This week’s question quest is all about something humans have been doing forever, in every corner of the world, and it fits the season perfectly, whether you celebrate Thanksgiving or not:

❓ Why do people give thanks?

Almost every culture has its own way of pausing, gathering and saying “We’re grateful.” Sometimes it’s for a good harvest. Sometimes it’s for light in the darkest part of winter. Sometimes it’s for safety after danger. Sometimes it’s for peace, or community, or simply making it through another season.

It might be sharing food, lighting fires or candles, dancing, praying, telling stories, or simply sitting together. Different cultures, different traditions… but the same human instinct: to stop, gather, and notice what’s good.

And science agrees: gratitude really does help us feel calmer, happier, more grounded, and more connected.

So let’s explore it, the Knowmads way...

🛠️ M – MAKE: Create a Family Gratitude Jar

One of the simplest ways to grow gratitude (for kids and grown-ups) is a gratitude jar - a place to collect the little moments, joys, and surprises that make your days brighter.

This week, invite your young Knowmads to create one together.

You only need a jar, a few scraps of paper, and a minute a day.

Each person writes or draws something they’re thankful for and pops it in.

Over time, the jar fills with tiny reminders that life is full of good things, even on the messy days.

To make it even easier, I’ve made a printable set:

✨ A big jar outline you can fill in together

✨ 100 fun prompts so you never get stuck for ideas

Perfect for dinner-time chats, cosy mornings, or those afternoons when everyone needs a little spark of joy.

👉 Download the Gratitude Jar printable here

💬 A – ASK: How Do People Give Thanks Around the World?

No right answers, just curiosity.

• Why do people celebrate the harvest?

• Why does sharing a meal help people feel closer?

• How do people show gratitude today ie. prayer, music, dance, nature walks, journaling?

• How does gratitude change the way our brain works?

• If you created your own family tradition of thanks, what would it look like?

🧭 Explore further:

🎥 The Science of Gratitude by momentousinstitute

🎥 Exploring Harvest Festivals Around the World — HasWings

📚 Thanku: Poems of Gratitude by Miranda Paul

🌍 Visit: a farmers’ market, local farm or even a supermarket, and talk about how food gets to your plate.

💛 P – PAUSE: Little Thanks, Big Difference

Gratitude isn’t about being positive all the time.

It’s not pretending everything’s tidy and peaceful when it’s actually messy.

It’s about slowing down long enough to notice the small things that are holding you together.

A warm cup.

A child asking you to look.

A quiet minute on the sofa.

A meal you didn’t cook.

The way sunlight hits the table.

Someone who understands you.

Those moments matter, and they’re easy to rush past.

Especially when we’re tired, juggling everything, and trying to “keep up”.

So this week, take a breath and ask yourself:

✨ What tiny thing made today a little lighter?

✨ Who helped you without even realising it?

✨ What’s already working in your home-ed days?

You don’t need to write a whole gratitude journal (unless you want to).

Just one small thing each day is enough.

Little thanks add up.

Big hugs,

Anna xx