Gratefulness: Thankful Hands Kid-Friendly Craft Project

by Jill Greenlaw on November 15th, 2011 | No Comments »

Thanksgiving—The month of November is a great time to focus on things we are thankful for in our lives. When our kids were little, we traced their hands onto construction paper and wrote down the things they were grateful for on them. This has been a tradition ever since.

Putting together a book of thankful thoughts is not only a fun project for the kids, but gets them in the spirit of gratitude!

As I look back at the these little treasures we have made over the years, I am grateful for the opportunity I have had to teach my children. I want my kids to recognize their blessings not only in November, but each and every day.

This is a simple project that can be done as a family. Save your books and read them before you eat your meal on Thanksgiving day.

Thankful Hands Handmade Project

Supplies:

2 pieces of brown paper for outside cover
8-10 pieces of colored construction paper for inside pages
2 pieces of ribbon about 6 inches long that match your colored construction paper
Markers to decorate your hand pages
Hole punch
Acrylic paint (optional if you want to put hand prints on the outside cover)

Directions:

1.) Trace out an over sided hand in brown construction paper. Decorate the front of your book. Make sure you put the date on your cover.

2.) Trace out 8-10 hands in different colored papers. These hands will be a little smaller than the cover so you don't see them when it is assembled. Have your kids write down the things they are thankful for on each hand and if they want, they can add pictures. The year we created this book the kids wanted to put their hand prints on the cover. You can do this by brushing your hand with acrylic paint and carefully pressing your hand on the outside cover. Let it dry before adding another hand print.

3.) Put all your hands together and make two holes in your book with a hole punch. Tie the book together with the pieces of cut ribbon. You are finished. Enjoy your book during this month and for years to come.