesson.
Carla Hennefer
thank you for allowing me to download your thankful Cootie Catcher ! You are very talented !
Bren
Thanks Carla! Hope you enjoy!
Jan
Thank you.
Nina Lewis
I saw this on Pinterest and have pinned it.I love this idea and think that your designs are so cute! I’m going to print some up to use with my grandkids on Thanksgiving Day.
Bren
Thanks Nina!
Alexa
Hello! I am unable to download the Gratitude Cootie Catcher. Is there a way you could email me the pdf file? Thanks! I think this is an adorable idea!
Bren
I sent it, Alexa! Hope you enjoy!
alaynascreations
I love this idea! My daughter went through a huge “cootie catcher” phase a couple years ago where I would find stacks of them all over her bedroom. I think the idea to add the Thanks-related conversation questions is a fantastic twist. I fully intend to print out a few of these and take them to Thanksgiving dinner to keep the kiddos entertained – and maybe the adults too!
Thanks for sharing with us at the #HomeMattersParty link party.
Bren
Thanks Alayna! I am not sure why cootie catchers are so captivating for kids but they are so enthralled. Hope your family enjoys the Thanksgiving version!