The effects of gratitude can be powerful for middle school students. Most middle schoolers still need to be reminded and taught about the power of gratitude, and a gratitude lesson at home or in school can be a great way to help students develop a general sense of thankfulness.
Help middle school students to embrace an attitude of gratitude with these gratitude activities.
1. Gratitude Journal Printable
Journaling can have a positive impact on students of any age. These gratitude journal printable pages can help students develop a sense of appreciation for things in their lives. Journaling has a positive effect on the mental health of students and can be a powerful exercise in any classroom or at home.
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2. Roll the Dice Gratitude Game
This gratitude activity not only helps students to think about what they appreciate, it also facilitates conversations about gratitude. In this game, students roll the dice to discover a written prompt meant to evoke feelings of gratitude. They can share positive emotions and experiences with their peers using this fun, interactive game.
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3. Gratitude Scavenger Hunt
Middle school students love scavenger hunts. Get them thinking more critically about their surroundings and experiences with this gratitude scavenger hunt. Students can reflect upon the concept of gratitude within their own life in a fun, hands-on, and engaging gratitude activity.
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4. Gratitude Cards and Coloring Pages
This classic gratitude exercise makes a great addition to daily gratitude notebooks. Switch up journaling and writing with a reflective coloring piece. These printable gratitude quotes and cards can spark discussion about gratitude while offering an opportunity for self-reflection.
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5. Thankfulness Paper Chain
While this activity is often done around Thanksgiving, it really can be done at any time of year. With an appreciation focus, students create a thankfulness paper chain out of construction paper. Students will develop a sense of gratitude by adding to the colored paper chain in the classroom.
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6. Gratitude Tic-Tac-Toe
This is another gratitude activity that can be tucked away for Thanksgiving time, or used anytime that students are exhibiting negative emotions or going through a difficult time. A fun twist on the classic Tic-Tac-Toe, this game has students reflecting on things in their lives they are grateful for.
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7. Positivity Journal Graphic Organizers
This daily record of character and gratitude is perfect for the middle school learner. Filled with gratitude worksheets, there are beautifully designed graphic organizers made to help students process feelings of gratitude and positivity. From a gratitude list to visual representations of positivity, middle schoolers will love reflecting on both positive and negative emotions in this positivity journal.
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8. Gratitude Rocks
This hands-on, creative painting project offers another way for middle schoolers to share what they are grateful for. Students will enjoy painting visual representations of the things they are grateful for, and you'll end up with beautiful decor for school or home.
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9. Gratitude Conversation Starters
Use these gratitude conversation starters to foster rich discussion about gratitude in your middle school classroom. These questions and sentence starters can be used for whole-class discussions, small group or partner conversations, or even for individual reflection gratitude journaling.
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10. Cultivating Gratitude Printables
These gratitude activities and printables are a great way for students to reflect and work through positive and negative emotions while developing a sense of gratitude. These activities include a gratitude challenge and resources for parents and teachers on making gratitude habitual in children and students.
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11. Gratitude Drawing Prompts
Some students love journaling, while others prefer doodling on a piece of paper. These gratitude drawing prompts help students develop a sense of gratitude in a more creative way that allows for an artistic outlet. Pair these drawing prompts with gratitude journaling prompts to provide options for students of all skill sets.
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12. Gratitude Garland
This gratitude garland is one of many appreciation activities that can be done in the classroom or at home. Have students write down what they are thankful for or who they appreciate on colored paper, and hang their submissions around the classroom. This will serve as a great reminder of what they have to be thankful for!
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13. Gratitude Journal Writing Prompts
Regular gratitude practice is a skill that is even more beneficial when introduced early on. These gratitude journal prompts are listed with children in mind and provide great starters for reflection to promote authentic gratitude feelings among middle school students.
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14. Gratefulness Brainstorm
Provide a creative graphic organizer for a writing prompt with this gratefulness brainstorm printable. You can also use it as a stand-alone gratitude activity for a mental health exercise, or just as a means of fostering gratitude in children.
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15. m & m Thankful Game
A fun, engaging, AND tasty game for students to practice gratitude. Assign different gratitude prompts to colors of m & ms, and let students choose at random and respond to the discussion starters to have conversations about gratitude!
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16. Thank You Notes
Gratitude letters, better known as thank you notes are a classic representation of gratitude and are a great way to teach students basic gratitude skills. You can use this classic take and write a handwritten note of appreciation, or modify the activity and have students send an email of gratitude.
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17. Thankfulness Wreath
This thankfulness wreath is a great class project or ongoing project to track individual development of gratitude. Students can show their appreciation of people and the school community by adding colored clothespins to a wire wreath. This visual representation of gratitude can be displayed in the classroom or at home and serve as a reminder of the positive impact people have on one another.
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18. 25-Day Gratitude Challenge
This 25-day gratitude challenge is a great activity for the classroom or at home with your family. For 25 days in a row, be mindful about what you are grateful for and it will help kids to develop a sense of gratitude in children and foster positive emotions. Have discussions about the benefits of gratitude after each challenge.
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19. 30 Days of Gratitude
Another fun twist on a gratitude challenge is this 30 days of gratitude calendar printable. Make regular gratitude practice a habit with this visual gratitude reminder. Check off the days as you go, and spend a month as a family or classroom being intentional about authentic gratitude.
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20. Thankful Printable
This thankful printable is another great example of a visual gratitude reminder. Middle schoolers can use the graphic organizer to reflect upon and brainstorm what they are grateful for, and then be creative in coloring and filling in the decorative printable. You can also use this visual as a resource for a daily gratitude entry, and fill in the lines day by day.
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