Nurturing Gratitude From the Inside Out: 30 Activities for Grades K-8

Thirty research-informed, classroom-ready gratitude activities for K–8, mapped to SEL competencies and built around noticing intention, effort and benefit in everyday acts of kindness.

Author/Source: By Susan Fountain With Linda Lantieri, Melody Baker, and Caroline Zayas King, Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley

Last updated: 01/01/2017

Nurturing Gratitude From the Inside Out: 30 Activities for Grades K-8

Format: Classroom lesson plan | Duration: 60 minutes | Target audience: Kindergarten/ Prep to Year 8

Objective

A free, practical curriculum guide from UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center offering 30 classroom-ready gratitude activities for students from Kindergarten to Year 8, organised into three age bands (K–2, Years 3–5 and Years 6–8).

Grounded in the research of Emmons, Froh and Bono, the guide opens with an accessible summary of the physical, psychological and social benefits of gratitude practice, then builds each activity around three core concepts: intention, cost and benefit,  that deepen students' capacity to notice and appreciate the kindness of others.

Each activity includes learning objectives, mapped CASEL social and emotional learning competencies, simple low-cost materials and extension ideas, with many built around picture books, songs, visualisations and mindful practices such as gratitude walks and journals.

The guide also encourages teachers to begin with their own gratitude practice, and offers thoughtful guidance on cultural differences in expressing gratitude and on supporting students facing significant life challenges.

Activities integrate readily into English, Art, Science and Social Studies, making this an easy entry point for embedding gratitude across the curriculum. Note:  one activity teaches "thank you" in American Sign Language, which will be easy to  adapt  to Auslan. 

Overview

GRADES K-2
Activity 1 Giving Thanks
Activity 2 Sharing Gratitude Stories
Activity 3 Caring Intentions
Activity 4 Gratitude in School
Activity 5 Acts of Kindness
Activity 6 What Friends Do
Activity 7 Kindness Buddy
Activity 8 Appreciating Our Bodies
Activity 9 A Poem to the World
Activity 10 Beauty Everywhere
GRADES 3-5 
Activity 1 A Time I Felt Grateful
Activity 2 Feelings of Gratitude
Activity 3 Expressing Gratitude
Activity 4 Another Way of Saying Thanks
Activity 5 Gratitude Mirror
Activity 6 What If We Didn’t Have This?
Activity 7 Gratitude Nature Walk
Activity 8 Giving is Receiving
Activity 9 What Really Matters
Activity 10 Food Gratitude
GRADES 6-8 
Activity 1 What is Gratitude?
Activity 2 Making a Difference 
Activity 3 A Song of Gratitude
Activity 4 Obstacles to Expressing Gratitude
Activity 5 Gratitude Quotes and Nurturing Gratitude from the Inside Out
Activity 6 The Cycle of Gratitude
Activity 7 Gratitude Interview
Activity 8 Flipping Complaints Into Gratitude
Activity 9 People Who Made a Difference 
Activity 10 Being the Change