#30daygratitudechallenge

How to build gratitude into your life for 30 days!

Mrs. Ilko and room 207

Day 1

• What does it mean to have an attitude of gratitude? This month we are setting a goal of writing for 30 days straight. Starting today! What are

• you grateful for?

Day 2 I am Grateful for Creativity

• What are you most proud of recently? I am proud of your creative spirit. Here is the movie that we created together that highlights your poetry this past trimester.

• http://vimeo.com/78400040

Day 3 Be Thankful For Your Body

This prompt comes from the site Awesomely Awake by Shawn Ledington http://awesomelyawake.com/how-to-be-awesomely-thankful/

“Thank your body. Unless you’ve died you still have plenty of reason to be thankful for your health. Even when something is wrong, there’s plenty that is still right. Being thankful for being alive is the single most imporatnt way to find gratitude during the hardest day. What is working well on your body today?”

Day 4

• Defining Gratitude• Using your iPod, find the definition of gratitude according

to dictionary.com• Write 3 synonyms for gratitude• Write your own definition of the word and create an

illustration

Day 5 Gratitude with Purpose• Today we watched a video about a young athlete who

helped a competitor, taking care of someone above herself. http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/sports/Teen-Shows-True-Sportsmanship-During-Cross-Country-Meet-229955611.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_SDBrand

•

• That is gratitude with a purpose. How can you make someone’s day today? What can you do to help someone? Make a list and try at least one idea today.

Day 6 Gratitude Is Not Just For Big ThingsCreate your own gratitude wheel.

Day 7 Thank You For Being A Friend

• http://youtu.be/ZN3E9Yyd1HA• Listen to this song and write a letter to a good friend

thanking them for being an important part of your life.

Day 8 Gratitude In The Moment

• http://ripplerevolution.com/write-a-gratitude-journal-30-day-experiment/

• This is an article by Curt Rosengran about the physical and mental benefits of keeping a gratitude journal. There are many reasons why gratitude is good for you.

• One of his prompts is “What am I grateful for in this very moment?”

• Take time to reflect for five minutes this morning. What are you grateful for right here, right now? Write about it.

Day 9 Taking Time To Relax

• What do you like to do to unwind and find balance?

Day 10 The Passage of Time

• What is different today than a year ago that I am grateful for?

Day 11 The History of Veteran’s DayWhy is today a holiday?

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymCa1eB_qLA

Day 12 A Gratitude Campaign Writing Letters to the Troops

• http://www.amillionthanks.org/send-letter-guidelines-get-started

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MSfFYxSdKdo

Day 13

• Today we will begin to create holiday cards to match the letters we wrote yesterday to our military. Please have them completed by this Friday. If you have military friends and family you would like to send a card or letter to, please bring the address to class, and we will make sure they get mailed with our other letters.

• Here is another video to inspire us to write from the heart and create something to make their day.

• http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/veterans-day/video/tribute-to-veterans.html

Day 14 Creating a Gratitude Tree We will be creating a forest in our hallway. (One for each classroom.)

http://www.projectsforpreschoolers.com/making-a-thankful-tree-and-21-days-of-contagious-gratitude/

Day 15 Gratitude Quote What does this mean to you today?

Day 16

• We live in a very diverse neighborhood. What about your neighborhood are you grateful for?

Day 17 Choose One Quote from the VIdeoand Write About It.

• http://www.youtube.com/watch/?v=nS7RfiS1XkI

Day 18

• Today you will go on line and find 2 gratitude quotes that speak to you.

• Please copy the quotes into your journal and write why they resonate with your ideas about gratitude.

• On Edmodo, post your quotes on our wall. I will combine these quotes into a video for our class to share on Friday.

Day 19 Look through your journal and highlight 10 quotes and create a wordle.

Day 20 What things am I grateful for?

• We all have some material possessions that make our lives easier or better. What are 3 things in your life that you are grateful to have? Why and how do they make your life better?

Day 21 Creating a Gratitude BagToday we will create a gratitude bag.

You will decorate the bag with the saying count your blessings and cut up enough strips of paper for 2 strips for every member in your family.

On each piece of paper, write something specific about each person in your family.

Put all the strips in your bag.

At your next family dinner, or on Thanksgiving, put the bag on the table with the blank strips next to it with a pen or pencil. Have everyone in your family write about one thing they are thankful for. Share them during dinner.

http://www.technologyrocksseriously.com/2011/11/i-am-thankful-for-you-because.html

Day 22

• Today we will watch the gratitude quote video you created. Keep all these positive thoughts in mind as we begin our Thanksgving break tomorrow.

• You will also receive each of the prompts for the next nine days since we will be on break. If you bring it back on Monday December 2nd, you will receive a special treat.

• Hope this gratitude journal is becoming something you are looking forward to writing each day.

Day 23 What in our natural world can you be thankful for today? Pick a place and write.

Day 24 People Inspire Gratitude

• Who is someone who inspires you? Write them a note and tell them why they are important in your life. If you can, give it to them.

Day 25 Our Animal Friends

• What animals are you grateful for? Pets? Animals in the Wild? Write about it.

Day 26 What Activities Inspire Gratitude?

• What activities are you grateful to be a part of? Your soccer team? The band? Make a list of activities you enjoy. Next to that list write down why they make you happy. Thank those people who make those activities possible.

Day 27 Family Food Traditions• When we come back in December we will be talking about holidays we

celebrate in our homes. Do you serve traditional foods in your home for celebrations? Write about your favorites. Here is what Snoopy made for a friendly Thanksgiving Dinner. Enjoy!

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7-fCt1nitmk

Day 28 Happy Thanksgiving!!

• Please share your gratitude cards with family and friends.

• Today is also the day you can use those gratitude strips. Have everyone who is sitting around your table today write what they are grateful for! Put them in your gratitude bag, and read them aloud at the table.

Day 29 Black Friday!! Do something nice today!

• Today the entire world seems to be focused on shopping for the holidays. There will be news stories about people spending all night in line just waiting to get into the stores.

• Our job today is to spread a little gratitude around. Start the day by writing a list of 5 things you are grateful for that do not cost a single dime.

• As a bonus, if you are out and about today, make that extra effort to say thank you. Perhaps open a door for two for people who are in a rush. Be mindful of others and it will bring you joy.

Day 30 Let the Journey Continue

• Today is the last day of the challenge. Click on this wiki address below to learn more about how simple it would be to continue your gratitude journey.

• I hope this project has motivated you to keep gratitude in your heart, and to write daily.

• I plan on keeping my journal on line, just posting daily what I am grateful for. Perhaps you can make it a page on your blog we will be starting next month.

• Whatever you decide, I am grateful you took on this project with me!

• http://www.wikihow.com/Start-a-Gratitude-Journal