Gratitude Coloring Page & Conversation Activity
Gratitude Coloring Page & Conversation Activity
When we take the time to plant seeds of thankfulness, we harness the benefits of having a positive outlook. Peace blooms from gratitude!
This activity is designed to create space for intentional conversation around practicing gratitude. While it’s easy to get caught in the trials and struggles that happen throughout the day, we can combat negative energy by focusing our attention on what we are grateful for.
SHARE & PRACTICE THE CATCHPHRASE /// A catchphrase is a concept kids can easily remember. It helps them catch onto a big idea to positively impact the way they think and act, and then they can toss it out for others to catch onto too!
THIS WEEK’S FRIENDZY CATCHPHRASE /// Peace Blooms from Gratitude
START COLORING /// Print out these coloring cards for your child to color and decorate it. Hang it in your front window as a way to spread the encouragement to neighbors or delivery people who pass by.
“SAY IT OUT LOUD: “I AM GRATEFUL FOR…” /// As you are coloring, speak out loud things and people you are grateful for. Speaking out loud about what we are grateful for can remind us about the good things in our lives.
From the little moments to the big wins, things to be grateful for are happening all around us! When we take the time to notice and remember things we are grateful for, our whole body benefits. Practicing gratitude is proven to increase relationships, strengthen our physical and psychological health, increase our empathy, and build up our self-esteem.
One of the most immediate effects of practicing gratitude is an instant change in our perspective. Our Perspective is the attitude that we have towards something. When we take the time to practice gratitude, our perspective on nearly everything can instantly become more positive!
TEACHING TIP /// Experts say it takes 21 days to create a habit. Consider making time in your day for the next 21 days to say or write down what you are grateful for intentionally. Our 30-day gratitude journal is an excellent resource to start this habit! Engage your whole body by including sights, sounds, tastes, feelings, and smells that you are grateful for. And don’t forget to consider things about yourself that you are grateful for!
CONVERSATION /// Notice how focusing on things you are grateful for changes your perspective, your body, and your mood.
Now that you have shared what you are grateful for, notice your body. What feels different?
Does your mood feel different than before you listed what you are grateful for? (Use the daily check-in tool to help!)
Consider a challenge or something frustrating. Try to name at least one positive thing about that situation. How does being grateful about hard things change your perspective?
COLORING CAN LOWER OUR STRESS LEVELS /// When we draw and color, our brains actually relax. Psychologist Gloria Martinez Ayala noticed that we activate both sides of our brain hemispheres when we color. This type of dual brain function is a great way to manage stress. Ayala also clarified that the process of drawing incorporates the areas of the cerebral cortex involved in vision and fine motor skills. The brain “relaxation” that it provides lowers the activity of the amygdala, a basic part of our brain involved in controlling emotion that is affected by stress. Our bodies benefit from coloring and drawing.
DOWNLOAD GRATITUDE COLORING PAGE
