Thankful Fall Leaf Hand

As the leaves continue to change and we enter into the month of November, I thought I would do a post on a therapeutic activity that goes well with the coming holidays. What’s nice about this activity is it can be done well in a group setting as well as with a few or even one child. The goal is to encourage participants to reflect on what they are thankful for and create a tangible reminder of it.

You will need some construction paper in fall leaf colors (orange, yellow, red, and brown) as well as scissors and writing utensils. If you want to create something to hang the finished product on, you will also need either a cut out of a tree (without leaves) or a large branch (and something to hold it upright).

The activity itself is super simple. Trace your hand just like you would when you trace your hand for a turkey shape. Take a marker and write on the palm “I’m thankful for…” On each finger, write something you are thankful for. Here’s my example:

Participants can make as many thankful hands as they want, and when they are finished you can let them take the art projects home or… You can hang them up on a tree. The simplest way to do this is taking a paper cutout of a tree (minus leaves) and taping it to a wall or door. Then tape the hands up around the branches to create the fall-colored tree. You can also use a branch and punch holes in the hands to hang from the limbs. If you work with kids in a playroom setting, I find this activity works well over the course of many days or even weeks leading up to Thanksgiving because you can include many children and the tree continue to gain more leaves.

Thankful Fall Leaf Hand Activity Notes

Ages: 3 and up

Materials Needed: Construction paper (orange, red, brown, and yellow), scissors, and something to write with

Therapeutic Value:
Creativity
Legacy Building
Positive Thoughts & Reminders