Attention Activity:
Slice a lemon into sections and let everyone have a taste. Talk about how sour it is. What do we usually do with lemons? How do we make lemonade? Have you ever heard the saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." What do you think that means. What about this saying, "When life gets sour....sweeten it with Gratitude." You can make lemonade now, or at the end of the lesson...if you want.
Gratitude Video
This is a quick 1.5 minute video on gratitude. Click HERE
Scripture Example:
Read Luke 17: 11-19. This is the story of Jesus healing the 10 lepers and only one giving thanks to Jesus.
What blessing came to all the lepers?
What additional blessing came to the leper who gave thanks?
What do you think the difference is between being healed and being made whole?
Adults as well as youth are often guilty, being disobedient and
unthankful to their Heavenly Father who gives them all. Many fail to
show their gratitude through service, through family prayers, etc.
"Regardless
of our circumstances, each of us has much for which to be grateful if
we will but pause and contemplate our blessings. This
is a wonderful time to be on earth. While there is much that is wrong
in the world today, there are many things that are right and good. There
are marriages that make it, parents who love their children and
sacrifice for them, friends who care about us and help us, teachers who
teach. Our lives are blessed in countless ways. We
can lift ourselves and others as well when we refuse to remain in the
realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of
gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues. Someone has said that “gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.” - Thomas S. Monson
Discuss things you and your family have gratitude for.
Things you can do TODAY to start showing Gratitude: source
Start a gratitude journal.
Tell someone you love,
how much you appreciate them.
Send a thank you note to someone.
Start a list of things that make you happy.
Offer a prayer of thanksgiving.
Sit down to dinner and share
something you grateful for today.
Copy a quote about gratitude
and put it on your fridge
(or somewhere else you will see it often).
Give something away.
Do something nice for someone else.
Give at least five compliments
to people you see.
Be more obedient to one of
the Lord's commandments.
Start and end your day with
a grateful thought.
Make a scrapbook page about
something you are thankful for.
Gratitude Game:
Ahead of time, write items on slips of paper. These can be anything: trees, birds, fish, pets, house, rocks, grass, our country, tissues, teachers, music, cell phones, our country, fruit, hot water, school, teachers, etc.
Divide into 2 teams.
One team will select a piece of paper and read it out loud. The other team will have 3 seconds to say what they appreciate about that item.
Other Gratitude Activities:
Play gratitude pictionary or cherades.
Have the children take pictures or collect pictures of things they are grateful for. Make a family gratitude board out of the pictures or play a game where you have to guess whose picture it is.
Take turns going around in a circle naming what you are grateful for - only you have to name things in alphabetical order.
Write letters of gratitude and send to people
Craft: Make Gratitude Rocks (I found this idea on MetroFamily)
Next get your magazines out and cut out words describing why you are grateful for each person in your family.
Use a paint brush and brush the rock with Mod Podge. Arrange the words all over the rock and Mod Podge the top, making sure to smooth out the papers. Let dry.
I think they are so fun and unique - just like each person. I also think I will be less likely to throw these painted rocks in the trash!!
Handout:
If you have lemons - it might be fun to make lemonade to tie back into the beginning of the lesson. Click HERE for the handout.
Journal:
Write things you are grateful for. How can you have more gratitude in your life?
really love this. have to do this
ReplyDeleteFor a game you could list general sources of things to be grateful for (home, school, church, neighborhood, country, etc.) on separate pieces of paper. Then have each girl draw one and say something she is grateful for within that area.
ReplyDelete