Three Thanksgiving cards fanned out: Gratitude Chain, Good Things, and Gratitude Walk

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Aha Moments: Thanksgiving Printable Deck

Conversations, crafts, and activities for the whole gathering, printed at home and ready for the holiday.

  • The cardsA PDF you print at home, cut, and fold, plus a screen version and phone pictures
  • The guideA card guide with every craft and activity written out in full

$19

Your download link arrives by email the moment you pay. You have seven days to change your mind.

Insidethe download
  • Card fronts
  • Conversation cards
  • Crafts
  • Activities
  • Print at home
  • A screen deck
  • Phone pictures
  • A card guide
Just between us

The best holiday moments happen when everyone joins in.

A holiday gathering brings together people of every age: little cousins, grandparents, old friends, and someone new to the family. Some of them talk easily, and some wait for an invitation.

This deck gives every guest a way in. Twenty conversation cards hold four questions each, from easy to deep. Sixteen craft cards fill the day with things to make, like a gratitude chain, a thankful tree, or place cards for every seat. Sixteen activity cards get people laughing together, with gratitude bingo, charades, a family timeline, and a story interview.

Download the file, print the cards at home, cut them out, and fold each one in half. The screen version and the phone pictures come with it, so faraway family can play along on a video call.

Every card is a conversation, a craft, or an activity, so the deck fits any gathering, whatever is on the menu.

Where the theme comes from

I turned user research into questions for the holiday table.

For more than twenty years, my work in product research has been about asking good questions and listening closely to the answers. The conversation cards follow the shape of a good interview: easy questions first, deeper questions next, and a gentle follow-up at the end.

The crafts and activities give quieter guests and younger kids a way to take part with their hands. Many of them leave you with a keepsake, like a signed tablecloth or a story quilt, to bring out again next year.

More printable decks are ready too: Thank You, Family, and Friends.

Card by card

See the front of every card in the deck.

  • The Good Things card: Big, Small & In BetweenConversation
  • The Gratitude Chain card: Paper, Thanks & TogethernessCraft
  • The Gratitude Walk card: Steps, Senses & ThanksActivity
  • The Harvest Time card: Seasons, Gardens & GrowingConversation
  • The Place Cards card: Names, Welcome & Kind WordsCraft
  • The Story Interview card: Questions, Voices & MemoryActivity
  • The Holiday Firsts card: Memories, Places & PeopleConversation
  • The Thankful Jar card: Notes, Memories & SurprisesCraft
See every cardShow fewer cards
  • The Thank-You Relay card: Notes, Names & PassingActivity
  • The Table Talk card: Seats, Plates & PassingConversation
  • The Leaf Rubbings card: Veins, Colors & PatternsCraft
  • The Family Trivia card: Facts, Guesses & LaughsActivity
  • The Family Lore card: Legends, Mix-Ups & HeroesConversation
  • The Kids' Table card: Giggles, Crumbs & ChaosConversation
  • The Paper Turkey card: Feathers, Colors & ThanksCraft
  • The Porch Surprise card: Neighbors, Notes & KindnessActivity
  • The How We Gather card: Old Ways, New Ways & OursConversation
  • The Thankful Tree card: Branches, Leaves & GratitudeCraft
  • The Photo Hunt card: Snapshots, Clues & SmilesActivity
  • The Faraway Folks card: Calls, Letters & Long MilesConversation
  • The Tablecloth card: Names, Notes & YearsCraft
  • The Screen Visit card: Calls, Games & Faraway FacesActivity
  • The Small Rescues card: Surprises, Rescues & GraceConversation
  • The Leaf Bookmarks card: Leaves, Pages & GiftsCraft
  • The Gratitude Bingo card: Squares, Clues & CheersActivity
  • The Autumn Days card: Leaves, Light & Cool AirConversation
  • The Those We Miss card: Memories, Honor & LoveConversation
  • The Postcard Home card: Pictures, Words & MilesCraft
  • The Round of Thanks card: Circles, Turns & WarmthActivity
  • The Holiday Workers card: Workers, Volunteers & HeroesConversation
  • The Thanks Banner card: Flags, Letters & ColorCraft
  • The Family Timeline card: Years, Moments & MilestonesActivity
  • The Giving Back card: Time, Talent & CareConversation
  • The Story Quilt card: Squares, Stories & PatternsCraft
  • The Charades card: Acting, Guessing & GigglesActivity
  • The Highs and Lows card: Highs, Lows & SurprisesConversation
  • The Centerpiece card: Found, Natural & FreeCraft
  • The Alphabet Thanks card: Letters, Laughs & GratitudeActivity
  • The Wise Words card: Advice, Elders & LessonsConversation
  • The Kitchen Crew card: Helpers, Smells & ChatterConversation
  • The Placemats card: Doodles, Games & PromptsCraft
  • The Cleanup Crew card: Teamwork, Music & ThanksActivity
  • The Long Overdue card: Teachers, Friends & MentorsConversation
  • The Favor Tickets card: Favors, Time & CareCraft
  • The Give Box card: Sharing, Sorting & CaringActivity
  • The Ordinary Gifts card: Water, Warmth & Small ComfortsConversation
  • The Harvest Lanterns card: Light, Folds & ThanksCraft
  • The Fall Finds card: Nature, Colors & CluesActivity
  • The Day After card: Leftovers, Rest & QuietConversation
  • The Hanging Mobile card: String, Shapes & BalanceCraft
  • The Group Tall Tale card: Twists, Turns & TeamworkActivity
  • The Thankful Hopes card: Hopes, Plans & WishesConversation
In the download

