Looking for engaging Thanksgiving crafts for kids? Try our paper turkey craft! It’s a delightful project that preschoolers and kindergartners can easily make at home or school.
This is a simple cut-and-paste activity that not only brings joy but also helps develop fine motor skills. As a fun and educational Thanksgiving craft, it offers a wonderful opportunity for young kids to get creative and celebrate the fall season.
What makes this craft even more appealing is its minimal mess, making it a favorite among parents and educators alike.
Turkey crafts are a popular choice for children’s activities in the fall, especially during the month of November as the excitement for Thanksgiving builds.
This paper turkey craft, in particular, is an easy yet engaging project that can seamlessly be incorporated into a homeschool or classroom art center.
Even outside of educational settings, kids will have a blast making this cute Thanksgiving decoration at home. It’s not just an art project—it’s a joyful way of symbolizing the season of gratitude!
Benefits of Making Paper Turkey Crafts
Creating this paper turkey craft is not only fun, but it also provides several developmental benefits. As children maneuver their way through cutting and manipulating paper strips, they are honing their fine motor skills.
This involves small muscle movements in the fingers and hands, which are crucial for tasks such as writing or buttoning a shirt.
Additionally, using scissors to cut the paper enhances their scissor skills, teaching them grip, hand-eye coordination, and precision. Consider using these Thanksgiving cutting practice worksheets for even more opportunities for using scissors.
An optional step is to use a ruler for measuring and drawing lines for cutting the strips – a great way to introduce basic math concepts and improve their spatial awareness.
Therefore, this seemingly simple craft activity is a practical way to engage children in learning while also enhancing their motor skills and cognitive development.
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More Easy Preschool Turkey Crafts
Turkey crafts hold a unique charm for preschoolers mainly because these craft projects are designed in a way that they are simple enough for small hands to do. Yet, they are engaging enough to spark kids’ creativity and sense of achievement.
They also provide a fun and tactile way for little ones to learn about colors, shapes, and textures while improving their fine motor skills. Here are some more turkey craft ideas that are equally fun, educational, and perfect for this time of year.
- T is for Turkey Craft
- Printable Turkey Craft
- Turkey Coffee Filter Craft
- Coffee Filter Paper Cup Turkey Craft
- Turkey Popsicle Stick Craft
Turkey Books for Kids
Including themed books in a turkey unit for young children offers an immersive learning experience and cultivates their interest in the topic.
Crafts serve as a fantastic book extension activity, enabling children to consolidate and represent their understanding in a hands-on, creative manner.
Here are four popular books about turkeys that can be paired with our crafts:
Turkey Trouble10 Fat TurkeysA Plump and Perky TurkeyRun, Turkey, Run!
“Turkey Trouble” by Wendi Silvano: With Thanksgiving approaching and turkey on the menu, the protagonist of our story, Turkey, must resort to ingenious disguises to avoid ending up as the main course. This humorous and engaging tale is sure to captivate kids and incite discussions about problem-solving and resilience.
“Run, Turkey, Run!” by Diane Mayr: This lively tale of a turkey’s attempt to escape a farmer before Thanksgiving is an exciting read that keeps children on the edge of their seat while also teaching them about determinations and quick-thinking.
“A Plump and Perky Turkey” by Teresa Bateman: The townsfolk of Squawk Valley need a turkey for their Thanksgiving feast. How do they lure one into town? This book is not only a fun story, it’s also a great opportunity to talk about persuasion and creativity.
“10 Fat Turkeys” by Tony Johnston: This fun, rhyming counting book about ten turkeys teaches children about numbers and counting in a light-hearted and engaging way. The silly illustrations and funny storyline make it an excellent choice for a laughter-filled reading time.
Paper Turkey Craft Supplies
This low mess craft activity is simple to make and only requires a few items. You will need brown construction paper for the body, which provides a sturdy base for your creation.
Assorted colors of construction paper can be used for the feathers and facial features, allowing for endless creativity. Googly eyes are optional, but they add a cute and playful touch to your craft.
To assemble everything, you can use liquid glue or glue sticks. Glue sticks are recommended as they are less messy and easier for kids to handle.
Finally, make sure to use kid-safe scissors to ensure a safe and enjoyable crafting experience.
Shop some of my favorite craft supplies on Amazon!
How to Make a Paper Turkey Craft
Start by drawing or tracing a large circle on brown paper for the turkey’s body. I traced around a small bowl to make a circle that is about 5.5 inches across.
Cut at least six strips of paper in a variety of colors. The paper strips should be about one inch wide and about 8 inches long.
