Gratitude Activities for Teens: The Power of Gratitude
This session includes gratitude activities for teens, helping older students explore how practicing gratitude can shift the way they feel, even during hard moments. They consider a guiding question, watch a short video, and take part in a discussion about why gratitude can be tough to reach when things go wrong. A quick game asks them to weigh a stressful situation and a possible response, building a practice they can return to when they need it.
Extension activity
- Skill
- Self-Regulation
- Goal
- Being Mindful
- Grade level
- Middle & High School
Get everything you need to teach the skill
These materials are part of a no-prep session designed by our clinical team, with all the structure, scaffolding, and support you need to teach included.
Engaging materials
Video lessonThe Power of Gratitude
In this video lesson, students learn how to build a regular gratitude practice by keeping a gratitude journal, writing thank-you notes, practicing mindfulness, showing kindness, and prioritizing self-care.
- Extension activity
The Power of Gratitude
In this interactive multiple-choice activity, students review what gratitude is, its benefits, and ways to practice it, like journaling, showing kindness, and expressing thanks to others and themselves.
Plus everything you need to teach them
Warm-up
- Video: 4-7-8 Breathing2:13
- Video: Obstacles into Opportunities Visualization1:19
- Video: Yoga Pose Library
Session Opener
Guiding Question: How can practicing gratitude positively impact a person?
Practice
- Discussion Question
- Role-Play Activity
- Mini Game
How to use it with your students
- 1Watch Play the video lesson so students see the skill in action.
- 2Practice Try the skill together with a discussion prompt, role-play, or mini game.
- 3Extend Use the extension activity to help students carry the skill further.
What's Covered
In this lesson, students learned that gratitude means feeling appreciative for the parts of life that shape who they are, including the difficult ones, not just being thankful when things go well. They practiced ways to build a regular gratitude habit, like reflecting on a few things they appreciate each day or sharing thanks with someone who matters to them. They also talked about how this kind of practice can ease stress and strengthen relationships over time.
Key Terms
- Gratitude
- Feeling appreciative for the people and things in your life, both big and small, even during hard times. It is a skill you can practice to refocus on what you have instead of what you lack.
- Mindfulness
- Paying attention on purpose to what is happening right now, including how you feel and what you are doing.
Sample IEP Goal This Session Supports
-
Mindfulness
Learner will independently initiate a mindfulness practice (e.g., breathing exercise, movement break, body scan) when noticing a need to reset, and engage with the practice for its full duration, in 4 out of 5 opportunities independently/given X prompt(s).
Send this tip home to support generalization
At home or in the classroom, try asking a student to name one thing they appreciated about their day before moving on to the next thing. Naming it out loud helps the habit stick without needing a journal or extra time.
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Frequently asked questions
Is this intervention free?
Yes, this ready-to-teach session on The Power of Gratitude is free. You can access this intervention free for 14 days through the Everyday Speech Session Library. Every user gets three free sessions, but you can get more or extend your access by sharing the Session Library with friends and colleagues.
What ages is this for?
These materials are designed for middle and high school students.
What's included?
You'll get access to your choice of warm-up videos, a session opener, a core material on The Power of Gratitude, three practice prompts, and an extension activity, The Power of Gratitude.
What skill does this intervention teach?
This ready-to-teach session is on self-regulation - more specifically, being mindful.
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