Thank-you notes night: three notes, one delivered by hand
A Thanksgiving thank-you night: your kid picks three real people to thank, writes or draws a note to each, and hands one over in person. That's the whole night.
- Time
- 1 hour
- Cost
- About $3
- Ages
- 4 to 12
- Where
- Kitchen table
What you need
- Paper or blank cards, and envelopes
- Pens, markers or crayons
- A shoe box or folder to carry the finished notes
Before you start
- Go with a grown-up. NCMEC says to teach kids to check with the adult in charge before going anywhere with anyone. You walk the note to the door together.
- Keep addresses off the note. Sign with your kid's first name only; no phone number or home address. If you mail one, the address goes on the envelope, not the note.
Steps
- Pick three people. Your kid names three real people who helped them this year, and you add one if they're stuck. 10 min.
- Talk about what they did. For each person, ask what they did and what your kid noticed, and jot the answers. 10 min.
- Write or draw the notes. Each note says Dear ___, thank you for ___, I noticed ___, from ___; little ones draw and dictate. 20 min.
- Choose one to hand over. Your kid picks one note to hand over in person and practices saying "Thank you for ___." 5 min.
- Deliver it. Go with your kid to deliver the note, let them say thank you, and don't prompt every word. 15 min.
If it stalls
- If your kid says, "I don't know what to write," ask what the person did, and write that down as the first line.
- If they want to thank a pet or a favorite character too, let them add a bonus note; the three stay real people.
Notes written
Delivered to
Who we thanked, and for what
Delivered by Signed by Date