Thanksgiving is a wonderful reminder to express gratitude, reflect on our blessings, and to be a blessing to others. In this month’s article, we share two fun activity ideas for creating a spirit of true thankfulness, as well as highlighting Sunshine’s involvement in one of our favorite charities: the Willie Stargell Foundation.
GRATITUDE IDEA #1: CHILDREN’S THANKFUL HANDS
Create this beautiful piece of art with your children this Thanksgiving. All you will need is some colorful paper, a glue stick, scissors, and markers.
STEPS:
Start by outlining each of your children's hands on various colors of paper.
Cut out the handprints, and glue them onto a contrasting color of construction paper. Allow your children to decorate the background paper with markers.
On each handprint, allow your children to write down what they are thankful for. (You can assist them with this step if your children are still learning to write.) See below for "thankfulness topics" to help spark their gratitude and creativity.
Be sure to write the year and your children's ages. Display at your Thanksgiving feast for everyone to enjoy.
THANKFULNESS TOPICS:
Below are just a few examples to help you get started...
RELATIONSHIPS: Family, Friends, Pets, Teachers, Neighbors (& Dentist!)
TALENTS: Music, Sports, Reading, Artwork, Dancing, Singing
INVOLVEMENT: Teams, Music Lessons, After-school Activities, Regular Playdates
GOODNESS THIS YEAR: Blessings that made you smile
FAVORITE EXPERIENCES: Vacation, Aquarium, Bowling, Beach, Visiting a Friend
POSSESSIONS: Home, Toys, Games, Books, Clothes, Yummy Food
GRATITUDE IDEA #2: START A FAMILY GRATITUDE JOURNAL
Start a holiday tradition that lasts all year long, and for years to come.
Create a "Gratitude Journal" for your family. It is a tangible way each member of your family can express what they are thankful for. Since the theme of Thanksgiving Day is thankfulness, perhaps choose a time before or after dinner for each person to write in the journal.
Date and autograph each entry. Everyone can be involved! Let young children say aloud their list of blessings for an adult to write. Children can also draw pictures of what they are grateful for.
Decide on the frequency of your Gratitude Entries. For example, you may begin with Thanksgiving, but also choose to add to the journal on holidays, birthdays, and milestone moments.
Reflect on your blessings throughout the year. The journal will be a source of joy and encouragement as you look back at the Gratitude Entries in the months and years to come. And just think how precious your journal will be with excerpts from grandparents and distant relatives who have the opportunity to contribute!
SUNSHINE GIVES BACK TO THE COMMUNITY: WILLIE STARGELL FOUNDATION
Sunshine Children's Dentistry is proud to team up with a charity that is near and dear to our hearts, and to have been a sponsor for the 17th annual Willie Stargell Celebrity Invitational. Each year the event is held in Wilmington, NC. This year's charity event took place on November 8-10. This exciting and popular event brings together celebrities and the public for a weekend of fun and golf while supporting the fight against kidney disease.
The Willie Stargell Foundation knows that battling kidney disease can be long, difficult, and expensive. Patients don’t have to face it alone. The Foundation supports kidney disease research and patient care. By raising funds from generous public and private donations and hosting a yearly celebrity invitational, the Foundation seeks to ease the financial burden of ever-increasing medical costs patients suffering from kidney disease face.
To ensure all your children’s teeth are ready to SMILE all year long, be sure to visit Sunshine Children’s Dentistry. The American Dental Association recommends oral checkups twice annually for children (and adults, too). QUESTIONS? We are a resource to you and are happy to answer any questions you may have about your child’s changing smile. We believe that oral health should be FUN and something to SMILE about!
We at Sunshine Children's Dentistry are THANKFUL for our patients!
Your family is a blessing to everyone at our office. Thank you for the honor of serving you! If you ever need to reach us, our number is 910.762.7736.
For more helpful resources and fun activities, be sure to read our other Blog Articles.
