Activity:
Holiday Thank You Cards
Holiday thank you cards show friends and family that you appreciate them. Teaching your child how to write proper holiday thank you cards when she receives gifts instills in her 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 her handwriting in the process. Make a batch of holiday thank you cards with your child this winter.
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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 she received this holiday, along with who gave her each particular gift. It is helpful if she does this during or right after the holiday, so it is fresh in her mind!
- Give your child a blank thank you card, and instruct her 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 she is addressing for the particular gift. Remind her that a specific item lets the person receiving the card know that she remembers 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 she like the item or what she hopes 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 she 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 her. For example, she can say, “Love, (name)” or “Hugs and Kisses, (name)."
- After you have walked your child through writing her first thank you card, encourage her to write the next ones on her own. It may be a good idea to look them over before she puts 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.