Print your own deck, and keep a copy on every screen.

  1. Print at homeFold-over cards, front and back side by side, four to a page.Print at HomePrintable PDF

    Print on regular paper or card stock, cut along the edge, and fold each card in half. You get a real deck without waiting for the mail.

  2. Play on a screenEvery card, front and back, sized for a laptop or a TV.Screen DeckPDF

    Share your screen in a meeting or a classroom, and turn the page to turn the card.

  3. Keep it on your phoneA picture of the front and the back of every card.Phone picturesJPG images

    Save the pictures to your photos, and you always have a card with you, in line, on a walk, or between meetings.

  4. Make and doEvery craft and activity written out in full, plus listening tips.Card GuidePrintable PDF

    Read the guide before the holiday. It lists what each craft needs, walks through every step, and shares tips for good conversations at the table.

Once the deck is yours

What is true when you finish the deck.

  • Everyone at the gathering had a way to join in.
  • The kids had something fun to make and do all day.
  • You heard a family story nobody had told before.
  • Faraway family joined in by video call or by mail.
  • You made a keepsake to bring out again next year.
  • Every question was easy to ask, because the card did the asking.
Ashley Karr, smiling, in a sunny home office
Meet the founder

Hi, I’m Ashley.

I have worked for more than twenty years in accessibility, trust and safety, and product research and design. I helped create many of the systems our day-to-day lives depend on: banking, payments, identity, and fraud protection. One of my roles was vice president of product research at JPMorgan Chase, and I hold a master’s degree in human factors and systems engineering.

I write books, teach, and build good products. Whatever brought you here, I’m glad you came.

Ashley

Read my story
Before you buy

You have questions, and I have plain answers.

  1. How do I get the files?

    The moment you pay, an email arrives with your download link. Save the files to your own computer and phone. There is no account to create and nothing to log back into.

  2. How do I print the cards?

    Open the Print at Home PDF and print it on standard paper. Card stock feels best, and regular paper works too. Cut each card out and fold it in half, and the front and back line up.

  3. Who is the deck for?

    Families, friends, and classrooms. The easy questions and simple crafts work for young children, and the deeper questions and games are wonderful for grown-ups.

  4. How is this different from the membership?

    This deck is a download you keep and print, so you hold real cards in your hands. The Aha Moments membership is $5 a month, and it lets you play the Aha Moments cards online at havensmith.company/aha.

  5. Is there a printed deck?

    A printed deck is coming later. For now, the download lets you print your own cards today.

  6. Can I share the files?

    Play with as many people as you like. Please keep the files for yourself and the people you play with, and send friends here to get their own copy.

  7. Can I get a refund?

    Yes. Read it, try it, and if it is not what you wanted, write within seven days of buying it. A real person will get back to you soon with your refund.