At Blue Oak School, teaching the practice of gratitude is an important piece of teaching mindfulness. Recently, for our Lower School Mindfulness Lesson, we created Gratitude Quilts. Each student thought of something they were grateful for and drew a picture or wrote words to describe it. Then we combined and assembled the paper “quilt” pieces on a unified “quilt”. Did you know that dedicating even a short time to thinking about things that you are grateful for, can make you happier?

The Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley has compiled hundreds of studies documenting the social, physical and psychological benefits of gratitude. The long list of reasons to practice gratitude is compelling and includes a wealth of information about how it positively impacts kids and schools.

Gratitude is good for kids: Children as young as six or seven are more generous when they’re feeling grateful, and grateful adolescents tend to be more resilient. When 10-19 year olds practice gratitude, they report greater life satisfaction and more positive emotion, and they feel more connected to their community.

Gratitude is good for schools: Studies suggest it makes students feel better about their school; it also makes teachers feel more satisfied and accomplished, and less emotionally exhausted, possibly reducing teacher burnout.

To learn more about the science-based insights on gratitude and how to cultivate gratitude in your family and children, visit the Greater Good’s Science Center’s Gratitude Resources.