This can be a great opportunity for kids to practice using a ruler to measure and draw straight lines.
Use yellow or orange paper to cut out a triangle for the beak. Also cut out a thin oval shape from red paper to make the turkey’s snood.
Glue one end of the paper strips along the edge of the brown circle. Next, use the strip of paper to create a loop and glue that end down.
Another way to make the feathers is to glue the ends together first, creating the loop, then attaching the ends to the back of the turkey.
The add the beak, snood, and eyes to the center to create the turkey’s face. I like how the plastic googly eyes look, but you could also use paper eyes or draw your own.
Ways to Use this Paper Turkey Craft
This versatile paper turkey craft can be tailored to numerous preschool or kindergarten learning activities.
For instance, you could write numbers or letters on the paper strips, encouraging children to arrange them in the correct order as they attach them to their turkey – a fun, interactive way to reinforce their knowledge of sequences.
The craft can also double as a shape lesson, where you identify the different shapes that are cut out and used to create the turkey.
To practice counting, assign a number to each turkey and let the children add the corresponding number of feathers.
The story-telling aspect comes into play when children are asked to narrate a story about their turkey, supporting creativity and language development.
In essence, this simple craft can be a powerful educational tool, making learning an enjoyable process for young minds.
Fun Thanksgiving Activities for Kids
As Thanksgiving approaches, there are numerous fall activities for children to enjoy at home or school. These Thanksgiving do a dot printables are a nice quiet activity kids can work on.
Our simple Gratitude Thanksgiving Game is a wonderful way to introduce the concept of thankfulness to children. It’s a delightful, interactive activity that encourages kids to express what they are grateful for, fostering a sense of appreciation and positivity.
Plan an afternoon full of fun learning with these How to Catch a Turkey activities. There are several worksheets to help practice early math and literacy skills. They are perfect to use after reading the book and crafting turkeys!
This collection of fall Minute to Win It games which features several turkey-themed challenges. These games will keep the little ones entertained and engaged, while promoting friendly competition among friends and family.
Additionally, we have Thanksgiving Pictionary and Thanksgiving Charades, which are classic party games with a holiday twist. Witness children’s creativity and imagination as they depict everything from a cornucopia to carving a turkey.
These activities not only bring laughter and joy but also provide a fun and educational way to learn about the holiday.
More Thanksgiving Craft Ideas for Kids
There are plenty more arts and crafts ideas that can keep little hands busy and minds engaged throughout November.
It’s a wonderful time to let their creativity shine and create unique mementos to mark the start of the holiday season. From colorful wreaths to handprint turkeys, there are endless possibilities for Thanksgiving-themed crafts.
- Parts of a Pumpkin Craft
- Thankful Turkey Hat
- Tissue Paper Leaf Craft
- Turkey Toilet Paper Roll Craft
- 3D Coffee Filter Pumpkin Craft
As the Thanksgiving season approaches, it presents a wonderful opportunity for children to express their creativity through a variety of crafts.
The simple paper turkey craft serves as an engaging, educational activity that not only hones their fine motor skills but also brings a sense of accomplishment and joy.
Paper Turkey Craft
This simple paper turkey craft with colorful feathers is the perfect Thanksgiving craft for preschoolers and kindergartners to make.
Materials
- Construction Paper in Assorted Colors
- 2 Googly Eyes (optional)
- Glue
Tools
- Scissors
Instructions
- To begin, start by drawing or tracing a large circle on brown paper to serve as the turkey's body. For a circle of approximately 5.5 inches in diameter, I recommend tracing around a small bowl.
- Next, cut several strips of paper in various colors. Each strip should be about one inch wide and approximately 8 inches long. This presents a wonderful opportunity for children to practice using a ruler to measure and draw straight lines.
- Using yellow or orange paper, cut out a triangular shape for the beak.
- Also, cut a thin oval from red paper to create the turkey's snood.
- Begin assembling the feathers by gluing one end of each paper strip along the edge of the brown circle.
- Then, take each strip and create a loop, securing it with glue. Alternatively, you can first glue the ends of the strips together to form loops and then attach them to the back of the turkey.
- To complete the turkey's face, attach the beak, snood, and eyes to the center. I find that plastic googly eyes add a charming touch, but you can also use paper eyes or draw your own.
- Enjoy this creative activity and let your imagination soar!
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Darcy is the founder of “Life With Darcy and Brian,” where she combines her love for education, board games, and crafting to create engaging learning experiences for kids. Her creative projects and writing have been featured in outlets like The Toy Insider, CafeMom, Mom.com, Parents.com, Country Living, and The Pioneer Woman.