Practicing gratitude is an effective way to increase happiness and foster a sense of calm. If you struggle with journaling or need a fresh perspective, try one of these creative ways to practice gratitude. They’re kid-friendly too!

When we practice gratitude, we offer thanks and appreciation for all the good in our lives. It impacts our well-being with physical, psychological, and social benefits.[1] The most traditional way of practicing gratitude is to simply keep a journal and write about all that makes you happy. I’ve had success with this approach as well as writing gratitude letters. But for those of us who aren’t inclined to a writing activity, there are other creative ways to practice gratitude and even get the kids involved.

We all know practicing gratitude is good, but sometimes it’s difficult to make new habits. Of all the things I’m doing as part of my Commitment to Calm, making gratitude a habit has been a struggle. The practice of gratitude in and of itself isn’t difficult. It’s actually quite enjoyable. The challenge is in creating any sort of routine around it. I’m forgetting to do it regularly. So, I was motivated to come up with more creative ways to practice gratitude. I wanted some practices that could be more fun and flexible. Here are three creative options.

1. Take a gratitude walk.

I first heard the term “gratitude walk” in a Tara Brach talk on ways to gladden the mind. In this talk, she discussed ways to be happier. If we shift our attention, we can shift our mood. One way of gladdening the mind is to practice gratitude during a short, defined amount of time, like on a walk. In essence, you go on a walk, preferably with no distractions. Focus your attention by making a mental list of all the things for which you are thankful. This could include large things, like your family, or small things, like the birds chirping. The point is to stay focused on your gratitude list.

I’ve done this on multiple occasions and am always surprised I can keep it up for an entire walk. Once I get started, there’s never a shortage of things I see, hear, or think of which bring me happiness. I just have to remember it’s natural for the mind to wander. When I catch myself lost in a thought far from my gratitude list, I just take a deep breath and gently bring my focus back to my mental gratitude list. By the time I get home I feel lighter and happier.

When taking a gratitude walk with kids, you obviously list your appreciations out loud instead of silently in your head. As you walk, take turns sharing the things for which you are grateful. Here are a few pointers:

  • This might seem overwhelming to children when first starting. To help focus their attention and get more specific responses, provide your child with a prompt. For example, focusing on their senses gives them a concrete framework. Ask them, “What do you see/hear/smell/feel that you really like or appreciate?”
  • Adjust the length of the walk or the amount of time devoted to gratitude based on the age and attention span of your child(ren). The goal is to have fun, not force it, so let them set the boundaries. Every little bit of gratitude is beneficial.
  • Finally, you might even make a game out of it. For example, make a rule the group takes a step each time someone names something for which they are grateful. See how far the group gets. Or, make it a competition. Each person can take a step only when they come up with a new idea. Whoever gets the farthest wins. You might be surprised at how many things they come up with and how far you get!
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2. Discuss “3 things” during a meal.

At some point during a meal with others, take turns naming three things which made you happy that day. You can do it at dinner, reflecting on the day, or you can do it at breakfast, anticipating the good the day will bring. This can also be done with a spouse, friends, family, or even by yourself. There are many variations, the point is to focus on the good things in life.

We recently started doing this in our own home. My motivation was twofold. One, the more I work on the behaviors in my Commitment to Calm, the more I wish I started this a long time ago. In fact, I really wish I were taught this as a kid. I am trying to do that for my children and already pausing for a breath with the boys. Practicing gratitude is a natural next step. Being thankful is a concept they understand and a behavior that will serve them well in the future. Plus, I get to hear a lot more about their day this way.

The second motivation was to make practicing gratitude easier. My gratitude practice was sporadic and too easy to push off until tomorrow. One of the four laws of successful habit change is to make it easy, so I had to figure out a way to honor my commitment. By doing it at dinner, I’m designating a time each day to practice. I can’t procrastinate dinner. Sure, I can drink wine and eat chocolate instead, but these boys gotta eat! As a family, we eat together almost every night. Thus, dinnertime is a built-in time and space to practice gratitude. Plus, I don’t have to write anything down, find my pretty colored pens, or fuss with a journal. I’m finding it much easier to have a nightly dinnertime discussion than to write in my gratitude journal. Win-win!

Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash

3. Make a gratitude tree.

I was looking for a way to practice gratitude that would be hands-on, visual, and creative. As such, gratitude becomes an activity, process, and creation. I came across gratitude trees, which are perfect and can be tailored to any home’s style and aesthetic. To make a gratitude tree, cut out leaves and punch a small hole in the top. On each leaf, write something that makes you happy or for which you are thankful. Tie yarn, string, or twine through the hole, and attach the leaf to a decorative branch or tree. If you don’t want to do a tree or branch, consider attaching the leaves to any decorative object in your home, such as a chandelier, hanging artwork, or staircase bannister. The goal is to find a way to display this where you will enjoy it and be reminded of your gratitude.

I appreciate little crafty ideas like this and particularly love seasonal decorations the kids make. My mind ran with all the different ways to decorate a gratitude tree each month. For example, instead of using leaves, cut out snowflakes to decorate your gratitude tree (or branch) in January. What a fun way to make a family decoration as well as foster a family gratitude tradition. I was just about to put the Easter decorations out, so the timing is perfect. This weekend, we’ll be recording our family gratitude list on cut out eggs and hanging them up.

Here are some more ideas for making your gratitude tree seasonal.

  • January: Snowflakes
  • February: Hearts
  • March: Shamrocks
  • April: Eggs
  • May: Flowers
  • June: Suns
  • July: Fireworks bursts
  • August: Ice cream cones
  • September: Leaves
  • October: Pumpkins
  • November: Turkeys or feathers
  • December: Trees or stockings

Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more.

Melody Beattie

Engaging in one of these creative gratitude practices will help you reap the benefits of practicing gratitude. Plus, they are fun, interactive, and creative ways to get the kids involved. But you don’t have to involve kids. Any one of these could easily be done alone or with a friend. The key is finding what works for you and your family.

Have another creative way to practice gratitude? I want to hear about it. Leave me a comment!

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[1] https://greatergood.berkeley.edu/article/item/why_gratitude_is_good