A Walk in the Wetland
One of the many things that makes St. David’s Minnetonka campus special – for children in our inclusive preschool, pediatric services, and therapeutic classrooms alike – is our restored wetland, part of our DNR-certified school forest. Even when the weather gets chilly, groups of children can be seen laying on their bellies on the boardwalk, marveling at the beauty of the dried pussy-willows, or the bright leaves floating downstream in Minnehaha Creek. Blustery, beautiful moments like these, moments of wonder, stillness, and observation, are one of the many ways we at St. David’s help young children cultivate gratitude, every single day.
What the Research Says
Pausing to experience and honor gratitude can feel strange in an uncertain world, a world where families are strained, when caregivers run on too little sleep, where the larger culture brims with conflict. But gratitude isn’t a luxury emotion. Research keeps telling us it’s closer to a stabilizing force: strengthening mental health, deepening relationships, and widening the capacity to cope with life’s inevitable challenges. For children, it becomes something even more foundational. Gratitude supports the early systems that regulate emotion, build empathy, and shape the first social skills. These are not secondary to learning. They are the conditions under which learning takes root.
Young children don’t grasp the abstraction of “being grateful.” What they grasp is the concrete world: a warm patch of sunlight on a cold day, the sound of a friend laughing, the relief of someone helping them pull on a pair of snowpants. When adults help children notice these moments, we’re teaching the beginnings of gratitude: attention, presence, and an intentional turning toward what is good.
In this season of giving, it’s worth remembering that gratitude is one of the earliest tools we can offer a child. Something steady in a shifting world. Something they carry forward long after the moment itself has passed.
How Can Adults Help Nurture Gratitude in Young Children?
1. Start with the sensory, not the abstract.
Instead of “What are you grateful for?” try:
“What felt good today?”
“What did you notice outside?”
Gratitude begins in the body before it becomes an idea.
2. Notice things out loud.
“I like how warm your hand feels in mine.”
“I’m glad we get to read together.”
Children learn tone, cadence, and regard long before definitions.
3. Mark moments of kindness.
“That was thoughtful of your friend to wait for you.”
Naming the moment helps children link gratitude to relationships.
4. Keep it authentic.
No pressure, no performance. Simple noticing is enough. The practice grows in repetition, not intensity.
5. Let it stay loose.
Research shows spontaneity works better than rigid routines. Once a week of gratitude practice can be more effective than every day.
6. Allow gratitude alongside harder feelings.
A child can be upset, tired, or off-balance and still find something grounding. Gratitude isn’t cheerfulness—it’s a widening of attention.
As we approach Giving Tuesday, we invite every member of the St. David’s community to help foster gratitude in the children in our lives, and in ourselves.