Hi there.
You probably already know that exercising gratitude helps us become happier, more optimistic and more resilient in times of difficulties. Positive Psychology research has found many benefits of cultivating gratitude. And yes. Being grateful is a behaviour that can be learnt. So for some time now, I have made it a bedtime ritual for my children and I to share something we are thankful for to cultivate gratitude as a family. There are so many things kids can be grateful for but kids may struggle with it because they don’t know exactly what to be grateful about. They say, “Hm, nothing special happened today”, or something generic like, “Everything went well”.
Over time, I’ve broken things down into categories to help my kids be specific about what they can be grateful for and add variety to our sharing. The thing is, we don’t have to be grateful for only big life changing events. Small things matter too, like an ordinary and peaceful day where nothing bad happened. Even if bad things happen, they can be turned into something good. We can help our kids look for that positive in a bad experience. Perhaps it is how they learn to overcome a challenge. Or how things could have been worse.
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Here’s my list of gratitude prompts (by categories) you can use with your kids.
31 Gratitude Prompts (By Categories)
- (Events that are joyful, meaningful, even ordinary) What is something good that happened to you today/ this week?
- (People) Who is one person you are grateful for? What about your teacher are you thankful for?
- (Things in the house) What thing/ invention in the house can’t you do without?
- (Books) Which books/ stories do you love and why?
- (Transportation: car, bikes, planes etc.) What mode of transport has really helped you? What about the family car are you thankful for?
- (School: people, activities and facilities) What about school are you thankful for? What is your favourite place in school?
- (All creatures big and small) Which animal do you find most useful to man? Which animal are you glad God created?
- (The Universe) Which is your favourite planet? What do you find amazing about the solar system?
- (Weather) What weather do you like? What are rainy days great for?
- (Occupations: all walks of life) What can you thank construction workers/ nurses/ scientists/ engineers for?
- (Places/ Geography: cities, mountains, forests etc.) Which countries would you like to visit? Which was your favourite vacation destination?
- (Food) Which foods are really important to you? In your view, what is the best dish created in this world?
- (Body and being alive!) Which body part of yours do you appreciate?
- (Personality traits) What personality trait of yours do you like?
- (Your Country)What about your country do you appreciate? Eg. places, people, culture
- (Toys and Games) What toy/game brings you most fun? Which toy are you most thankful for?
- (Struggles/ Bad things: there can be a silver lining!) What was something hard you experienced? What is something you have learnt from a bad experience?
- (Shops and Services) Which is your favourite shop in the neighbourhood? Which shop will you miss if it is gone?
- (Talents) What is a talent of yours God has given you? What is something you are good at that you can be proud of?
- (History) Which person in the past are you really grateful for? Which event in the past are you really glad took place?
- (Art) What is an art or craft activity that has brought you much joy? Which artist/ dancer has really inspired you?
- (Languages) What are some interesting languages to you? What is great about the language you speak?
- (Nature and Plants) What plants are you grateful for? Which is your favourite flower?
- (Natural phenomenons- give examples) What are some natural things that occur in the world you find amazing? Eg. Fire, Gravity, Lightning, Volcanic Eruptions etc. What do you like about rainbows?
- (Free things) What are some free things you get to enjoy? Eg. Fresh air, the smell of pancakes and the nearby playground.
- (Colours) How would you feel if the world has only black and white? Which colour makes you feel happy?
- (Music) What would the world be like if there is no music? Which songs/ singers are you thankful for?
- (Shows and Movies) Which show/ programme has taught you a lot of things? What show/programme did you enjoy most?
- (Stationery) Which pen/marker/ stationery do you love? Which stationery has helped you the most?
- (Activities) What activities are you glad you can do? Which sport are you really glad to have in this world?
- (Inventions) What is the best invention in this world? Which invention can’t you live without?
- (Changes) What change in your life are you glad for? Which change in your life has taught you something valuable?
- (Memories) What is your favourite memory? What is your proudest moment? Which kind act do you remember most?
- (Money and Work) What about Daddy’s and Mummy’s jobs are you thankful for? What is something recent you buy that you are grateful to have?
- (Privileges) What is the special thing you get to do/ can do now that you are older? Is there something you appreciate that Daddy and Mummy allow you to do that your siblings can’t do?
Final Note
I hope these 35 categories offer you some inspiration. For kids above 7 and able to write, you may want to try getting them to keep a gratitude journal as well. Journal writing is also good for promoting reflection and self-examination.
If you want to use books to inspire kids to show gratefulness, check out my post on books that teach gratitude and other important values. Do you have other categories or interesting gratitude prompts? Share with me in the comment box below. I’d love to hear from you.