Building an Attitude of Gratitude with Daniel Tiger
By Kylie Schmidt, Marketing Intern
Seeing the notes on Thank You Tree has been one of our favorite parts of Daniel Tiger’ Neighborhood: A Grr-ific Exhibit, which has been here since January 2018.
What are our visitors thankful for? Moms, dads, grandparents, siblings, friends, teachers, neighbors, Daniel Tiger – even Hot Pockets! (See slide above)
Here’s how it works: Visitors write what they are thankful for on paper leaves and then place them on Thank You Tree. The idea is simple, but the impact is big.
Why Gratitude Matters
No matter what your child is thankful for, learning to be grateful is an important lesson.
- Gratitude makes other people happy. By teaching kids about being thankful every day, they’ll create a brighter, happier world around them.
- Gratitude makes a child happy. Gratitude has been shown to increase sense of belonging and self-confidence.
- Gratitude is a lifelong lesson. By starting conversations of gratitude from a young age, kids will build a foundation of thankfulness that can lead to a brighter outlook in adult life.
What You Can Do to Support Gratitude
There are many ways you can encourage gratitude in your kids at home.
- Make gratitude fun. Gratitude isn’t always going to be second nature to a child and can sometimes feel like a chore. Add some fun by creating a “thankful jar” or a gratitude journal to encourage positive experiences with thankfulness.
- Practice gratitude yourself. Kids often mimic what they see. Encourage habits of gratefulness by being thankful in your everyday life.
- Show your child different ways to express gratitude. There are lots of ways to have a grateful heart other than just saying “thank you.” Explore the possibilities with your child—draw a picture, make a card, create a video – to say thank you.
Now It’s Our Turn to Say Thank You
We would like to take a moment to thank our members and visitors who have supported the museum and have shared their family time with us by visiting the museum.
We’d also like to extend a big thank you to Thrivent Mutual Funds, whose generous support has made the Daniel Tiger exhibit possible at the museum.
“You can’t have gratitude without first having the right attitude. We are proud to support Daniel Tiger and the positive example he is for children. Thank you Minnesota Children’s Museum for bringing this exhibit to the Twin Cities,” said Troy Beaver, vice president of marketing, distribution and sales at Thrivent Mutual Funds.
Catch the Daniel Tiger Exhibit Before It’s Gone
Hurry to the Neighborhood! The exhibit is open through May 13, 2018. Come say hello before Daniel Tiger is on to his next adventure.
The Daniel Tiger exhibit was created by Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh in partnership with The Fred Rogers Company.