The Gratitude Project – Teaching your Kids to Give to Others

If you have been around here for any length of time you know I am not a huge holiday decorator. I think it is because I am so busy with remodeling and doing year round decor that seasonal decorating doesn’t make a lot of sense for me right now. However, I want to make sure I do things, decor or otherwise, that make the holidays meaningful to my kids. My family is so abundantly blessed beyond measure and I want to teach my kids to give from that place of abundance, and to be radical about it. Radical generosity is what we call it. So I came up with the gratitude project. It is a way for my kids to see that even a little amount of money can still be used to bless people around them. In each of the numbered envelopes there is the corresponding amount of money (So $28 total in the 7 envelopes). Seven times in the next month we are going to use the money in the envelopes to get creative about how we can bless other people. Even $1 makes a difference and can brighten someone’s day.

I will show you how I made mine but you can make this as simple or as complex as you want to. I wanted to make mine cute enough to leave out for holiday decor but practical enough that my kids could touch it. If you wanted to do it the month of December just change out the colors.

Supplies:

We R Memory Keepers Shutter Memo Holder

American Crafts Security envelopes

Wanderlust Wood Veneer Numbers

Gold Glitter Clothespins

K & Co. Chalkboard Stickers

Paint for the numbers (I used different Krylon spray paint colors)

1. All you have to do is paint your numbers any color scheme you want – I did fall colors and sprayed them with spray paint but you can use any type of paint you want.

2. While the numbers are drying add money to the envelopes.

3. I used a chalkboard sticker to write “the gratitude project” on it and stuck it to the top of the shutter. When I am done I can remove it and still use the memo board for other things.

4. Once dry, clip the number onto the front of the envelope with a mini clothespin.

5. Tuck the envelopes into the shutter.

Now you can have fun as a family brainstorming ideas of how you can use the money for good. Even for $1 you can add quarters into a washing machine in a laundromat and surprise someone. You will be so amazed at what your kids come up with.