Unsupported Browser

Ellii may not function properly in Internet Explorer. We recommend using Google Chrome or Firefox instead.

Unsupported Browser

Ellii may not function properly in older browsers. We recommend updating yours to the latest version for the best experience.

Count Your Blessings: A Thanksgiving Activity

November 27, 2013

“Not what we say about our blessings, but how we use them, is the true measure of our thanksgiving.”

—W. T. Purkiser

Thanksgiving is a time to express gratitude for family, friends, food, warmth, clothing, and other wonderful things and memories. This week, teach your students the expression “count your blessings.” Then try this fun pre- or post-Thanksgiving activity to practice vocabulary and counting in English!

count your blessingsto focus on the good things in your life

  1. Cut a long piece of string and tie it from one end of your classroom to the other.
  2. Invite students to write (in English) or draw things/people/memories that they are thankful for. 
  3. Have students attach their words and pictures to the string with clothes pegs or paper clips.
  4. At the end of the day (or each week) review all of the words on the string. Then have students stand up and actually count the blessings out loud together!
  5. Leave the string up until the end of the year, and invite your students to continue adding to it each day. At the end of the year, count your blessings again! How many things/people/memories are your students thankful for?

What are you thankful for this year? Feel free to share more than one blessing!

Not an Ellii member?

Get unlimited access to 1,000+ lessons and 3,000+ flashcards.

Sign Up

Comments (10)

Cayla K.(Teacher)

Great way to teach this idiom as well!

Reply to Comment

Tara Benwell(Author)

Thanks, Cayla! We are thankful for you and all of the teachers who use ESL Library. Happy Thanksgiving!

Susan A.(Teacher)

I made it as a tree trunk insted of string. And the students would make leaves for the things they were grateful for and put them on the tree.

Reply to Comment

Tara Benwell(Author)

Love that idea, Susan!

Wanda B.(Teacher)

So useful and sweet, also. Thanks for this.

Reply to Comment

Tanya Trusler(Author)

I love this activity too. Thanks for your comment, Wanda. We hope your students enjoy it if you try it with them!

Rachel M.(Teacher)

That's lovely! I wonder how it could be adapted for online teaching. I guess they could keep one paper for gratitudes, and every day we could write another thing they are thankful for <3

Reply to Comment

Tanya Trusler(Author)

Hi Rachel, that's a great question. I like your suggestion for adapting it for online teaching. I've heard there are free word-cloud-type programs out there, and I wonder if one of those would work? Maybe some other teachers will chime in with suggestions too!

Tara Benwell(Author)

Yesterday I saw a tweet from a teacher about all of the discarded edges of paper that are left at the paper cutter for someone else to clean up. I instantly thought these would be perfect for making paper chains or bookmarks with gratitude notes.

Reply to Comment

Marchelle B.(Teacher)

Love this idea!

Reply to Comment
Leave a Comment

Log In to Comment Reply

or
Comment Reply as a Guest
  • **bold**_italics_> quote

    This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

    Thinking of joining Ellii?

    Complete this form to create an account and stay up to date on all the happenings here at Ellii.