It’s time to gather the little ones for a festive, hands-on activity! Get those little turkeys ready for the holiday with a fun and easy project that will keep them entertained and engaged.
This Thanksgiving, have kids create a paper strip turkey craft with colorful loops of paper for the tail feathers!
For even more feathered fun, explore our other turkey activities for kids that will get them excited for the upcoming holiday and keep them busy learning and having fun.
Easy Paper Turkey Craft
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They’ll love seeing their turkey take shape, and you’ll love how this activity helps develop fine motor skills, color recognition, and even early counting as they assemble each feather. Their finished turkeys will make adorable Thanksgiving decorations and a sweet memory of their holiday creativity!
Grab our free template, gather a few basic supplies, and let the creative fun begin. This cute turkey craft will be a wonderful addition to your Thanksgiving festivities!
Supplies
- Colored cardstock or construction paper
- Glue stick
- Scissors
- Stapler
- Marker
- 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 in the center of the head.
Next, glue the snood below the eyes.
Place the beak on the snood and glue it down.
Now, help your child glue the belly to the center of the lower body.
Draw the eyebrows on top of the eyes.
Glue the feet to the bottom and back of the body.
Fold both ends of the paper together and use a stapler, glue, or tape to join the two ends together.
Finally, encourage your child to glue the paper strips on the back of the turkey’s body in a fan shape.
Be sure to check out our Thanksgiving crafts while you’re here! There are so many fun ideas!
Cute Pilgrim Photo Craft
Thanksgiving Ideas For Kids
Looking for more Thanksgiving ideas to keep the little ones engaged and learning during November? We have a wonderful collection of hands-on projects and activities perfect for incorporating the holiday into fun and learning!
Find new holiday books and DIY projects to spark their curiosity and creativity. Read on for ideas to fill their Thanksgiving break with activities they’ll love, and be sure to save your favorites for a holiday full of festive fun!
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!
Cool Thanksgiving Crafts
Turkey Craftivity – This Thanksgiving, kids can make a cute keepsake as they work on fine motor, scissor, and handwriting skills. They can make a turkey either holding a note of thankfulness or their favorite part of Thanksgiving. Perfect for classrooms or homeschool fun!
Related: Thanksgiving Pattern Block Mats
Thankful Turkey Craft – Transform an oatmeal container into a thankful turkey this Thanksgiving! Kids will love adding their personal touch by writing what they’re thankful for on each colorful tail feather. It’s a fun, hands-on way to reflect on gratitude and create a memorable holiday keepsake!
Pig Turkey Disguise – Help Mr. Turkey escape becoming dinner by giving him a clever piggy disguise! Kids will have a blast crafting this funny, undercover turkey. It’s a playful way to spark creativity and add some laughs this holiday!
There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Turkey Craft – Kids can bring this quirky character to life with this hands-on book companion activity! It’s an engaging way for kids to extend the fun of the book and get creative.
Thanksgiving Printables For Kids
Your little ones will gobble up the fun with our roll a turkey printable game! As they roll the dice to fill in their turkey’s colorful feathers, they’ll be practicing counting, color recognition, and a bit of patience, too.
Just print the game, grab some dice, and see which feather gets filled in next. It’s the perfect blend of holiday fun and educational play!
If you’re on the hunt for another fun idea to add to your list of Thanksgiving activities to do with the kids, download these free printable turkey coloring pages! Kids will spark their creativity and have a blast coloring in these four different turkey illustrations.
Try this Turkey Headband Craft
Coloring is a favorite activity of many and it even helps develop fine motor skills, boosts creativity, and enhances language skills as they chat about their colorful creations!
Get ready for giggles and holiday cheer with our pin the beak on the turkey game! It’ll be a great addition to your Thanksgiving get together or a fun activity with the kids. It’s a holiday twist on the classic favorite, and it’s sure to be a hit!
Watch as little ones take turns blindfolded, spinning around before trying to pin the beak on the turkey’s face. It’s a hilarious way to bring everyone together, create lasting memories, and enjoy some Thanksgiving fun!
Grab the scissors for some snipping fun with these Thanksgiving cutting practice worksheets! This free printable activity is perfect for keeping kids engaged over the holiday break. Your little ones can practice their cutting skills while exploring Thanksgiving themed images with these worksheets.
Each page features dotted lines for easy guided cutting, and helps kids develop hand-eye coordination and dexterity. If they’re not quite ready for scissors, they can trace along the lines instead!
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
Paper Strip Turkey Craft
This Thanksgiving, have kids create a paper strip turkey craft with colorful loops of paper for the tail feathers!
Materials
- Colored cardstock or construction paper
- Glue stick
- Scissors
- Stapler
- Marker
- Turkey template
Instructions
- Download the turkey template, print it, and cut out the pieces.
- Begin by gluing the eyes in the center of the face.
- Next, glue the snood below the eyes.
- Place the beak on the snood and glue it down.
- Now, glue the belly to the center of the lower body.
- Draw the eyebrows on top of the eyes.
- Attach and glue the feet to the back and bottom portion of the body.
- Fold both ends of the paper together and use a stapler, tape, or glue to join the two ends together.
- Finish off by gluing the paper strip to the back of the turkey’s body in a fan shape.
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Sam is the crafter and founder of Simple Everyday Mom. She has been featured in Oprah Mag, Good Housekeeping, The Spruce Crafts, Country Living, The Bump and more. Read more.
Lawanda Harris
Sunday 24th of November 2024
Please send template for the turkey, thanks
Sam
Monday 25th of November 2024
Hi! To access the template, please follow these steps: 1. Locate Locked Image: Look for the “Click To Unlock!” button on the locked image. The image will be located under the subheading that starts with “Get Your….By Signing Up or Logging In” 2. Sign Up or Log In: Click the button to create a free SEM+ account or log in if you already have one. 3. Access Content: Once logged in, the image will be unlocked. Click it to go to the download page.
Christina
Monday 18th of November 2024
Cute
Sam
Tuesday 19th of November 2024
Aw, thank you! So glad you think it’s cute!