I love that Thanksgiving is a holiday that doesn’t require gifts and extra things. It is simply a time to reflect on and be grateful for the things that we have. These Gratitude Pumpkins are a great craft to help kids remember to be thankful for the things that they have.
Gratitude Pumpkins
I’ll admit that Christmastime is my favorite time of the year. I love the music, the smells, the treats and the general feeling that comes with the season.
As much as I love Christmas, I also love that we have a holiday that is solely based on giving gratitude for the many blessings that we have and I want my children to take the time to recognize that they have so much to be thankful for before they start making lists of toys and treats that they hope to see on Christmas morning.
Every Monday night we try to hold family night. This is a night where we gather our family together and as parents we teach our boys things to do with faith, values, and life lessons and also spend some time playing games, making crafts and just being together without outside distractions. This month we are focusing on gratitude. Tonight we talked about what we are thankful for and made these fun gratitude pumpkins. I love that these were easy enough for each of my boys to make on their own and they only took a few minutes.
Supplies needed to make Gratitude Pumpkins:
- Orange and Green Construction Paper or Cardstock
- Toilet paper or paper towel cardboard tube
- Tape
- Markers
Step 1: Cut the orange paper into 1″ strips. You will need about 8-10 for each pumpkin.
Step 2: Have children write something they are thankful for in the middle of each of the paper strips.
Step 3: Cut the cardboard roll as tall as you would like your pumpkin to be. The shorter the roll, the wider the pumpkin will be. Then cover the roll with a strip of orange paper and use tape to secure it into place.
Step 4: Tape one end of the orange paper strips inside to one of the ends of the roll.
Step 5: Repeat with the other end of the paper strip and roll.
Step 6: Cut out a green leaf and tape it into the hole at the top of the pumpkin.
Step 7: Wrap a strip of paper around a pencil and hold it until it holds a curl and tape it next to the leaf.
And you’re done.
One of my goals as a mother is to raise my boys in a way that as they grow they will not take the simple blessings we have for granted. When it comes down to it, the most important things in life can’t be purchased at a store.
So before we start writing out the lists for Santa and standing outside freezing to get the latest and greatest deals that we probably don’t need, let’s not forget to take a minute and write down all of the things were are thankful for and remember to keep those in mind throughout the entire holiday seasons.
If you like these pumpkins, check out our other Thanksgiving Crafts and Recipes:
Printable Thanksgiving Activities
I. LOVE. THIS! What an awesome way to be intentional with your boys! Thanks so much for sharing, Kara!
~Abby =)
I’m crazy for Christmas! It can never-ever be too early for me! I could see lights out in July and be thrilled to pieces 🙂 We actually consider Thanksgiving a part of Christmas in our family and my mom has Christmas decor up before Thanksgiving so that it’s festive for dinner that day!
I love these Gratitude Pumpkins. It’s great to sit down as a family and think about your blessings and make a fun craft. It’s something they’ll always remember 🙂
This project is adorable! I teach an art class to 5 and 6 year olds and I think they will love this one!
Love this! Featuring on my KBN roundup of Favorite Fall Activities and Crafts for kids at: http://www.happyandblessedhome.com/fall-activities-and-fall-crafts-for-kids/ Thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad you like it. Thanks for including it in your roundup!
Holidays that happein in Fall are the my favorite! The colors, the Fall sunlight….the fragnances…it’s just lovely!