Thankful Tree Craft for Kids (Free Printable Template)

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This thankful tree craft is my go-to Thanksgiving activity when I want my kids to slow down long enough to think about what they’re grateful for, a big ask on the average Tuesday, honestly. All you need are the free printable templates below, some construction paper and a glue stick, and in about thirty minutes you’ve got a Thanksgiving decoration filled with your family’s actual gratitude. My kids fight over who gets to write the most leaves every year, and I have never once complained about that.

Two Completed Thankful Tree Crafts with leaves laying all around it.

Table of Contents

This Free Printable Thankful Tree Craft Is My Favorite Thanksgiving Tradition

We started making thankful trees a few years back because I wanted a Thanksgiving activity that wasn’t just about the meal. My family goes hard on the food. We do the turkey, we do the mashed potatoes, we do the pumpkin desserts. What we did not do was talk very much about what we were thankful for, unless someone remembered to say something during the very brief pre-meal prayer.

So one November I printed out a paper tree, cut out a bunch of leaves in red and orange cardstock, and set the whole thing on the coffee table with a bowl of markers. I told the kids they could write anything they wanted on the leaves. Family. Friends. Their bunk beds. The dog.

Every single leaf was filled in that night. Then they asked for more. By Thanksgiving Day we had a gratitude tree covered in things ranging from the sweet (“Mom’s hugs”) to the mundane (“string cheese”) to the genuinely funny (“that time Dad fell off the ladder”), and it’s still one of my favorite family memories.

This is the craft I pull out every year around November 1st, and we add leaves through the month leading up to Thanksgiving. The whole family looks forward to it. And by the time we sit down for the big meal, we’ve already spent a whole month noticing the good stuff. Even the string cheese.

What Is A Thankful Tree?

A thankful tree is a Thanksgiving craft where kids and their families write things they’re grateful for on paper leaves and add them to a paper or real tree. It’s a visual way to reflect on gratitude during the Thanksgiving season that will be part of Thanksgiving memories for years to come.

Why You’ll Love This Craft

This gratitude tree craft is a fabulous keepsake. Just think, mom and dad, years from now you can look back on what your kids were thankful for at their young age. A wonderful way to reminisce!
Not only can you make this at home for personal use, but this easy thanksgiving craft is great for classroom use too. Label them with each child’s name and display in the classroom on a bulletin board or wall for fun fall decorations.
Cutting and glueing are great activities to help refine fine motor skills. Fun craft time with an extra goal in mind!

Overhead Image of the Thankful Tree Craft Supplies

Supplies Needed

Brown cardstock – If you don’t have cardstock, use construction paper. Just make sure it is brown because it will be used for the trunk of the tree.
Scissors – While adults may need to help with the cutting, using safety scissors is always a good idea if the kids plan to cut anything out.
Construction paper – For the most fall-themed look, use red, orange, and yellow construction paper to make your colorful leaves. It will look like the leaves on your thankful tree craft have turned to fall colors! Use a piece of plain white construction paper as the background. Use cardstock if that’s more readily available and if all else fails, have the kids color or paint some white paper leaves.
Black marker – Use a permanent or washable black marker to write what the kids are thankful for on each leaf cut-out.
Pencils – Pencils are the best to trace the templates so that you can erase any mistakes. However, you can use any writing utensil.
Glue stick – A simple glue stick is all you need to construct this thankful tree.

