Last Updated on September 25, 2021 by Sheryl Cooper
Inside: This toddler turkey craft can be adapted for younger and older toddlers, and even preschoolers. A fun way to work fine motor skills during the Thanksgiving theme.
Every year I love doing a different turkey craft.
We’ve done them with tissue paper circles and popsicle sticks, coffee filters and pipettes, as well as different sizes of construction paper circles.
This year, as I was putting together ideas for a toddler turkey craft, I decided to try using doll pegs, watercolors and bright feathers.
Lots of colorful fun!
Easy Toddler Turkey Craft with Watercolors and Feathers
What we used:
Something red for the wattler (paint, marker, crayon, etc.)
Getting started:
I did this toddler turkey craft in 3 steps, since their attention spans are short and it works better to let the craft completely dry in between stages.
Step 1: Paint the Body
For this part of the activity I poured the brown paint into shallow containers and added paintbrushes.
I gave each child 1 doll peg clothespin to paint brown.
Working in 3-D like this offers new challenges to toddlers. How will the paint get all around the clothespin?
Then, once they figure out how to hold the clothespin, how to they maneuver it so that they get the paint all around it?
When the clothespins are painted, let them dry completely.
Step 2: Paint the Circle
Our toddlers love to use watercolors, so I try to add it to a lot of our art, including this activity.
I let them use whatever colors they wanted. If you are going after a brighter look, only give them those colors to use.
Step 3: Adding the Details
Once the watercolors on the circles are dry, it’s time to add the details.
Because I was standing right there, and my toddlers have had experience with this, I let them squeeze their own glue onto their circles.
An alternative would be to give them shallow containers of glue that they could brush onto their circles.
The feathers and the body (clothespin painted brown) were then pressed into the glue.
We then added wiggly eyes to give these turkeys some personality. (Wiggly eyes do it every time!)
As our children were pressing the feathers onto their turkeys, they were commented on their colors. Don’t we just love when that happens?
We then took some red paint to add the wattler.
Once they are completely dry, we hung them on our wall as an addition to our Thanksgiving theme.
How you could adapt this for older children:
Trace a circle on the diffusing paper and let them cut it out.
Use larger feathers, one for each color of the rainbow, and place them in rainbow order around the turkey’s body.
Create a collage look, using buttons, sequins, and other small pieces.
Glue the entire turkey onto a sheet of construction paper and write what the child is thankful for below the turkey.
More Thanksgiving activities:
Thanksgiving (Fall) Watercolor Leaves
Simple Thanksgiving Art Using Cookie Cutters
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