Thankfulness Tree

Lately I've seen a number of different friends/bloggers making fun crafts with their kids to foster a spirit of thankfulness in the season leading up to Thanksgiving. Thankfulness is something that naturally flows from a heart directed to God, but it is also an attitude that we can choose even when we feel we have little to be thankful for.

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Hebrews 13:15 

I decided to make a thankfulness tree with my 2 year old. Here are two examples of much fancier ones:

http://www.nurseryofthenation.com/2011/11/thankfulness-tree.html

http://www.meaningfulmama.com/2013/11/thankfulness-tree.html

We had crayons, brown paint and paper on hand, and it was cold this morning, so voila! A thankfulness tree was born. I was planning to trace my son's hands and use them as leaves, but he also wanted me to trace his feet... so we ended up with hand and footprint leaves (you win some, you lose some.)

I asked my 2 year old what he was thankful for, explaining that it could be things like food, his brother, our house... things that we thank God for at night when we say prayers or at the table before meals. I then wrote something that he is thankful for on each "leaf:"

In addition to mommy, daddy, eggs, airplanes, and bounce houses my son is thankful for... GIRLS. Yep, he came up with that one all on his own. I better watch out for this one...