Highlights Along the Way
Family Travel, Treats, Tips, & Traditions

Thanksgiving Printable : Easy Thankful Tree

Disclosure: Highlights Along the Way is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Thanksgiving season is the sweetest.  We’ve made a simple Thanksgiving printable to help you encourage your kiddos during the Fall season. Thankful Door Trees are a fun way to communicate love and thankfulness through the month of November/ Let your kids know how you are thankful for them in this easy and creative way.

In our little family, we think communication is one of the most important gifts we can give our children. We express our love languages with words of affirmation, this is also how we receive love best.  We don’t think there is a better way to let someone know you love them than to use your words. Thanksgiving is all about fostering thankfulness as a family.  Feel free to print these out the Thanksgiving message and leaves and get started today!

Thankful Tree Printable

Thanksgiving PrintableThanksgiving is an American tradition.  Thanksgiving offers us the reminder to pause and think about what we are thankful for.  It is important in our family that our kids know that we are thankful for them.  We are also trying to foster a thankful heart in them.  Family or classroom Thankful Trees are so much fun, but we have a new idea.  As an extension of our “Door Hearts” tradition, we have added “Thankful Doors” to our family traditions. Today we are sharing FREE Thanksgiving printables to make your own Individual Thankful Tree for your child to celebrate Thanksgiving. Below we have easy to cut printable leaves, a printable tree trunk, and a “I am thankful for you.” sign for you to use this Thanksgiving season. Scroll down to print from your home computer.

Life can get busy and holidays can come and go. We are determined to not go through the motions.  Truth be told, the holidays can sometimes be a bit of a hassle, but we don’t want that to be our kid’s holiday memories.  We love to look at the holidays as an organized reminder to slow down and relish in what life is really about.  Thanksgiving is perfect for reminding kids that we are thankful for them and the time we have with them.

Fall Tree Leaves Printable Template

thankful for kids

I think that most parents feel like they want to do more in affirming their kids.  We now have three big kids. Our kids are all in double digits and it feels like they will be out of the house so soon.  I struggle with using the right words.  I want to be honest that I am not always the best with compliments and affirmations, my husband struggles with this too.  Neither of us remember consistent verbal affirmations of our worthiness and lovableness in our homes growing up.  We knew our parents loved us in their own way, but we heard a lot more criticism than praise. We absolutely fall into this pattern too.  We are trying to do better and these little trees are a good exercise as we try to be the grown ups we needed growing up.

In all honesty, we fail at this sometimes, but we keep trying.  I don’t want to be one of those bloggers who pretends to have a magically perfect house, we know so much of that is nonsense.  We are regular people who had kinda rough around the edges upbringings that are trying to heal ourselves and also break cycles.  Our kids seem to like these and they are a great exercise for us as parents.

We are so thankful for our kids and we want them to know that every day.  We know that verbalizing it is the best way, writing it down is second best.  Assuming they know is lazy.  Let’s not be lazy about how we love our kids. Ok, pep talk over.

 

thankful door trees

OK, back to making our “Thankful Doors” project!  This is just a mini Thankful Tree project with a more focused approach.  With a Thanksgiving Printable Thankful Tree, families or classrooms make a collective project that shares all the things they are thankful for, which is fantastic.  A Thankful Door focuses on what we are thankful for about an individual.  In our family we all work on them.  What started as a way for my husband and I to affirm our kids has become a way that they also affirm one another. It’s fantastic.  We remind them that we are always thankful for them, it makes them feel good about themselves and ultimately they turn that feeling towards others. I should point out the kids still fight, we still lose our tempers, we are rushed, it isn’t perfect; but this project is an exercise in the right direction.

free thanksgiving printable hearts easy to cut

All you need is a little Fall colored construction paper and you are good to go! Don’t want to stop by the store? Here is a great option on Amazon that is Prime eligible.  I also HIGHLY suggest taking a trip to the local library or downloading on the Libby app or use an Audible credit.

While a quick Google or Pinterest search will give you dozens of printable leaf options, we found a way to make it easier and better! One thing we hate about cut out leaf printables is that each individual leaf needs to be cut out.  We have made a printable with one type of leaf.  After printing out the leaf on the beautiful Autumn color you choose, simply fold down the middle.  Six leaves are on each page and you can fold to cut two at a time.  Print out two pages and cut out four at a time!  Parents are busy, we don’t have time to cut out 30 leaves individually!  Time is precious and I would hate for anyone to miss out on a fun family memory because the prep work took too long.  I hope this is helpful!

For now our printable leaves are free! They will eventually be added to our paid library of printables! Grab them now and download for free to use year after year!

easy cut leaves for thanksgiving craft

With thick cutting lines we hope that little ones can get in on the fun too. We love to make crafts that are easy for kids so they can enjoy every bit of the craft as well. Our kids regularly make hearts (and now leaves) for one another and for us.  These leaves can be printed in a variety of Fall colors and can be used for all sorts of decor.  Individual Thankful Door Leaves are their intention, but they can be printed for all kinds of different Fall themed decor!

faux leaves for fall craft

Another fun idea that takes even less time is to use faux leaves.  You can purchase these on Amazon and just write your message directly on them.  We actually did a combination of both on our kid’s doors.

 

There is also a free Thanksgiving printables tree trunk.  This uses standard size paper and leaves lots of room for your tree leaves to spread as the month goes on. In the past we simply cut out a tree trunk free style, but again we are all about making this fast and easy.  We want to make Thankful Trees on your kid’s doors to be as easy as possible so you can start right now!

Printable Tree Trunk

printable tree trunk free

Lastly we’ve added a sweet prompt.  We’ve put three on the same page to save paper if you have multiple family members.  This can be used for multiple children, a partner, even the family pet.

thankful for you free printable

Thanksgiving Printables

Click on each of the printables below to print out as many Thanksgiving Printables as you need.

thanksgiving leaf printables

thankful tree printable sign

thankful tree printable

thankful for printable

Viola! How sweet is this tree?  If you are looking for a way to fill up your kid’s love tank, writing affirmative statements on their door is a great one! We have found that our kids hoard their hearts and leaves for years to come in their treasure boxes.

Don’t miss our Printable Turkey Maze  which is just as fun!

Thankful trees for kids

If you enjoyed these Thanksgiving Printables, please be sure to check out all our printables, coloring and activity sheets at highlightsalongtheway.com/printables.

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Until Next Time ~ Kate
Categories:  Crafts, DIY, Holiday, printables
  1. shelly peterson says:

    What a wonderful idea this is. Thanks for the printables.

  2. Dandi D says:

    This is a wonderful idea that I want to remember for next year!

  3. carol clark says:

    love the tree idea so cute

  4. […] these Thanksgiving coloring pages are not enough we also have another fun Thanksgiving Printable too! A Thankful Tree on your kiddo’s door will make them smile for […]

  5. […] Free Thanksgiving printables individual Thankful Tree kit […]

  6. […]  Thankful Tree: This thankful tree printable will show your kids how thankful you are for them in a very […]

  7. […] fun Thanksgiving activities to enjoy as a family, we have more! Make sure to print out our free Thankful Trees printable kit.  We also have printable Thanksgiving coloring sheets and activity pages.  We think […]

  8. […] there are also many other ideas that others have.  There are also some nice & easy printables you can find HERE. […]

  9. […] For a Thanksgiving Tree with supplies you most likely have on hand, this tree made of construction paper is great. Check it out here.  […]

  10. […] the Way for other holidays as well. Don’t miss our Thanksgiving Turkey Coloring Sheet and our Thankful trees printable activity sheet […]

Leave a Comment