Thanksgiving Thankful Door - Being Grateful Everyday

Looking for a simple way to celebrate gratitude this Thanksgiving? This easy Thanksgiving Thankful Door activity is perfect for the whole family! Help your kids reflect on what they’re thankful for and make gratitude a daily habit with this fun, creative, and heartwarming project.

Door with a fall leaf garland across the top and colored leaf taped to the door with blessing written on the leaves

The Thanksgiving Thankful Door is a great way to focus on gratitude, not just on Thanksgiving but all year round. This activity encourages the entire family to reflect on the people, things, and experiences they’re grateful for. It’s not only about acknowledging blessings but also about teaching kids the importance of appreciation and mindfulness.

Thanksgiving Thankful Door: A Fun and Easy Gratitude Activity for Families

How to Create a Thanksgiving Thankful Door

There are many ways to create your Thanksgiving Door, so feel free to get creative! The goal is to create a visual reminder of gratitude that can grow over the days or weeks leading up to Thanksgiving.

Gather Your Supplies

White Card Stock
Fall Colored Card Stock
Laminator (if you choose to laminate for reuse)
Colored Pencils or Markers
Clear Tape

Talking About Gratitude

Before you start crafting, take time to talk with your kids about what they’re grateful for. Kids may need a little help getting started. These conversations will help your kiddos recognize the blessings in their lives beyond material things.

Encourage them to think about the people they appreciate, from family and friends to teachers and clergy…even the neighbors who challenge their patience!

Discuss personal qualities as well. For example, you might say, “I’m thankful for Dad’s sense of humor,” or “I’m grateful for your determination.” These conversations can also touch on events, like a special vacation or a new skill they learned, showing that gratitude goes beyond tangible items.

Don’t forget to highlight everyday blessings we often take for granted. Share stories from your own life, like how your grandmother was always thankful for hot water because she didn’t always have it, or how Grandpa was grateful for a roof over his head after growing up in a tent in the west Texas oil patch.

These examples help children see the bigger picture of gratitude. Sometimes all this gratitude can take a funny turn and that’s okay too. One young mom I know said she was most grateful for disposable diapers! Amen!

Writing Down Your Blessings

Now that you’ve talked about what your family is thankful for, it’s time to write them down! You can use seasonal notepads with sticky backs, or for a more creative option, print out fall leaves using our free fall leaf printable (download below).

Let your kids color and decorate the leaves with crayons, watercolors, or even chalk. If you have fall-colored cardstock, that can add a special touch to the activity. Encourage everyone to add their name, age, and the year to their leaf—especially if the kids are writing their own with adorable backward letters and “unique” spelling.

For younger ones, you can add a translation for clarity!

Close up of door with a fall leaf garland across the top and colored leaf taped to the door with blessing written on the leaves

Starting a Gratitude Tradition

Once your leaves are ready, it’s time to display them. You can tape them on or around your door, create a garland, or hang them from a decorative branch. One of my grandmothers even spray-painted her branch gold for extra sparkle!

After Thanksgiving, consider laminating the leaves to preserve them for future years. (I love laminating!). Each Thanksgiving, you can add more leaves, making it a cherished family tradition that reflects the growth of gratitude in your home. Seeing what everyone was grateful for last year is an added reminder going forward and is an important part of your child’s continuing emotional development.

With this simple Thanksgiving door activity, you’ll help your kids focus on gratitude, making Thanksgiving more meaningful and special. It’s a wonderful way to teach appreciation while creating lasting memories!

Here is an easy Thanksgiving activity for everyone in the family to remind us of all the things, people and experiences we are grateful for. After all, that is what the holiday is about!