Teaching Kids to Be Thankful {Thanksgiving Blessings Handprint Turkey Kids Craft} #FCBlogger #KidMin

**A huge thank you so Family Christian for sponsoring today's post! 

In everything, give thanks. -1 Thessalonians 5:18

With the Thanksgiving season upon us, there has never been a better time to reflect on everything we have to be thankful for... and a great time to teach our children to do the same.

But sometimes it's easier to be thankful than others, isn't it? When things are going according to plan, when life is going great... it's easy to thank God for the blessings He's given us. But when things aren't going so well? That's a little tougher. But the Bible tells us to give thanks for EVERYTHING! It does not say be thankful for the good things... but for all things.

That is just the thing I try to remember each and every day, and especially this time of year and it's the lesson that I want to teach my children- that there is nothing too small or insignificant to be thankful for! And to help with that lesson, I came up with a fun craft:

Thanksgiving Blessings Handprint Turkey

• Paper Plate
• Paint/Crayons/Markers
• Construction Paper
• Scissors
• Glue

1. First up, start with your paper plate. This will be the base of our turkey, so use paint, markers or crayons to color it brown! (I personally prefer paint for a nice vibrant look, but crayons or markers are little less messy for little ones!) Allow to dry.
2. Finish the base off by giving your turkey a fun face! You can draw this on, or use construction paper.
3. Now its time for feathers! Trace your little ones hands onto the construction paper. Cut out the handprints. You will need several hand prints in a variety of color to give your turkey a full look!
4. Here's where the lesson in thankfulness comes in! Ask your little one to think about things they are thankful for and write them on each finger. Encourage them to think about not just the typical things (family, friends, etc) but also the small things and even the silly things (For instance, I for one am quite thankful for heated seats in my car! It's small, its silly, its true!) Remind them again that it is not just the big things we should be thankful for, but the little things too!
5. Once they have finished writing down what they are thankful for, attach your feathers to the back of the plate. (It's okay if the feathers overlap and are not all readable!)

There you have it! This is a simple and fun ways to encourage children to think about ALL things that they have to be thankful for!

Looking for more ways to teach your children about the Thanksgiving holiday and giving thanks? Check out these fun books from Family Christian:

My Thanksgiving Prayer // The Berenstain Bears Thanksgiving Blessings // Thanksgiving Graces //
Thanksgiving at Our House // Mary's First Thanksgiving // What is Thanksgiving? // The Fantastic Gifts of Fall

(And don't forget to check out their fun Harvest decor to get your home ready too!)

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What other tips do you have for teaching your children about being thankful?