By Amy Christ, LISW-CP
Gratitude jars are a fun, artistic, and hands-on way for children and adults to practice gratitude. 💖 Gratitude is something that is good for us to all do but is also a good way to cope when feeling big emotions. 😢➡️😊 It allows us to see outside of the situation and focus on something bigger. 🌈 This activity allows each person to create their own special jar where they save gratitude statements at the end of the day. 🫙📝
🧰 Materials
Clear jar (plastic or glass) 🫙
Art Supplies (stickers, ribbons, magazine cut outs, etc) 🎨✨
Gratitude slips (blank strips of paper or slips with gratitude prompts) 📝💭
🛠️ Instructions
Begin by personalizing the jar with different decorations. 🎀 If you are doing this with your child, help them create a special jar just for them using ribbons, stickers, things from nature, or anything else you can imagine. 🌿🦋 You can even paint it. 🎨 Make it fun! 😄
After decorating the jar, it is time to add the first 3 gratitude statements. ✍️💗 A gratitude statement acknowledges something that a person appreciates or is thankful for. 🙏
Some examples include:
“I’m grateful for my dog because he makes me laugh.” 🐶😂
“I’m thankful for dinner tonight because it was my favorite!” 🍽️😍
“I appreciate my mom because she took care of me while I was sick.” 🤒💞
“I am so glad the weather is nice and I can play outside today.” ☀️🏃♂️🌳
Once each person with a jar has written down 3 gratitude statements — one per slip of paper — spend a moment discussing each one. 🗣️❤️ This helps you and your child understand each other better as well as encourage different ways to think about things to be grateful for. 🧠💡 Once they are written out, fold them and put them in the jar. 📥
Plan for you and your child to write 3 gratitude statements and add them to their jar each day. 🗓️💬 Try and use this to make gratitude part of your daily routine by discussing everyone’s gratitudes. This activity works great as part of a bedtime routine. 🌙🛌 Not only is this helpful when writing the grateful statements but it can help to go back and read them when feeling down. 📖💞 This is a great way to teach your children (and remind yourself) how to focus on the good things. 🌟🌻
💌 Want a little help getting started?
Download these printable Gratitude Jar Prompts to spark reflection and connection at home. Perfect for kids and adults alike!
👉 Click here to download the Gratitude Jar Prompts PDF 📄
If you or your child are looking for more ways to build emotional awareness, strengthen connection, or manage big feelings, therapy can help. 💛 At Healing Solutions, we specialize in helping individuals and families grow through hands-on strategies like this one, plus so much more.
A Gentle Reminder: As licensed therapists, we love sharing insights on relationships, parenting, mental health, and personal growth. While this blog provides valuable information and strategies, it is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized mental health care. Everyone’s journey is unique, and if you need support, we encourage you to reach out to a licensed mental health professional or local resources. You deserve care that’s tailored to you!
