Make November a Month of Thanks

With November right around the corner, the holiday season is quickly approaching!  Here’s a fun idea to help your family remember the blessings that have come your way during the month we set aside to be thankful.
Beginning November 1^st and going through Thanksgiving Day, have each member of your family write what he or she is thankful for on a piece of paper and place it in a special bowl or container.  We use a bowl that was given to us as a gift that has the word ‘blessing’ written in different languages on it.  Don’t tell the others in your family what you have written down.  If you have younger children, mom or dad may have to help write down what the child is thankful for.  Even children as young as two and three year olds can participate in this activity.  On Thanksgiving Day, take out the pieces of paper you have collected during the month and read them aloud as you celebrate the day set aside for us to be thankful.
The things you write down don’t always have to be serious.  One year my son said he was thankful for his fish; other times he said he was thankful for his family members.  By the end of the month, you begin to think of things that you may not think of on a daily basis to be thankful for!  It is always fun to read what each person has written as you gather around on Thanksgiving Day.
We do this with just our immediate family, but you could also involve your extended family and use it as a way to celebrate when you get together for your big Thanksgiving meal.
This is just one of the small things my husband, sons and I do to celebrate Thanksgiving each year.  I’d love to hear how your family makes Thanksgiving special, too!