Make a colorful paint splat turkey craft for Thanksgiving! This easy preschool art activity uses tempera paint, a spoon, and our free turkey template.
Paint Splat Turkey Craft
This colorful paint splat turkey craft is a fun and easy Thanksgiving art project for preschoolers and kindergarteners! Using tempera paint, a spoon, and our free turkey template, kids can create adorable Thanksgiving turkeys with bright, messy feathers that are completely unique.
If you’re looking for a fun Thanksgiving craft that lets kids get a little messy while being creative, you’re going to love this one!
Our paint splat turkey craft combines colorful tempera paint with a simple cut-and-paste turkey template to create a Thanksgiving art project that’s perfect for preschool, pre-K, and kindergarten.
Children use a spoon to splat red, orange, and yellow paint onto white cardstock, creating a colorful background that looks just like turkey feathers.
Once the paint dries, they assemble their turkey using our free printable template, adding a brown body, orange beak, red wattle, and googly eyes.
The best part? Every turkey looks different!
Some children will create big, bold splats, while others will make smaller splashes of color. Either way, the finished turkeys are adorable and make a fun addition to a Thanksgiving classroom bulletin board.
Why You’ll Love This Paint Splat Turkey Craft
There are so many reasons to add this easy paint splat turkey craft to your Thanksgiving activities this November.
- 🦃 Easy to make: Our free turkey template makes assembly simple for little hands.
- 🎨 Encourages creativity: Kids can experiment with paint colors, splats, and patterns to create their own colorful turkey feathers.
- ✋ Builds fine motor skills: Scooping paint, controlling a spoon, cutting, and gluing all help strengthen little hands.
- 🍂 Perfect for Thanksgiving: A fun seasonal art activity for preschool, pre-K, kindergarten, and early elementary classrooms.
- ❤️ Every turkey is unique: No two paint splat turkeys will look exactly alike, making them especially fun to display together.
I also love that this paint splat turkey craft combines process art with a simple cut-and-paste activity.
Children get to experiment freely with paint before assembling their finished Thanksgiving turkey.
Supplies You’ll Need
You only need a handful of inexpensive craft supplies to make this colorful Thanksgiving turkey.
- Free printable turkey template including the body, eyes, beak, and wattle – You can get the pdf file at the very bottom of this blog post
- White cardstock
- Construction paper in brown, orange and red
- Red, orange, and yellow washable tempera paint
- Plastic spoon
- Googly eyes (optional)
- Scissors
- Glue stick
- Paper plate or paint tray
A quick tip: I recommend using good quality cardstock instead of regular printer paper for the painting portion of this craft. Cardstock holds up much better to thick tempera paint and is less likely to wrinkle as the paint dries.
How to Make a Paint Splat Turkey Craft
Follow these simple step-by-step instructions to make your own colorful Thanksgiving turkey.
Step 1: Print and Prepare the Turkey Template
Start by downloading and printing our free turkey craft template.
The template includes everything children need to assemble their turkey, including the body, eyes, beak, and wattle.
Cut out the turkey body and trace it onto brown construction paper.
Next, trace the beak onto orange construction paper and the wattle onto red construction paper.
Cut out all the pieces and set them aside.
If you’re making this craft with younger preschoolers, I recommend preparing the smaller pieces ahead of time.
Older children can practice their scissor skills by cutting out the pieces themselves.
Step 2: Prepare Your Paint
Pour small amounts of red, orange, and yellow tempera paint onto a paper plate or paint tray.
Place a sheet of white cardstock on a protected work surface.
Give each child a plastic spoon and show them how to scoop up a little paint.
You don’t need very much paint to create colorful splats!
My tip: Tempera paint works really well for this project because it’s thick enough to create interesting splashes of color without being too watery.
Step 3: Create the Colorful Paint Splat Feathers
Now comes the fun part!
Show children how to scoop a little tempera paint onto their spoon and splat it onto the white cardstock.
Encourage them to experiment with red, orange, and yellow paint, creating colorful splashes across the paper.
They can overlap colors, make big splats, or add smaller splashes to fill in empty spaces.
As the colors mix together, they’ll create a beautiful fall-inspired background that will become their turkey’s feathers.
There is no right or wrong way to do this!
Some children might cover their entire paper in colorful paint, while others might leave more white space.
That’s what makes this Thanksgiving process art activity so much fun.
Important: Encourage children to concentrate most of their paint splats in the upper and middle sections of their paper so the colorful feathers will be visible around the turkey’s body once it’s assembled.