Variations

3D Standing Tabletop Tree. Print two copies of the tree template, glue back-to-back with a fold in the middle so it stands up. Perfect for the Thanksgiving dinner table centerpiece.
Real Branches. Head outside with the kids and find a small branch with lots of twigs. Place in a vase filled with dried beans or small rocks to hold it upright. Punch a hole in each leaf and tie with string to hang from the branches.
Classroom Thankful Tree. For a class, print 5 copies of the tree template on brown cardstock and leaves in fall colors for the number of students. Pre-cut everything, have the kids write one thing they’re thankful for on their leaf and add to a shared class tree on a bulletin board.
Framed Keepsake Thankful Tree. Complete the tree, add leaves throughout November, then frame it as a keepsake at the end of the season. Great gift for grandparents.
Days of Gratitude Countdown Tree. Add one leaf per day starting November 1st and leading up to Thanksgiving. Watch gratitude grow visibly through the month.
Individual Family Trees. Instead of one shared tree, give each family member their own small tree. Compare and share at Thanksgiving dinner.
Coloring Version. Print the black-and-white template and let kids color the leaves themselves before writing on them.

Free Templates

The best part is there are two free printable templates included in this craft to make it easy to make.

The first one is printable leaves. Print them, cut them out and trace them on colored construction paper for your leaves.

The second is a thankful tree printable. Simply print out the template, trace the tree onto brown paper and cut it out!

How to Make The Thankful Tree Craft

Prepare tree cut out. Print out the free printable thankful tree template and then it cut out. Place the template onto the piece of brown cardstock and then trace it. Cut out the brown tree trunk and place a thin layer of glue onto the back of the tree. Glue it down onto white construction paper and press down to secure. Allow it to dry for a few minutes.
Prepare leaves. Print out the template for the fall leaves and cut them out. Place the cut-outs onto red, yellow and orange construction paper and trace them with a pencil. Cut out each of the traced leaves and then set them aside.
Write on the leaves. Have your child write the things they are thankful for on each leaf. If your kids are young, you may need to write their words for them.
Add leaves to the tree. Glue the leaves onto the tree, and even glue a few to look like they are falling! Make sure to add leaves on different branches to spread them out. Allow to dry before putting on display.

Print off and cut out the Tree template and trace it on the brown cardstock.

Cut out the tree and glue onto a white piece of Cardstock.

Grateful Tree Prompts

Younger Kids (Ages 3-6):

Something in my house I love
A person who makes me laugh
My favorite food
A place I like to go
Something outside I think is beautiful

Elementary Kids (Ages 7-11):

A new skill I’ve learned this year
A friend who’s kind to me
A book I loved to read
Something my family does together
A place I feel safe

Older Kids and Adults:

An unexpected moment of joy this year
Someone who’s had a positive impact on me
A challenge that made me grow stronger
Something I did on my own or with help that I’m proud of
A quiet moment I remember and want to share

Silly and Fun:

Something in my backpack that makes me happy
A song I can’t stop singing
A food I would eat for every meal
A favorite pair of pajamas
Something my pet does that makes me laugh

Pro Tips

For extra thankfulness fun, you can add a leaf to the tree each day or week leading up to Thanksgiving holiday. Watch the tree grow in gratefulness!
Another great way to do this is make it the perfect activity around the Thanksgiving table. Have every family member fill out their own paper leaves during thanksgiving dinner! This way the entire family can get in having an attitude of gratitude.
While a variety of fall colors make the most “sense” for the thankful tree leaves, let those kiddos use their imaginations. Any color of construction paper will make a fun and unique tree with colorful paper leaves!
Add glitter or glitter glue to the leaves and/or trunk of the tree to give your gratitude tree craft extra pizzaz.
Cut out a few extra leaves so you don’t accidentally run out.
Print out several templates on white paper so kids can color in the trunk and leaves if they prefer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I still make this craft without a printer?

You definitely can! Freehand the tree trunk and leaves and you’re set to go.

How can I make my thankful tree reusable?

After glueing the tree trunk to the white construction paper and letting it dry, laminate the page. Then, trace the leaves onto construction paper but don’t cut them out.
Laminate the page of leaves, then cut them out. Add velcro dots to the branches of the tree and the other half to the back of each leaf. Then use a dry erase marker to write on each leaf! Now your thankful tree can be used for many years to come! Stick a couple of magnets to the back so you can add it to your fridge every year!