Download This Letter, Teach Kids How to Express Their Gratitude

Throughout the Bible, we are called to be grateful and express our thanks (Colossians 3:15, 17; Psalm 107:1; 1 Thessalonians 5:18). But when we teach kids that it’s important to be grateful and express their gratitude to others, we often don’t explain to them how to do that. Because expressing gratitude gets easier with practice, we created a downloadable letter kids can easily fill out and give to a parent or leader.

The downloadable letter consists of five basic parts to teach kids how to express gratitude:

Parent’s or Leader’s Name

Appreciation should be personal. At the top, have the student handwrite the name of the person for whom they are thankful.

You have helped me by …

Thankfulness usually begins with our attention to the care and skill people give to us when they help us. Ask students to share specific things their parent or leader has done for them.

One time you helped me that I will never forget was …

Parents and leaders love to hear the memories they helped create for their kids. Ask your students to write down one special time their leader or parent served them.

I am so thankful for your …

Seeing someone’s service is good. Remembering someone’s service is better. Understanding someone’s heart behind their service is the best gift of all! Help your students understand the motivations, attitudes, and passions of those who serve them. The easiest way to help them finish this statement is to ask them why their parent or leader would have wanted to help them.

Student’s Name

Just as the opening of the letter should be personal, so should the close. Have the child sign their name as if it were their personal endorsement of this “Thank You.” Kids need to own their statements, and writing their signature gives them a chance to do just that.

Over the years, I have received several letters like the one in the template. These signs of appreciation encouraged me when I was down or when things were difficult. After all this time, I still have many of these mementos in a special box to remind me of the impact I made in lives of my own children, as well as my students. Give the parents and/or leaders close to you this special gift of gratitude as we celebrate all of God’s many blessings in our lives this year.

This blog first appeared in 2017 and was written by Jeremy Pettit, former vice president of ministry resources and publishing at Awana. It has been updated and repostd by the Awana Editorial Team.