12 cool thank you cards that will even have teens picking up a pen.

It’s that time of year when your kids will be getting lots (and lots) of gifts, which means it’s also that time when we as parents try to teach our kids a little something about gratitude, and a great way to do that is by having them write out thank you cards. Real cards. With a pen.

When my daughters were younger, it was easy to get them to sit down and write notes of thanks to family and friends. Now that they are 9 and almost 13, not so much.

But getting tweens and teens to send out actual thank you notes (because, no, texts do not count), isn’t an impossibility. No, really! I find that letting my kids choose whatever cool stationery they want is a never-fail trick to get them to complete this task. You may be able to get some of these in time for Christmas stocking stuffers, or check back after Christmas to possibly snag some sales — either way, this is a great activity to do over winter break.

So, here are 12 of the coolest kid-approved thank you cards I could find. You can thank me later.

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The “I’m Grateful” thank you card set made my almost-teenager literally laugh out loud, so considered it very kid-approved. We like that they are funny (and punny), simple, plus, the 3D foam cut out cheese grater is a cool effect. ($24 for a set of 8, Yellow Daisy Paper Company)

One word. Unicorns. That alone ups the cool factor of thank you cards with your tween or teen. These “You’re Fantastical” unicorn thank you cards are whimsical and colorful, but not in a kiddie way. ($18 for a set of 8, Sea and Lake)

Writing out thank you notes by hand is an old-fashioned gesture that never goes out of style, so I think these classic, old school “A Note of Thanks” thank you cards are pretty clever. ($16 for a set of 6, Orange Twist)

These cute “Face Throwing a Kiss Emoji” thank you cards, which can be personalized, are one of my 9-year-old’s top choices for this year. She says they are perfect for sending to all her BFFs. ($12 for a set of 10, RomiLipo)

How do I love thee playful “Thank You For The Awesome Thing You Did/Said/Are” thank you cards? Let me count the ways. Well, too many to count but for starters, they are designed by the incredible Emily McDowell, whom we crush on regularly. ($19 for a set of 8, Emily McDowell Studio)

My animal-loving daughters were purring over these cute “Cat Alphabet” thank you cards. And this grown-up thinks anyone who received these would think they are just purrfect. ($18 for a set of 4, Jamie Shelman)

Younger tweens will love these personalized “Color Me Grateful” thank you cards. They are my 9-year-old’s absolute favorite of the bunch. With a front to color in and a formatted letter to fill in on the back, these cards make saying “thank you” easy and fun. ($19.90 for a set of 10, Tiny Prints)

Both my girls love these “Thought Bubble” thank you cards because they can be personalized with their names and come in a variety of cool colors. And they’re 20% off right now, so they’re worth a thought. ($25.90 for a set of 10, Paper Culture)

These “Giant Size” thank you cards are a bit irreverent and a whole lot of fun. I love the mid-century mod design, and my teen loves the sarcasm. ($15.95 for a set of 12, Papyrus)

Okay, I doubt these “Texting Is So Last Year” thank you cards will convince your kids that snail mail is better, but my kids did think these were perfect for their obligatory handwritten notes to family, especially to Grandma. ($4.50 each, Rhubarb Paper Co.)

These “Black and White” thank you notecards don’t have funny puns or emojis, but the cool design offer a fresh and modern take on the more traditional personalized cards. ($12.95 for a set of 10, Chachke Designs)

Um, yea. This pretty much sums it up. For our most hardcore texting teens, these “Thx.” text message thank you cards are perfect. Hey, at least they put a stamp on it. ($14.95 for a set of 8, Warren Tales)