• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

  • Home
  • Start Here
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Printables Terms of Use
  • Subscribe!
  • Printables
    • Free Printables
    • Classroom Organization Printables
    • Circle Time Printable Packets
    • Fall Printable Packets
    • Themed Printable Packets
    • Fine Motor Printable Packets
    • Dramatic Play Printable Packs
    • Literacy and Story Time Printable Packets
    • Color Recognition Printable Packets
    • Winter Printable Packs
    • Spring Printable Packets
  • Preschool
  • Toddlers
  • Lesson Plans
    • Preschool Lesson Plans
    • Toddler Lesson Plans
You are here: Home / Fall Activities / Preschool Turkey Craft that teaches Thankfulness

This post might contain affiliate links. Click here for more information. Thanks for visiting!

Preschool Turkey Craft that teaches Thankfulness

November 14, 2014 by Sheryl Cooper

Share
Pin
Tweet
Email

Inside: Teach thankfulness with this easy preschool turkey craft. Children are asked to share 5 things they are thankful for, and they are added to the craft. Simple and fun!

This year when I planned our easy thankful turkeys craft for preschoolers, I wanted to add some simple counting as well. I’ve done this with several other art projects, such as our ladybug craft.  I love to combine learning domains while doing preschool activities.

This particular activity involved several steps: assembling the turkey, counting the sticks (“feathers”), and then sharing what we are thankful for and writing those on the sticks.

It was spread out during the course of one week while we enjoyed reading books on thankfulness and talking about what we love in our lives.

👉 FREE I am Thankful printable! Scroll down towards end of post for the download.

Preschool Turkey Craft that teaches Thankfulness

 

Thankful Turkeys Craft for Preschoolers

What you will need:

  • colored popsicle sticks
  • colored tissue paper circles
  • orange construction paper
  • brown construction paper
  • googly eyes
  • white glue

 

Prep work:

Cut turkey beaks and feet from orange construction paper. However you want them to look.

 

The process:

Have the children apply glue to brown sheets of construction paper. I love using brayers when applying glue to a large area, and it’s a nice change from brushes.

 

Thankful Turkeys

 

 

 

Once the glue is applied, let the children select what color tissue paper circle they want and have them press it onto the glue.  Add a bit more glue to the top of the tissue paper circle for the eyes and beak. Add the feet to the bottom of the circle. (Although many of our preschoolers wanted the feet on the circle, or below the circle but not touching. I did not correct them, and I certainly did not rearrange them.)

 

 

Thankful Turkeys

 

Thankful Turkeys

 

Thankful Turkeys

Adding some math to the activity:

I made a simple number line with a marker and paper. I drew 5 lines and numbered each from 1 to 5. I asked the preschoolers to place one stick on each line (1:1 correspondence) and count the sticks for me. For some this was easy, and for others it was a challenge. We always have children that are on several different learning levels and that is okay.

 

Thankful Turkeys

 

 

After counting the sticks, have the children place them on the outside of the tissue paper circle. Again, some of the children placed them in different areas and I did not correct them.

 

Thankful Turkeys

 

 

Allow the artwork to dry completely.

 

Thankful Turkeys

 

 

Once dry, the preschoolers added a gobbler by pressing their finger onto a red stamp pad and pressing below the beak. (They don’t show well in these photos, unfortunately.)

Displaying the turkeys:

Thankful Turkeys

After mounting them on slightly larger paper, we hung them in the fellowship hall for our families to see during our Thanksgiving feast.

Thankful Turkeys

Talking about thankfulness:

During this time, we talked about what being thankful means. Often when we also add “what do you love”, this concept is a bit easier for preschoolers to understand. Each of the children shared what they were thankful for during a conversation we had at circle time. I jotted down their answers and wrote them on the turkey’s “feathers” (sticks).

I’ve provided a printable sheet that you can write down their answers. This would be a fun keepsake for their memory books or portfolios!

Click here for the download:

 

Preschool Turkey Craft that teaches Thankfulness

 

These thankful turkeys will be followed by more lessons on giving as we head towards Christmas, such as when we baked bread for someone special in our preschool’s building last year. We are also collecting toys that will be given to local families of farm workers. During a season where we tend to hear all about what we want, it’s important to balance it with giving as well.

 

More fall activities for your children:

 

  • 25 Thanksgiving Craft Ideas

  • Fall Activities Kids Love

  • Fine Motor Activities for Fall

 

And if you want more? Check out my fall Pinterest board!

 

Some favorite fall songs:

Grey Squirrel

The Leaves on the Tree

Scarecrow

Our November playlist:

Preschool Playlist November

Some favorite fall books:

Being Thankful

I’m So Thankful

Biscuit is Thankful

Let’s Be Thankful

 

 

 

 

 

FREE CIRCLE TIME PLANNER!

Get your FREE circle time planner as a gift when you subscribe to my free weekly newsletters.

Here is my Privacy Policy

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.

There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

We won't send you spam. Unsubscribe at any time. Powered by ConvertKit
Share
Pin
Tweet
Email

Filed Under: Art, Fall Activities, preschool Tagged With: art, fall, preschoolers, printable, Thanksgiving

About Sheryl Cooper

Sheryl Cooper is the founder of Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds, a website full of activities for toddlers and preschoolers. She has been teaching this age group for over 20 years and loves to share her passion with teachers, parents, grandparents, and anyone with young children in their lives.

Previous Post: « Easy Colorful Felt Christmas Tree Ornament
Next Post: Easy Gingerbread Ornaments for Preschoolers »

Primary Sidebar

You can also find us here!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Looking for something specific?

Categories

Welcome! I'm Sheryl Cooper, teacher of 2 and 3 year olds for over 22 years. Read more about me here!

More Printables!

preschool printables

Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds is a participant in Amazon Associates.

preschool printables

preschool printables

Privacy Policy

Copyright © 2023 Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds · Privacy Policy