Holiday thank you cards show friends and family that you appreciate them. Teaching your child how to write proper holiday thank you cards when they receive gifts instills in them an understanding of the significance of gratitude. Writing a holiday thank you card is not especially difficult, but children often have trouble with what they should write or how to get started—and this is where you can help! Friends and relatives will be pleased to have their gifts recognized, and your child will improve their handwriting in the process. Make a batch of holiday thank you cards with your child this winter.
Grade
Subject
Reading & WritingReadingEarly LiteracyConcepts of PrintSpacingSpacingComposing a Letter HolidaysHanukkahChristmas
Thank you for your input.
What You Need:
- Notebook paper
- Pencil
- Blank "thank you" cards
What You Do:
- Give your child the notebook paper and a pencil, and instruct your child to make a list of the gifts they received this holiday, along with who gave them each particular gift. It is helpful if they do this during or right after the holiday, so it is fresh in their mind!
- Give your child a blank thank you card, and instruct them to start the note with a greeting. For example, your child can write, “Dear Grandma” at the top of the card.
- After the initial greeting, instruct your child to directly thank the person they are addressing for the particular gift. Remind them that a specific item lets the person receiving the card know that they remember that gift specifically. For example, your child can write, “Thank you for the new board game!”
- Guide your child in writing a short personal message, expressing why they like the item or what they hope to do with it. In the above example, your child can go on to say, “I enjoyed getting to see you at Christmas, and I can’t wait to play my new game with you.” If the gift was something to be used, like a movie pass, your child can let the giver know what they plan to do with it. For example, your child can write, “Thank you so much for the movie pass. I can’t wait to go see The Princess and the Frog with my mom.”
- Help brainstorm ways your child can close the letter with them. For example, they can say, “Love, (name)” or “Hugs and Kisses, (name)."
- After you have walked your child through writing their first thank you card, encourage them to write the next ones on their own. It may be a good idea to look them over before they put them in the mail.
- Since writing a bunch of thank you cards all at once can be overwhelming for anyone, allow your child to write a few each day until they are all done. The thank you card will still be appreciated even if it isn’t received until a couple weeks after Christmas or Hanukkah.
Related learning resources
Vocabulary Cards: Main Idea or Topic? You Decide!
Worksheet
Vocabulary Cards: Main Idea or Topic? You Decide!
Use these vocabulary cards with the EL Support Lesson Plan: Main Idea or Topic? You Decide!
2nd grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Holiday Postcard Template
Worksheet
Holiday Postcard Template
This holiday postcard template lets your child make mail-ready Christmas greetings for loved ones. Print this holiday postcard template for your child.
2nd grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Ways to Show You Care
Worksheet
Ways to Show You Care
Valentine's Day isn't just about handing out paper cards and heart-shaped candies -- it's about showing your family and friends how much you love them!
2nd grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Humpty Dumpty Story Cards
Worksheet
Humpty Dumpty Story Cards
The Humpty Dumpty story cards are mixed up and don’t make sense. Ask your students to solve this case by cutting the cards out and putting them in order from beginning, to the middle, and the end.
2nd grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
The Ant and the Grasshopper Story Cards
Worksheet
The Ant and the Grasshopper Story Cards
The Ant and the Grasshopper story cards help your visual learner understand what happens in the classic fable. Kids arrange picture cards to tell the story.
2nd grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Vocabulary Cards: Conclude a Story
Worksheet
Vocabulary Cards: Conclude a Story
Use these vocabulary cards with the EL Support Lesson Plan: Conclude a Story.
2nd grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Vocabulary Cards: Map a Story
Worksheet
Vocabulary Cards: Map a Story
Use these vocabulary cards with the EL Support Lesson Plan: Map a Story.
2nd grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Vocabulary Cards: Fact or Opinion
Worksheet
Vocabulary Cards: Fact or Opinion
Use these vocabulary cards with the EL Support Lesson Plan: Fact or Opinion.
2nd grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Vocabulary Cards: What's the Moral?
Worksheet
Vocabulary Cards: What's the Moral?
Use these vocabulary cards with the EL Support Lesson Plan: What's the Moral?
2nd grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Vocabulary Cards: Exploring Fictional Text
Worksheet
Vocabulary Cards: Exploring Fictional Text
Use these vocabulary cards with the EL Support Lesson: Exploring Fictional Text.
2nd grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Vocabulary Cards: Nonfiction Text Features
Worksheet
Vocabulary Cards: Nonfiction Text Features
Use these vocabulary cards with the EL Support Lesson Plan: Nonfiction Text Features.
2nd grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Vocabulary Cards: Elements of Fairy Tales
Worksheet
Vocabulary Cards: Elements of Fairy Tales
Use these vocabulary cards with the EL Support Lesson: Elements of Fairy Tales.
2nd grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet