There have been numerous studies that have shown that the practice of gratitude can create happier and more optimistic children. The practice of gratitude can increase engagement in schoolwork and hobbies, turn into higher grade output, and decrease depression, materialism and entitlement. So, how can we foster more gratitude in children? All of our camps do daily appreciation journaling, but we wanted to take this idea a step further this week. We will create pages for a Gratitude Scrapbook focusing on different areas of a child’s life. We will create a drum circle where we also intertwine messages of self love and positivity. Campers will spend time delving into deep topics about the weight of baggage each of us holds and how we can help support our peers in times of need. Children will create a variety of different gratitude jars or boards to bring home to continue their practice as a family.