Fold a big piece of paper in half. On one side trace a child's hand print.

Let them color in the body. Add legs, feet, facial features. Glue feathers

on the body for wings. Inside the card print this little poem:

This isn't just a turkey, as anyone can see.

I made it with my hands, which are a part of me.

It comes with lots of love, especially to say,

I hope that you have a very HAPPY THANKSGIVING DAY!

(2) Paper Bag Turkeys

Give each child a brown paper grocery bag. Let them crumble pieces of

newspaper and use them to stuff their bags half full, twist the bags closed

and tie them amount the middle with pieces of yarn. To make the tails for

their paper bag turkeys have the children cut several slits from the top

edges of their bags down to the yarn ties. Let the children use many colors

to choose from to paint their turkey tails. Then give each child a precut

turkey head shape to decorate. Attach the head shapes to the front of each

bag. The turkeys are complete. Take pictures of each child with their new

little turkeys. Put them on your brag board to share with each parent.

(3) Pine Cone Turkeys

Give each child a pine cone, brown playdough and feathers. Have the

children set their pine cone on a piece of their playdough. Let them put

small pieces of playdough on their pine cones and stick feathers into the

playdough. Let dry. These turkeys can be used as a centerpiece for each

child's table at home.

(4) A Turkey Mural

Cut a large turkey shape out of light colored paper and cover with clear

contact paper. Attach the turkey to the bulletin board. Have the children

trace around their hands on construction paper of turkey feather colors.

Help them cut out their hands. Have the children tape the hand shapes to

the back of the turkey to make it's tail.

(5) Napkin Holder Turkey

Take a cereal box or other size box. Cut the top and the sides off of the box.

Then cut the front and the back of the box so you have removed the upper

left 1/4 of the box. Glue yellow felt on the box to cover it. For the turkey

body cut two large circles out of brown felt to fit the front and back of the

box. Glue in place. Cut two head and neck pieces also from brown felt. Glue

them also to the box. Cut eyes or use google eyes cut out a beak and

wattle from colored felt of your choice and glue them on as well. For the tail

glue on feathers. Glue a ribbon on to the turkeys neck. Put in your napkins.

(6) Thankful Turkey Decorations

Cut a large turkey body shape out of construction paper or butcher paper.

Cut feather shapes out of different colored construction paper. Ask each

child to tell you what they are "Thankful for" and write their answers on each

feather. Let the children glue the feathers onto the turkey's body. Use the

Thankful Turkey's as Thanksgiving Decorations in your preschool room.

(7) Paper Back Turkeys

To make the body of the turkey, stuff a paper bag with newspaper. Fold

down the top and staple. Use construction paper to make the head and

feathers. Glue the head and feathers on opposite ends of the bag. Each

child now has a turkey of their own to take home for Thanksgiving dinner!

(8) Turkey Word Game

Write the word "Thanksgiving" down on a card, place on your chalkboard

so each child can view the card. See how many words each child can

make out of the word.

(9) Turkey Hand Puppets

Help each child trace around their hand on a piece of brown construction

paper. Cut out the hand shapes. Have each child use crayons or markers

to color the fingers on their hand shapes like feathers. Then have them

draw turkey faces on the thumbs of their hand shapes. Attach stick handles

to complete the hand puppets. Let your children play with their puppets

while you sing songs or tell stories about turkeys.

(10) My Turkey Song (Sung to I'm a little teapot)

I have a turkey, big and fat.

He spreads his wings (fan hands at hip).

And walks like that. (strut back and forth).

His daily corn he would not miss, (pretend to eat corn).

And when he talks, he sounds like this ( gobble, gobble).

(11) Thankful for Thanksgiving Song (Sung to twinkle, twinkle)

Let's be thankful for this day,

For our friends and for our play,

Let's be thankful, lets be glad,

For the food and things we have,

Let's give thanks for you and me,

And our home and family................

(12) Corn on my cob

Give each child a stiff piece of paper with the outline of a corn on the cob.

Have the children fill the inside with real popcorn kernels or popped popcorn

tinted with different shades of tempera paint. The husks to the corn can be

added by using crepe paper.

(13) Find a turkey foot game

Use small pieces of masking tape to make turkey footprints all over the

floor space. Play music and let the children pretend they are turkeys

strutting all around the room. When ever the music stops, have each child

find a (Turkey footprint) to stand on.

(14) Tape the beak on Mr. Turkey

Draw a turkey (without a beak) on paper. Let the children have fun coloring

the Mr. Turkey. You can laminate your turkey, hang it on the wall and the

children's level. Cut one yellow triangle from a piece of construction paper

for each child. Write each child's name on their beak. Attach tape to the

back of the beak. While the children are standing in line, blindfold the first

child and turn the child around twice (let the children help you count to 2).

Face the child that has the blindfold on towards the turkey and have them

walk towards it and stick their beak on the wall. Whom ever is the closest

to Mr. Turkey's mouth is the "WINNER" and give out stickers for everyone

participating. You can give the turkey to the winner to keep.

(15) Leaf Press

Help the children dip their leaves you just collected from a walk outside,

into paint. Then press the leaves onto paper. Pull off the leaves and there

is a leaf imprint on the paper. Let them do as many pictures as they wish.

Back