TP roll turkey craft
What You Need: 1 toilet paper roll; yellow, orange, and red construction paper; pencil (for tracing); scrap of red paper (for wattle); scrap of orange paper (for beak); 2 googly eyes; glue; scissors.
How to Make It: Trace each family member’s handprint and cut out. Glue, staggered, on top of each other as shown. Glue set to back of toilet paper roll. Cut out wattle and beak (folded or just a triangle) and glue toward top of roll. Glue on eyes.
Thankful turkey craft
What You Need: Large brown construction paper circle; small purple construction paper circle; small purple construction paper rectangle; four or five colorful feather shapes. (You can precut all of these or trace them and have the kids do it.); scrap of orange construction paper; 2 googly eyes; black pipe cleaners; scissors; glue.
How to Make It: Ask child to dictate several things he or she is thankful for. Write them on the pointy oval “feathers.” Child can then assemble the turkey as shown. Bending lengths of pipe cleaner outward makes the feet.
Footprint turkey craft
What You Need: White butcher paper or construction paper; nontoxic brown paint; 2 googly eyes; scrap of orange construction paper; 6 colorful feathers; glue; tape; paintbrush; scissors.
How to Make It: Brush paint onto child’s foot (this generally works a little better than having them step in the paint, but that’s fine, too.) Have child step on white paper without wiggling, and then pull off in one motion. Let dry. Cut out foot shape. Glue on googly eyes and orange triangle beak to heel. Attach feathers to back with glue or tape.
These cute turkeys can double as Thanksgiving place cards!
What You Need: Styrofoam ball; brown tempera paint; feathers (with stiff quills; they’re a little more expensive); wooden “spoon” (sold in the craft aisle, or with your ice cream); 2 googly eyes; red cardstock; office brad; paint brush; scissors; glue.
How You Make It: Paint turkey brown. (Note: It takes awhile to dry. Try setting it on a cup and rotating it from time to time.) Glue googly eyes to top of spoon. Cut wattle from red cardstock (we used a heart-shaped punch) and glue below eyes. Poke spoon “head” into ball about one-third of the way. Poke feathers into styrofoam for plume. You can use an office brad to attach the Styrofoam ball to a piece of cardstock; then write a guest’s name on the cardstock. If you’d rather, an adult can cut off the bottom of the ball so the turkey can sit on its own.
Here’s a twist on the classic handprint Thanksgiving turkey craft. If you’re wondering why the hand in the example is so big, it’s because 3-year-old Alec didn’t feel like getting paint on his hands so Mom used her own, which gives us a chance to remind you to, as always, “enjoy the process,” because the most important thing at craft time is that preschoolers are having fun.
What You Need: Brown washable tempera paint; glue; feathers; googly eye; scrap of red and yellow cardstock or construction paper; full sheet of light-colored construction paper.
How You Make It: Paint hand using brown paint and press onto paper. Once dry, use glue to add feathers to finger areas. Glue on googly eye. Cut out wattle shape or use a heart-shaped paper punch to make one from red paper and glue on. Cut rectangle legs from yellow construction paper and glue on.