Being thankful shouldn’t only be for Thanksgiving.  I know in today’s digital age text messages reign supreme, but I am still a fan of the old-fashioned, snail mail, Thank You Card.

If you think about it, who doesn’t love mail? and it’s even better when it’s the double-bonus of a sweet sentiment instead of a bill!?

While I  know this might seem like an overwhelming task for kids, the importance of understanding why we take the time to show our appreciation far outweighs the fear it may be more painful then an afternoon of homework.

During the earlier years, we simply started with drawing a picture or signing our name to a store bought thank you card.  One ambitious year we drew pictures and printed post cards that were easy to sign and pop in the mail. As we have now progressed into the reading and writing stages of primary school, we have become fans of the fill in the blank type cards.  This allows my kids to express their thanks in a simple sentence or two and not feel overwhelmed by a black card.  I also found by using these template type printables, their handwriting stays a little more legible as they seem a bit more focused.

Feel free to download this free  (PDF) ScrapPop thank you card printable to get your kids started on the habit of showing appreciation!

If you do choose to go the printable route for your thank you cards, I suggest a little heavier weight paper than printer/copy paper. Printer paper does work fine, but a little thicker paper withstands a bit more erasing as the kids perfect their sentiments.

While the template does make it easier to tackle the long list of thank yous, I still try to break up the effort across a few nights so the kids stay focused on the sentiments not the process of getting it done.  (Operative word TRY!) That being said, we are targeting a couple cards each night this week so hopefully we can be done before we need to start the class valentine efforts 😉

Music:   I let the kids pick a few songs for background music to help keep a festive fun mood.

Drink:   I will just say, “Some say the most expensive thing about having kids is all the wine you have to drink”