Category: Turkey

Thanksgiving Inspired Activities

11/24/2013

Gobble, Gobble, Cook Me!

Thanksgiving version of Duck, Duck, Goose. Children sit in a large circle. One child is chosen as the turkey. The turkey walks around the circle in search of a cook who will try to catch him and roast him for Thanksgiving dinner.

The turkey walks around tapping each child on the head and calling each child either "Gobble" or "Cook me!" As long as the turkey says, "Gobble," he or she is safe and continues to stay seated. When the turkey calls "Cook me!," the player tagged must jump up and chase the turkey around the circle.

If the cook catches the turkey, the turkey must go sit in the center of the circle (the roasting pot). If the turkey sits in the cook's spot before the cook tags him, the turkey is safe, and the cook becomes the next turkey.

*Variation: Duck, Duck, Turkey

Turkey Calling Contest

Have children make turkey squawking sounds and act like a turkey with pecking, arm flapping, and wattle walking.

Present each child with an award or prize for different categories such as: most like a turkey, loudest turkey, cutest wattle, etc.

Turkey...Veggie Style

11/24/2013

Read the book A Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman and illustrated by Jeff Shelly.

A very colorful and well illustrated story about a community that pulls together to find a turkey for their Thanksgiving feast. They were not prepared to find a turkey that would outsmart them.

Serve a healthy snack such as vegetables in the shape of a turkey.

Fruit Loop Turkey

11/22/2013

Supplies Needed; Print out of turkey (see below), 2 wiggly eyes, a small construction paper triangle (for beak), and Fruit Loops
Directions; Allow children to glue fruit loops to turkey body. When dry, glue on 2 wiggly eyes and a construction paper beak.

Turkey Finger Puppet

11/22/2013

Supplies Needed; Brown construction paper, Silk Fall Leaves, Wiggly Eyes, Bit of Red and Orange construction paper, Glue, Pencil, Scissors, Paper Pattern

Directions; Make a paper pattern for the turkey body. If you choose to draw your own body; Draw 2 holes near the bottom of the body big enough for fingers to fit through. If you need a pattern, use the pattern below to trace the body shape. Cut it out. Trace the turkey body onto the brown craft paper. Trace the leg holes, too. Cut the turkey out. Cut out the leg holes. Draw a beak on the orange craft paper. Cut it out. Draw a wattle on the red craft paper. Cut it out. Glue the eyes, beak and wattle onto the turkey. Glue on the feathers. Once the glue is dry, or hard, or cool, the turkey is ready to be played with.

The Perfect Thanksgiving

11/20/2013

Read the book: The Perfect Thanksgiving by Eileen Spinelli and illustrated by JoAnn Adinolfi.

A story of two different families and their different Thanksgiving traditions. Despite their vast differences each family has a PERFECT Thanksgiving.

Supplies:

Constructions paper
Markers/colored pencils/crayons
Googly eyes
Glue
Feathers

Directions:
Trace both hands onto a piece of paper.

Have the children use the materials provided to create two different yet perfect turkeys.

Turkey Finger Puppets

11/20/2013

Supplies:

Rubber gloves
Glue
Construction paper
Feathers
Googly eyes
Permanent marker
Scissors

Directions:
Cut fingers off glove at base. Glue eyes, beak, gobbler and feathers onto glove fingertips to create a turkey. Use a permanent marker to draw on legs.

Ol’Tom Turkey Loses Feathers

11/19/2013

Read: “Sometimes It’s Turkey, Sometimes It’s Feathers” by Lorna Balian and Lecia Balian

Instructions; For fun drop feathers every time Ol’ Tom loses his feathers and let the children pick them up when the game is done.

Supplies Needed; Scissors and crayons or markers.

Directions; Have children color and cut out "Tom Turkey" and his feathers. As you recite the poem (posted above). Ask the children to drop the feather as you recite the poem.

Materials needed: Paper plate, fake feathers, glue, construction paper brown, orange and red construction paper, scissors, and wiggly eyes.

Directions: cut one shape the size of an avocado, one shape the size of an egg, one size the shape of a small triangle for the beak. Put the large shape on the plate in the center-bottom vertical. Put the next size on top of this shape for the gobbler. Put the triangle at the top of the egg size shape for a beak. Put the wiggly eyes near the triangle. Or, let the children use these shapes any way they think is nice. Let the children glue on as many feathers as they think a turkey should have.

Snowflake Turkey

11/19/2013

Supplies:

Paper (any kind will work even recycled newspaper or magazine pages)
Scissors
Glue
Googly eyes

Directions:

Cut paper into a circle or trace a circle onto the paper and cut it out. Fold the paper in half. Fold it in half again (it should look like a triangle).

Fold it in half once more.

Cut designs into the paper being sure not to cut straight through the paper and leaving a few folded areas on each side.

Carefully, unfold the paper until you have a half circle. Cut out a turkey body and glue it into the middle of the snowflake semi-circle.

Glue on googly eyes, beak, gobbler, and legs.

Turkey Cookies

11/18/2013

Supplies:

Sugar cookies (store bought or homemade)
Frosting
Various items for decorating: candy corn, chocolate chips, butterscotch chips, licorice, pretzels, etc.
Plastic knife

Directions:

Frost cookie with frosting. Create a turkey with the candies and pretzels.

Some final projects may not look entirely like a turkey do to the turkey parts being sampled prior to finishing the project.

Leaf Turkeys

11/17/2013

Directions:

Glue googly eyes, beak, gobble, and legs onto leaf to create a turkey.

Supplies:

Leaves (real or artificial)
Glue
Googly eyes
Orange triangle beak (construction paper, card stock, or tissue paper)
Red triangle gobble (construction paper, card stock, or tissue paper)
Chenille stems or any other craft supply you find suitable for legs or tweak the stem into legs