Are you looking for a way to help your kids develop an attitude of appreciation? A gratitude journal may be the perfect solution! This article will discuss 65 gratitude journal prompts for kids to help them cultivate a grateful heart.
65 Gratitude Journal Prompts for Kids
While life holds difficulties, taking time each day to notice life’s gifts gives us perspective and nourishment. Appreciating others, ourselves, and the beauty around us strengthens our capacity for joy and compassion.
These prompts aim to invoke reflection on relationships, experiences, character strengths and hopes that move us. Discussing our gratitude highlights humanity’s interconnectivity – how each small kindness impacts countless lives.
Gratitude and Appreciation
- What are you grateful for today?
- What makes you grateful you live here?
- What are you thankful for today?
Joy and Happiness
- What makes you happy every day?
- What’s something that makes you laugh?
- What’s one thing that makes you happy now?
Relationships and Support
- What do you like about your family?
- Who changed your life for the better?
- Who’s been especially helpful lately?
Favorite Things
- What do you like about yourself?
- What’s your favorite food/color/movie/season?
- What’s your favorite place you’d visit again?
Inspiration and Growth
- Who’s a teacher who influenced you?
- Who inspires you to be brave?
- What would you like to learn someday?
Acts of Kindness
- What was the kindest thing done for you?
- How did someone help you today?
- What have you done today to help others?
Calm and Well-Being
- How does nature make you feel?
- What makes you feel calm and relaxed?
- What’s something that makes life easier?
Memories and Adventures
- What’s your favorite memory from last week?
- What’s your favorite vacation/place in the world?
- What’s the best food you ever ate? Why?
Future Hopes
- What are you looking forward to this week/month/year?
- What would you wish for with 3 magic wishes?
- What goals would a thank you note express?
Personal Strengths
- What accomplishment would you like recognition for?
- What have you done for yourself today?
- What did you learn today?
Everyday Joys
- What makes you proud of yourself?
- What’s your favorite activity with family/friends?
- What do you love about where you live?
Special Connections
- Who’s your favorite teacher/celebrity/teacher, and why?
- Who do you love most in the world and why?
- What’s the most excellent thing anyone said to you?
Making a Difference
- How can we make the world a better place?
- If you didn’t have limits, how would you help others?
- What’s something that improves others’ lives?
Personal Wonderings
- What superpower would you choose and why?
- What animal would you be for a day, and why?
- What did you do to make someone smile?
Continued Learning
- What’s an unusual food you’ve tasted, and why?
- How would you change one thing about yourself?
- If you could travel anywhere tomorrow, where?
- What have you done to make the world better?
- Who inspires you to help others?
- How do you show appreciation to others?
- What’s something people may lack that you value?
- Who motivates you to accomplish great things?
- What strengths help you help others?
- How do you see yourself improving the world?
- What are you most proud of today?
- What makes a good leader, and who exemplifies that?
- How has writing about gratitude benefited you?
- What character trait do you display each day?
- When have you received support from another?
- How does exploring life’s gifts change your perspective?
- Who moves you Daily, and how do they lift you?
- When has reflecting on life’s beauty moved you to care for others?
- Who gives you courage, and how do they show up?
- What nourishes your soul and helps you nourish others?
- How do you find purpose each day and share purpose?
- What lifts your spirits, and how do you lift spirits in return?
- How do you cultivate compassion for yourself and others through difficult times?
Why Is Gratitude So Important for Children?
The practice of gratitude is a simple way to bring more joy into your life, and it can be especially powerful for children.
Gratitude is recognizing, appreciating, and expressing gratitude for what you have in your life. When you practice gratitude regularly, you can develop a sense of contentment and well-being that positively impacts every aspect of your life.
Expressing gratitude can help children develop positive thinking and improve their mental health. Teaching children to be grateful helps them develop empathy, positivity, compassion, and kindness toward others – all qualities we want our children to have as adults, too.
When Kids Should Start Journaling
The best age to start a gratitude journal is when you can get your child excited about writing. But there are a few things to keep in mind.
First, consider your child’s age. If she can’t read or write well yet, starting a gratitude journal for her mightn’t be the best idea. If they can’t read or write well enough, it would not be easy to put their thankfulness and gratitude into words.
If your child is young (under 6 or 7), they probably don’t have much experience practicing gratitude. They may not have had many experiences, yet that could make them grateful.
But if your child is already learning to read and write independently, it’s time to teach them gratitude!
You can do this, for example, by helping him think of things to be thankful for every day – maybe even before he goes to bed at night. You could ask him what he liked about his day and then write it together so he sees that each day has special moments to be grateful for.
Start by Helping Him Make a Gratitude Writing Prompt List
An easy way to start is to help him make a gratitude list. To do this, you can write down things you’re grateful for or ask your child what he liked best about the day.
For example, they can say that they like riding bikes with Daddy or playing with their favorite toy. Once they’ve written down at least 5 things, you can ask them to find something else they’re thankful for. This helps them realize that there are always new things to be grateful for.
You can also make your gratitude journal for kids by buying colorful paper and stickers to decorate the front! You could even make it a scrapbook and add pictures with captions showing what made them happy daily. This would help your kids remember the great memories when they look back on it in years to come.”
Make It Fun!
Journal writing is a great way to help kids develop an attitude of gratitude and positivity in the present moment. It’s also a great way to connect with your child and teach them how to be grateful for what they have.
But it can be difficult to get kids excited about keeping a gratitude journal. Here are some tips to make it fun:
- Keep it short and sweet. Instead of writing down 10 things they’re grateful for, just one thing a day or even once a week. For example, “I’m thankful for my cat” or “I love the color green.” Choose something you can write down quickly without much thought or effort.
- Make it interactive. You could turn your daily gratitude journal prompts into art by having the kids draw pictures, write down things they’re thankful for regularly, and then hide them around the house for the other family members to find. It’s more fun that way for everyone involved!
- Keep it simple. You don’t need fancy materials like colored paper or stickers – plain old notebook paper will do just fine! But if you want to get creative, you can make a cover from construction paper or fabric instead of notebook paper.
Don’t Force It
Most importantly, you don’t force your kids to do this activity! While it can be tempting because of so many benefits, remember that forcing can backfire, and they may be upset or even angry with you for making them do something they don’t want to do. Instead of forcing them to write down their thoughts and feelings, gently guide them toward gratitude by talking to them about first what other people do with their journals or tell them examples from books or websites.
Let them choose their journal. If your child controls what they write in their gratitude journal, they will stick with it consistently. So let your child choose the style they like best – make sure it’s durable enough not to fall apart after use!
Our collection of gratitude journal prompts for kids is crafted to inspire young minds toward mindfulness and appreciation.
These prompts are designed to encourage children to explore and express their feelings of gratitude in a fun and engaging way. They are an excellent tool for parents and educators to foster a sense of thankfulness and positivity in children.
In addition to our variety of journal prompt articles for kids, we also have journal prompts for adults. Our most acclaimed pieces feature “365 Journal Prompts“, “28 Inspiring Manifestation Journaling Prompts“, and “60 Ideas to Boost Your Mood and Productivity.” This article is a comprehensive resource designed to inspire and assist adults in their journaling journey throughout the year.