This Gratitude Tree is a fun and easy craft activity that reminds you of the things you are grateful for every day. It is a good fit for children, and youthful-minded adults can enjoy it too.
Gratitude has been studied closely and linked to greater happiness and contentment. Harvard Health's overview of the research connects it with better health as well. A Gratitude Tree is a playful way to take note of what you are grateful for each day.
You will need several double-sided colored sheets of paper, string or ribbon, scissors, twigs or a tree branch, some stones or marbles, a vase, and a sense of gratitude.
- Make one or more leaf cutouts to use as a template, and trace the leaves on your colored paper.
- Cut out the leaves, punch a hole at the top of each one, and loop string or ribbon through each hole.
- Put the stones or marbles in a vase and stand the branch or twig in the middle.
- Draw or write what you (or your child) are grateful for on the leaves. Photographs work too.
- Hang the leaves from the branches and enjoy your gratitude tree.
The result is a pretty reminder of what brings you or your child joy. The activity may be intended for kids, but there is no age limit on creative ways to practice gratitude.
