At Asheville Farmstead School, we believe that gratitude grows just like anything else — when it’s nurtured with care, attention, and connection.
Gratitude is one of the simplest and most powerful social-emotional skills we can help children develop. It teaches awareness, empathy, and joy — helping children feel connected to themselves, to others, and to the world around them. For young children under eight, gratitude is not just a polite phrase; it’s a practice of noticing kindness, beauty, and interdependence.
When children learn to pause and say, “Thank you for this day, for this tree, for my friend,” they are beginning to see their place in a larger web of relationships. That sense of belonging builds empathy and resilience — qualities that support lifelong well-being. Research supports this too: practicing gratitude is linked to higher happiness, stronger relationships, and improved emotional regulation (Froh et al., 2011; Emmons & McCullough, 2003).
Honoring the Land and Its First Stewards
Before we talk about teaching gratitude, we pause to practice it ourselves. Asheville Farmstead School rests on land that has long been tended by the Cherokee (Aniyvwiya) people. We give thanks to the Cherokee and other Indigenous communities who have cared for these mountains, streams, and forests for generations.
We acknowledge that the values at the heart of our work — connection to nature, respect for all living things, and gratitude for what the earth provides — have deep roots in Indigenous ways of knowing. As we guide children to honor the land and their place within it, we do so with gratitude and respect for those who have done so long before us.
Why Gratitude Matters in Early Childhood
Gratitude isn’t just about good manners. For young learners, it’s an emotional compass — a way to recognize the goodness in their world and the people within it. Practicing gratitude helps children:
1)Build empathy and strengthen friendships.
2) Develop emotional regulation and mindfulness.
3) Cultivate joy, curiosity, and a sense of belonging.
4)Connect actions with feelings of kindness and reciprocity.
At Farmstead, gratitude shows up in our daily rhythm — from giving thanks for snack and sunshine to noticing the colors of autumn leaves. These moments help children slow down and tune in to the life around them.
Growing a Thankful Heart
At Farmstead, gratitude isn’t a seasonal lesson — it’s a rhythm that shapes our days. Whether we’re tending a garden, sharing a snack, or noticing the song of a chickadee, gratitude connects us to the present moment and to one another.
When we help children see the world through thankful eyes, we plant the seeds of empathy, resilience, and wonder — roots that will sustain them well beyond their early years.
Bonus: Ways Children Can Practice Gratitude by Age
3-Year-Olds — Gratitude Through Imitation and Joy
Sing a “Thank You” song before snack or circle time.
Say thank you to nature — “Thank you, sun, for the warmth!”
Make a gratitude collage with leaves, sticks, and found treasures.
4-Year-Olds — Gratitude Through Naming and Sharing
Draw a picture for a friend or teacher who helped them.
Help care for classroom tools (watering plants, returning materials) as a “thank you.”
Say thank you when someone shares or helps.
5-Year-Olds — Gratitude Through Reflection and Responsibility
Create a “gratitude garden” — planting seeds for things they are thankful for.
Give thanks through helping jobs, like setting up snack or tidying shared spaces.
Make a gratitude journal or photo board to capture thankful moments.
6-Year-Olds — Gratitude Through Perspective and Connection
Create handmade thank-you cards for community members (firefighters, farmers, neighbors).
Practice small acts of kindness — giving gifts, notes, or help unprompted. This is a picture of three students with a farm dog forest bathing.[/caption]