Teaching upper elementary does not mean you have to miss out on all the holiday fun! Try this fun Thanksgiving writing activity with your big kids before Thanksgiving break.
As Thanksgiving approaches, I love taking time to help my students pause and reflect on what they’re thankful for. Gratitude writing can be tricky for upper elementary students — they’ve often written the same “I’m thankful for my family and friends” paragraph year after year. That’s why I like to mix things up with a hands-on activity that adds color, creativity, and fun to our writing block.
I love using this “I Am Thankful” Thanksgiving Writing and Craft Activity to help students think more deeply about gratitude in a playful way. It’s perfect for those “big kids” who still enjoy a creative project but are ready for something more thoughtful than a turkey craft.
My goal in this lesson is to teach students to stop and think hard about all of the things they have to be thankful for.
First, I share this quote with my students. (I found this image after a quick search on Pinterest.)
Often when I ask my students what they are thankful for, they are quick to say their family members. I agree, this is SO important! But, not all students have strong family units. In this lesson I ask students to think about people, things, places, events, and things about themselves they are thankful for.
Why I Love This Activity
What I appreciate most about this project is how easily it gets everyone engaged. Instead of staring at a blank page, students have a simple way to brainstorm meaningful ideas. The built-in prompts help them move beyond the usual answers and think about specific people, places, and experiences they appreciate.
First, I give each student a bag of Skittles. I use the fun size with 18-24 skittles inside. Then, I have my students sort their skittles by color.
Students follow the directions on the brainstorming sheet. For each color of skittles, they list something they are thankful for.
Then, they can enjoy their skittles!
After completing the brainstorming sheet, students transfer their ideas to the final draft page.
Here, they write each item in a complete sentence. The sentence should explain why they are thankful for that item.
Finally, they color each section of the final draft page to match the Skittle colors.
What ideas do you have for helping students be more thankful this season?
A Meaningful Thanksgiving Tradition
Every year, I’m amazed at how thoughtful my students become during this activity. Their writing pieces always remind me that gratitude doesn’t have to be complicated — it just needs a moment of reflection and a reason to write from the heart.
If you’d like to try this in your own classroom, you can check out the I Am Thankful Writing and Craft Activity for Big Kids. It’s an easy, low-prep way to bring a little color and kindness into your classroom this Thanksgiving season.
