The turkeys are hatching a plan to stay off the dinner table by donning clever disguises! They have decided to dress up as gumball machines, hoping their bright, candy-colored disguises will keep them safe from anyone with turkey on the menu!

Kids can help the turkeys out by dressing them up in this colorful gumball machine turkey disguise. This fun project will have little ones excited to pick out and glue “gumballs” to make their turkey unique and safely hidden in plain sight!

If you’re looking for even more ways to keep turkeys safe this Thanksgiving, check out our collection of turkey disguise project ideas.

Gumball Disguise A Turkey Printable

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This activity is perfect for children to tap into their creativity while practicing essential skills like cutting, gluing, and color recognition. It’s a cute, hands-on way to let kids exercise their imagination and problem-solving skills while preparing for Thanksgiving in a fun and creative way.

Our free template will help you easily disguise this gumball machine. It’s a fun project you and your child will enjoy doing together!

Supplies

• Colored cardstock or construction paper
• Glue stick
• Scissors
• Small pom poms
• Gumball machine turkey template (unlock the image to go to the download page)

Directions

Start by downloading the template and printing it out. Once the template is printed, gather the materials for this fun activity. Get those scissors ready, and let’s help the kids bring the turkey to life!

First, guide your child to glue the eyes below the eyebrows.

Next, glue the snood below the eyes.

Place the beak on the snood and glue it down.

Now, help your child glue the gumball top to the top portion of the head.

Position the gumball machine body on the back and bottom portion of the head and glue it in place.

Glue the dispenser to the center of the body.

Glue the know to the empty part of the dispenser.

Next, glue the feet on the bottom portion of the body.

Take the colored feathers and glue them in a fan shape along the back of the turkey.

Finally, encourage your child to glue the gumballs around the head.

Be sure to check out our Thanksgiving crafts while you’re here! There are so many fun ideas!

Fun Paper Plate Pilgrim Craft

Thanksgiving Ideas Kids Will Love

Looking for fun Thanksgiving ideas that kids will love? We’ve gathered a collection of hands-on projects and engaging activities perfect for keeping little ones busy and learning all November!

These ideas are designed to bring out kids’ creativity, encourage curiosity, and help them get into the Thanksgiving spirit. Read on below for holiday book recommendations, DIY crafts, and educational activities that will get kids excited to learn.

Thanksgiving Books For Kids

Below are some of the top Thanksgiving books for kids!

Turkey Trouble – If you’ve never read this book, you have to add it to your holiday collection! It’s so cute and fun and kids just love it! Follow the turkey around the farm as he disguises himself as different animals so the farmer doesn’t catch him for Thanksgiving dinner!

How To Catch A Turkey – Kids who love the How To Catch books will want to see all the crazy contraptions kids make to try to catch a turkey loose at the school!

Pete The Cat: The First Thanksgiving -Every Pete the Cat book is fantastic, but this one takes it up a notch with flaps for the kids to open. It’s a great way to get the kids excited about reading and Thanksgiving!

Printable Thanksgiving Crafts

Bee Turkey Craft – Give Mr. Turkey some buzz worthy protection to avoid being Thanksgiving dinner! Kids will love helping the turkey dodge dinnertime by dressing him up as an adorable bee. This bee disguise will keep him safe and flying free from the feast!

Related: Thanksgiving Do A Dot

Turkey Photo Craft – Turn your little one into the star of Thanksgiving with this adorable turkey! Kids can add a photo of their face and watch their turkey come to life with cute accordion legs and plenty of personality. This personalized project is sure to be a holiday hit!

Elephant Turkey Craft – Help your turkey stay safe with a jumbo sized disguise! Kids will help turn their turkey into an elephant with big ears and a long trunk. It’s a clever way to keep your turkey from becoming part of the Thanksgiving feast!

Pilgrim Puppet Craft – Kids will love making their own boy or girl pilgrim puppet out of a paper bag! These fun puppets are perfect for imaginative play and bringing a bit of history to life this holiday!

Free Thanksgiving Printables

Kids can go on a gobble-tastic Thanksgiving adventure with our How to Catch a Turkey activities! These book companion printables combine reading with playful learning to build fine motor skills and letter recognition and boost imaginations.

Kids will be excited to get right into the turkey catching fun, stay entertained, and learn along the way. Hit print for activities, grab the book, and watch the holiday excitement unfold as they join in on the turkey chasing action!

Bring some festive fun to learning with our Thanksgiving worksheets! These printables let kids practice letter recognition, patterns, and handwriting all with a Thanksgiving twist!

Try this Torn Paper Turkey Craft

Kids will navigate a C is for cornucopia letter maze, solve seasonal patterns, and practice writing the letter T for turkey. They’re sure to keep kids engaged and in the Thanksgiving spirit either at home or in the classroom.

Add a splash of Thanksgiving fun to learning with these playful turkey worksheets! Preschoolers and kindergarteners will cover the letter T, handwriting practice, and even a turkey labeling activity.

No prep is required – just download, print, and let the learning start! Kids will stay engaged, practice key skills, and enjoy a gobble-worthy educational time.

These pilgrim worksheets for preschoolers are bright and cheerful activities that help kids practice essential skills like letter tracing, number recognition, and pattern completion.

Toilet Paper Roll Pilgrim Craft

From filling in missing numbers to matching shadows, each activity is a fun and engaging way to boost fine motor skills and creativity. These printables are great to use at home or in the classroom, so check them out and watch your little one’s skills grow while they have fun this Thanksgiving!

Share With Us

Did you make this activity with your kids or students? We’d love to feature them on our social media!

For a chance to have your child’s project featured, simply snap a picture of the completed project and post it to our Facebook page, email it to us directly by clicking here, or use #simpleeverydaymom on your social media!

More Thanksgiving Ideas

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