How to Make a Thankful Turkey Craft (Two Ways!)
Looking for an easy Thanksgiving craft idea to do with your kids? I’ve got the perfect one! Seriously… If you only do one craft with your kids this fall, this should be the one. This thankful turkey craft is cute, meaningful, and easy… what more could a kind-of-crafty mom ask for?
If you’re not familiar with this cute craft, the premise is this: make a turkey and on each of his feathers, write one thing that you’re thankful for. You can start a thankful turkey tradition with your kids as soon as they’re old enough to speak and tell you things they’re thankful for (or things they love)!
And while I’m not the first one to create a Thanksgiving thankful turkey with my little ones, I’ve got good news for you: I took this easy craft and made it even easier. Which is why today, I’m going to share two different ways that you can create this sweet craft with your little ones!
Also: you can make this activity last for the whole month of November, or you can complete it all at once. Keep reading to find out what we’ve done in our home!
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Thankful turkey craft: DIY edition
The first way to create a thankful turkey: make your own from construction paper!
Here’s what you’ll need to make yours:
- Construction paper
- Markers
- Glue
- Scissors
- Googly eyes
Creating your DIY turkey:
Cut out a turkey body from brown construction paper. This is just the turkey’s head and belly. Don’t overthink it!
Cut out several feathers, too! I like to make the feathers a variety of colors. Start with about ten feathers, and you can always add more.
Finally, cut out a yellow beak, a red waddle, and feet for your turkey.
You can choose to cut eyes from construction paper, or glue on googly eyes!
Thankful turkey craft: Printable edition
The second way to create a thankful turkey is to use a printable thankful turkey template! This takes all the guesswork (and most of the prep work) out of creating your turkey. Just print, cut, and assemble!
To make this turkey, you’ll need:
- Thankful turkey printable
- Glue
- Scissors
- Markers
- Optional: crayons, googly eyes
To create this turkey craft, just choose the template you want to use (large or small, and full color or black & white), print, and cut!
(Added bonus: this printable version is editable in Canva, so if you want, you can type right onto the turkey and feathers. It also comes with a cute writing activity!)
Filling in your thankful turkey craft
Whether you decide to go the DIY route, or to print a ready-made turkey, the fun part is, of course, filling in your turkey!
IN THEORY, you can make this a month-long activity by helping your child write on one feather on November 1 and completing one more feather for every day of the month.
I say “in theory” because, well, we’ve never successfully done it that way. My older daughter, Ella, is always WAY too excited to fill in feathers. At first, I was tempted to tell her that no, we needed to do only one feather a day. But then I realized… why? This kind of activity is meant to be child-led, and there’s no wrong way to do it.
SO, you (and your child) can choose whether to do this activity all at once, over the course of a week or so, or do one feather per day and keep it going all month long.
Whatever you decide, start with one feather, and have your child tell you something they are thankful for.
If you’re doing this project with a young toddler, this concept may feel a little abstract. But that’s okay! Try using words like “Who do you love?”. Then, when your toddler answers “Grandma,” you can say, “Yes! You are thankful for Grandma!”
Depending on your child’s age and abilities, you can write on the feather for them, or they can write themselves. Last year, four-year-old Ella was eager to write on her feathers by herself. Her sweet four-year-old handwriting is one of my favorite things in the world!
Of course, you should feel free to put your own spin on this fun thankful turkey craft and do what works for you and your family (or your classroom).
Looking for more Thanksgiving-inspired learning and fun?
If you’ve got a preschooler at home, you’re going to LOVE this Thanksgiving activity pack!
Also – don’t miss this pumpkin pie sensory bin activity!
And you’ll love getting to disguise a turkey with this fun craft-and-book combo!
And be SURE to check out my list of 40+ Awesome Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids (they’re all soo good)!
Thanksgiving books your kids will love
- Pete the Cat: The First Thanksgiving by Kimberly & James Dean
- Taylor the Tooting Turkey by Humor Heals Us
- Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano
- There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey by Lucille Colandro
- How to Catch a Turkey by Adam Wallace
However you decide to complete this craft, I want to hear about it! I would LOVE if you would comment below or tag me on Instagram and tell me about your thankful turkeys!
