Gratitude Boxes
Thanksgiving is nearly here! We’d like to offer you an activity that will not only help you fill your family’s Thanksgiving gathering with gratitude, but will also help you prepare for Christmas – gratitude boxes.
This idea was originally featured on the Oprah show, but we discovered it on the Apartment Therapy blog, and would like to suggest some tweaks to make it your own. You’ll need paper, some small boxes, and things to write with. How fancy each of these elements is can be up to you, as well as whether they are store-bought or homemade, so do what’s best for your family.
Sometime during your Thanksgiving gathering, pass out the (fancy or non-fancy) paper and the writing implements. Each person will be writing a message of love for someone else. If you have a large gathering, you may want to pick names like you would with a Secret Santa exchange, but for smaller groups, it’s nice to have each person write a message to each of the others. In fact, even if you have a large family, see if you can arrange it so each person receives multiple messages.
Here are some prompts for your messages, though you can OF COURSE come up with your own as well:
Thank you for…
What I love about you is…
My holiday wish for you this year is…
I’m grateful for you because…
I pray that you…
When you’re done, collect the messages. Here’s where the boxes come in. You can prep the boxes ahead of time or extend the activity time by making/decorating them together. And if you choose to make the boxes instead of buying them, try this simple origami tutorial.
If you’d like to send the boxes home with everyone on Thanksgiving, distribute the messages right away, and have everyone agree to open them on Christmas. If you’d prefer that the boxes be a Christmas surprise, you can collect the messages and hold onto them until you’re ready to present the finished boxes to your loved ones. No matter which option you choose, your family’s Thanksgiving gratitude will flow right into your Christmas blessings <3
We’d love to see your family’s gratitude boxes! Share pictures with us on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
