Reflecting on our lives and what we are thankful for is a wonderful way to help students practice gratitude. Plus, it can help them gain new perspectives to improve their overall mental health. We may think about our homes, families, friends, and other things that we are fortunate to have. These types of exercises can be a wonderful opportunity to thank the community helpers in our area who help to make our world a better place! There are many ways to thank or honor our community helpers during the school year. Bring your Cricut machine into the mix and take these activities to the next level.

How can we thank our community helpers?

With early elementary students, creating projects to thank those around you is a great way to tie in your unit or lesson series on community helpers. Consider having students put together a craft that can go along with your lessons to give them a tangible experience. Lesson ideas and activities can be found in our Who Are Our Community Helpers? and Who Are Our First Responders? lessons in the Edu Resources section of the OTIS website. In addition, OTIS  has accompanying Cricut Design Space templates that can help make the lessons even easier to implement with your students. Watch our course, Thanking Community Helpers with Cricut, to learn how to get started with some design templates.

For all students, putting together thank you baskets or bags are a great way to start. These can be dropped off at your local police station, fire house, nursing home, hospital, child care facility, etc. You can have students take the reins by having them bring in donation items that will go in the gift bags, build the vessel that the gifts will be packaged in, assemble gifts in a station or assembly line, write thank you tags, or any combination of the above. 

DIY project ideas

If students want to make items they can give to local community members, there are many different ways to make it happen. Young students can decorate bookmarks as an easy-to-follow activity. Students could also mold items out of clay, paint rocks or canvases, assemble picture frames, make paper flower bouquets, decorate glassware or bags, and more! Students can make the same gift or can create an individual gift with materials provided by the teacher. This allows students to show their creative sides as they brainstorm what kind of gift they want to make. 

Additionally, a simple thank you card or letter is a meaningful way to show appreciation. Personalized greeting cards are a great way to make someone feel joyous and valued! This can even tie into helping students practice friendly letter writing skills. You can print or purchase cards for students to write in. You can have students get crafty and create their own cards, whether using provided embellishments or their own drawings.

Community field trips

When it comes to delivering your thank you items, consider making a field trip! This way, students will make a memorable connection to their community helpers and learn about their roles and responsibilities.

Whatever you choose to do with your students, you should always bring the focus back to who you are thanking. The work these individuals do on a daily basis make our communities function and thrive! 

For more tips, tricks, and tools for teaching in and out of the classroom, check out more content on the Teq Talk blog or our YouTube channels OTIS for educators and Tequipment.

We also offer virtual professional development, training, and support with OTIS for educators. Explore the technology and strategies that spark student success — no matter where teaching or learning are happening!

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