Shop UK Site 
The Science of Gratitude: The How's and Why's of Raising a Grateful Family
- EI Editor Posted On Jun 2, 2021 | Learning Through Play
Research shows that an attitude of gratitude can improve your family’s overall well-being, including increasing resilience, strengthening relationships, and reducing stress. In fact, kids who express gratitude tend to feel more positive, optimistic, happy, and loved; experience fewer physical problems and pain; sleep better, and live longer! And it’s never too early to start. This summer, you can help your kids—even the little ones—learn to appreciate and express thankfulness for the good that’s all around them, with these easy ideas from the Experts in Play at Educational Insights.
1. Say Thank You!
When someone does something nice for your kids or gives them a gift, expand on your typical reminder to say thank you with some words about what, exactly, was so nice about the exchange. For example, “Ava, Gramma went shopping and picked out that book just for you, because she thought it would make you happy! We definitely want to say thank you for all that love!”
2. Notice Your Surroundings!
Your kids are literally surrounded by things to be grateful for, from toys and books to warm blankets, bedtime stories, and hot breakfasts. Make a point of expressing your gratitude for the comforts your child might otherwise take for granted. “How lucky we are to have pancakes on a Tuesday!”
3. Think Big!
Take a nature walk and point out the amazing beauty that surrounds us each and every day. Blue skies, puffy clouds, shady trees, beautiful butterflies, and warm sunshine—these are all things your family can be grateful for.
4. Find the Good!
When things don’t go according to plan, you can help your family find the silver lining and appreciate the possibilities. Point out something good that might come from an unexpected change of plans, like taking a drizzly family drive for ice cream when your park picnic gets rained out.
5. Do It Together!
The more you model grateful behavior, the more second nature it will become to your kids. You can also make a habit of sharing three things that you’re each grateful for every evening at the dinner table or create a gratitude jar with slips of paper noting things you’re thankful for. When times are tough, remind your family of all the things they’ve mentioned around the table or tip that jar and take turns reading what you’ve all written. 
Image courtesy of CreativeFamilyFun.net
With some thoughtful comments and intentional behavior, you can make gratitude the attitude in your family—and reap all the mental, physical, and emotional benefits of thankfulness!
Fun Ways to Stay Connected to Nature – Outdoors and At Home!
The leaves are changing and crisp fall air is upon us…the perfect time to head out into nature! Not only does time spent in nature promote exercise and fresh air (duh), but it has also been shown to build confidence, promote creativity and imagination, and reduce stress and fatigue (we’re all feeling a bit of both these days, no?). Since we’re all spending more time indoors now, getting out into nature is more important than ever before. (Not to panic you, but Nature Deficit Disorder is actually a real thing.)Fall is the perfect time to get outside and explore! The weather is brisk and cool and there are so many amazing things to discover and do, both on your walk and after, like:Count the Colors!
On your walk: Colorful leaves are one of the most amazing things about fall. See if you can spot brown, yellow, orange, red, and multicolored leaves. Take a few of your favorites home with you and…At home: Try printing them in paper clay and painting them, turning them into autumn suncatchers, making crayon rubbings, and more. While your kids are creating, you can share this simple explanation for color-changing leaves (and find other awesome fall leaf activities), from the EI blog. Don’t forget the apple cider!
Photo credit: artfulparent.comEI Tip: Leaf peeping is even more fun with the GeoSafari® Jr. Kidnoculars® Extreme™! Kids can magnify what they see AND hear with this set of kid-friendly binoculars featuring 3x magnification and built-in audio amplification.
Watch for Critters!
On your walk: Stop, stand still (a challenge, we know), stay quiet, and look around. The critters you could see depend on where you’re walking, but you just might spot furry friends like rabbits, groundhogs, and chipmunks. Turn your gaze toward the ground and you see if you can spy any ants (look for the mounded dirt that marks their colonies), stinkbugs, ladybugs, or beetles. Check the trees for woodpeckers, hawks, jays, and squirrels. Watch your heads though – squirrels are scavenging for nuts in the fall!To add to the fun try a scavenger hunt that allows you and your little ones to soak up the sights, sounds and smells of fall! You'll love these free scavenger hunt printables from teachingmama.org. Get out and explore!
At home: Check your hunt list and talk about all the things you found, and what you'll be on the lookout for next time. This may help inspire more curious questions and learning fun! Here are 5 Random Fall Facts facts you can add to the mix!EI Tip: If your kids can’t get enough of the amazing, organized activity of ants, bring home the GeoSafari® Ant Factory, an escape-proof ant habitat perfect for observing ants in action. Comes complete with mail-in ant certificate.
Scope Out the Spiders!
On your walk: Get out into nature early enough on a cool, fall day, and you’ll be rewarded with a spooky spattering of silky spiderwebs! Covered in morning dew, they’re easy to spot in the trees, on the bushes, and suspended between upright objects. With more than 45,000 different species of spiders found around the world, you’re bound to see something pretty cool. (Interesting note – only about a dozen types of spiders can harm humans!) Take the time to inspect their webs and point out the different weaving patterns and…At home: Make your own spider web, using a paper plate, hole punch, kid-safe plastic needle, and yarn, following these simple instructions from JugglingWithKids.com.
Photo Credit: jugglingwithkids.comEI Tip: If you find a special spider you’d like to see a little closer, use the GeoSafari® Jr. Critter Habitat to take an up-close look! Built-in magnifiers reveal amazing details, while built-in air holes keep creepy crawlies safe until it’s time to release them back where they were caught.
No matter where you walk or what you see, a trip into nature never disappoints! If your kids can’t get enough of nature, check out the brand new GeoSafari® Jr. Talking Wildlife Camera. The camera features 130 amazing wildlife images and speaks 200 fun animal facts in the voice of Robert Irwin. Kids choose between Fact and Quiz mode to test their memories and make nature even more fun. The perfect present for your little nature lover!
READ MORE
