This gratitude journal for kids is sponsored by Cricut and contains affiliate links. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
If your little ones are struggling with mental health, a gratitude journal for kids could be the perfect solution. Our gratitude journals have been life changing for our family! Learn how to easily make your own today.
A few years ago I added gratitude journaling into my everyday routine. To say that it was life changing would be an understatement. There is ample scientific evidence that shows how beneficial practicing gratitude can be for mental health. If you want to read about some of the benefits, check out this post! I used my Cricut Maker to cut custom vinyl for my covers, and wrote instructions using the machines pen feature on card stock for the inside cover.
Gratitude Journal for Kids
We all know this last year has been rough. With the pandemic came a stream of stressful challenges the likes of which we haven’t faced in quite awhile. As hard as we might try to protect our kids from the stresses of the world, they are often affected.
In addition to teaching our kids how to be healthy, and how to be smart financially, gratitude practice and mental healthiness has been a definite focus for our family as we entered 2021.
Because my gratitude practice has helped me so much in my personal life, I knew I wanted that same mental clarity for my children. We started out last year by doing our “best, worst, and most grateful” every night at dinner. You can do this at bedtime too, if family dinner doesn’t happen.
Not only did this give us great insights into our kids every day life, but it helped to teach them what gratitude is and why it is important. After a few months of this I could see that my older kids were catching on and were ready for their own gratitude journals.
How to Start A Gratitude Journal
Gratitude journals are SO simple to make. Honestly all you really need is a blank notebook (these were a great deal on amazon) and a pen. I used my Cricut Maker to embellish these ones and my kids were so excited about how they turned out!
I picked out some cute designs from Cricut Design Space about gratitude and cut them in vinyl for the front covers, then I used the pen mechanism to write out instructions and cut the card stock for the inside cover. You can find a detailed tutorial below.
If you make these journals and like them we would love for you to leave a positive comment or review, they mean so much to us!
Gratitude Journals for Kids
Equipment
- Cricut Machine
Materials
- 2 Blank Notebooks or Journals
- 1 Piece Vinyl
- 1 Piece Cardstock
- Pens
- Transfer Tape
- Weeding Tool
- Glue Stick
Instructions
- Design what you would like on the cover and inside cover of your journals in Cricut Design Space, or you can use find the designs I used here. Make sure they are sized appropriately to fit your journals, then click make it. Select the appropriate material size and click continue. Set the correct base material for your first step, load the correct tools, and push go.
- First I cut my vinyl designs. Once they were cut I used my weeding tool to remove excess vinyl. Then apply transfer tape to your design. Peel off backing and apply onto the front of journals, then remove transfer tape!
- Load cardstock onto machine and make sure you have a Cricut pen in the right clamp and press go. After the Maker cuts out and writes your instructions, use a glue stick to glue them into the inside cover of your journal.
- Teach your little ones how to use their journals and watch their joy in life increase!
Notes
Remember that these are only my ideas! Please feel free to adapt your own prompts and covers to reflect your little ones goals, dreams and personalities! I hope you have a better understanding of how to start a gratitude journal now!
xo,
My kids would be so excited to have their very own gratitude journal. And it’s such a great habit to start young!
This is seriously such a great idea! I love my gratitude journal and I think it’s such a great thing to teach kids that focusing on our blessings can help us find joy in our day to day life!
What a fun idea for the kiddos. Such a smart way to get them to form some great habits