Kindness Club: The Jar of Gratitude 

Join the Kindness Club in filling up your own jar of gratitude. Learning to appreciate the things we are thankful for can sometimes be a tricky concept for young kids. Creating a hands-on project can help kids visualize what they are grateful for and be a great reminder of how much they have to be happy about.

Discover more projects like this gratitude jar in our Kindness Community.

The Importance of Practicing Gratitude

Teaching kids to be mindful of what gives them joy can help them feel more joyful. Research shows that even a small amount of gratitude each day can increase happiness, which in turn can leave you with more gratitude. However, it can be challenging to appreciate the small things that make our lives better. Making a gratitude jar is a fun and creative way to give kids a reminder.

The Jar of Gratitude

This is a very simple project that kids (and even grown-ups) of all ages can participate in and learn from. All you need is a few items to get started, and The Kindness Club will walk you through how to create your own Jar of Gratitude!

What You Need

There are two ways you can do this kindness project. You can fill an actual jar. If you have an empty one, you can upcycle it or make it a paper craft project and use our Kindness Club printable instead. 

To do the craft project, you’ll need:

• Markers
• Paper
• Scissors
• Glue stick
• A jar or the gratitude jar printable

Click here to print our free Local Anchor Jar of Gratitude template.

Filling Your Gratitude Jar

Now comes the creative part! Coming up with all the things you are grateful for to include in the jar. You can make this a one-off craft project and have them write words or draw pictures to fill up their jars entirely. If you’re using an actual jar, simply cut a sheet of paper into strips and write or draw each point of gratitude on a different slip until the jar is filled. Or you can turn this into a daily exercise and have your kids think of one thing they are grateful for at the end of the day and write that in before bed.

Once your jar of gratitude is filled up, hang it on the fridge or pin it to a bulletin board, anywhere that your kids will see it as a daily reminder of all that they have to be thankful for. If you fill an actual jar, you can use it as a tool when kids are having a hard time. Simply open the jar, pull a random slip, and read it aloud as a reminder of something that brings them joy.

Here are some suggestions of things your kids might be grateful for if they have a hard time getting started with ideas on what to include in their jars:

• Toys to play with
• A bed to sleep in
• A home with a roof over their head
• The ability to go to school and learn new things
• Food in their stomachs
• Family and friends who love them
• Pets that bring happiness into their lives
• A warm blanket on a cold day

You can also help inspire your kids with some ideas of what you are grateful for or even make your own jar alongside theirs. Remind them that there are so many things in life to be thankful for, even the littlest things they might otherwise take for granted. 

We can’t wait to see all of the creative gratitude jars that you create! Please share a picture in our Local Anchor Facebook group.

For more ideas on how to teach kids gratitude check out our guide to practicing gratitude with kids.