Step 4: Let the Paint Dry Completely
Once children are happy with their colorful paint splats, set their artwork aside to dry.
Depending on how much paint they used, this might take several hours.
Thicker splats of tempera paint will naturally take longer to dry than thinner areas.
I recommend completing the painting portion of this craft in the morning and assembling the turkeys later in the day, or even the following day.
This is also a great opportunity to talk about how the red, orange, and yellow colors blend together to create different shades.
Step 5: Glue on the Turkey Body
Once the paint is completely dry, it’s time to turn those colorful splats into turkey feathers!
Apply glue to the back of the brown construction paper turkey body.
Position it in the center of the painted cardstock, making sure the colorful splats extend around the top and sides of the body.
Press down gently to secure it in place.
The colorful paint splats should now look like a big, beautiful collection of turkey feathers!
Step 6: Add the Eyes, Beak, and Wattle
Now it’s time to give your turkey some personality!
Glue two googly eyes near the top of the turkey’s head.
Next, glue the orange triangle-shaped beak just below the eyes.
Finally, attach the red wattle underneath the beak.
You can use the printable eyes included with our free template instead of googly eyes if you prefer.
And that’s it!
Your adorable paint splat turkey craft is complete and ready to display!
Tips for Making This Turkey Craft With Preschoolers
If you’re planning to make this craft with a group of preschoolers or kindergarteners, here are a few suggestions to make the activity run smoothly.
Prepare the templates ahead of time. Cutting out the turkey bodies and smaller facial features in advance can make this activity much easier for younger children.
Use washable tempera paint. This craft can get messy, so washable paint and a protected work surface are definitely helpful.
Don’t worry about perfect splats. Some children will create big splashes, while others will make smaller marks. Both work beautifully!
Give the paint plenty of time to dry. Thick paint can take longer than expected to dry, so avoid rushing the assembly process.
Let children personalize their turkeys. Different googly eye sizes, feather colors, and beak placements will give every finished turkey its own personality.
Make a Thanksgiving Classroom Bulletin Board
One of my favorite things about this turkey craft is how cute the finished turkeys look displayed together!
Because every child creates their own colorful paint splats, you’ll end up with a collection of Thanksgiving turkeys that are all slightly different.
Mount the completed artwork on a classroom bulletin board or hang the turkeys along a hallway to create a colorful Thanksgiving display.
Here are a few fun bulletin board title ideas:
- 🦃 Gobble Up Our Colorful Creations!
- 🍁 Our Little Turkeys Are Thankful!
- 🎨 A Whole Lot of Turkey Trouble!
- 🧡 We’re Thankful for Our Little Turkeys!
- 🦃 Gobble, Gobble! Look What We Made!
My favorite is “Gobble Up Our Colorful Creations!” because it highlights the bright, messy paint splats that make this craft so much fun.
Download Instructions
Getting your hands on our paint splat turkey craft template is easy. Fill out the form at the bottom of this post and click the “Send Me the Printable” button.
After signing up, check your email to confirm your subscription. You will then be redirected to the printable PDF containing the template.
Already subscribed? No problem! Enter your information in the form again and you’ll be taken directly to the download.
Tip: Be sure to check your spam or promotions folder if you don’t see the email right away.
Still having trouble downloading our paint splat turkey craft template? Check out this step-by-step download guide with images!
Thanksgiving Books to Pair With This Turkey Craft
I love pairing seasonal crafts with picture books, and this colorful paint splat turkey craft is no exception!
Reading a Thanksgiving story before crafting is a great way to introduce the activity and get children excited about making their own turkeys.
Here are a few of my favorite Thanksgiving picture books to pair with this paint splat turkey craft project.
1. How to Catch a Turkey by Adam Wallace
This hilarious Thanksgiving story follows a turkey who’s determined to escape before the school Thanksgiving play.
How to Catch A Turkey is a silly, fast-paced, and always a fun choice for little ones.
After reading, invite children to create their own colorful turkeys using our paint splat technique.
2. Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano
Turkey knows Thanksgiving is coming, and he’s determined not to become dinner!
Children will love seeing all the creative disguises Turkey comes up with.
Turkey Trouble is a great book to read before making turkey crafts because it encourages imagination and creativity.
3. There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey! by Lucille Colandro
If your little ones enjoy the Old Lady books, this Thanksgiving version is a fun addition to your seasonal storytime.
The silly rhymes and colorful illustrations make There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed A Turkey especially entertaining for preschoolers.
4. A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting
This sweet Thanksgiving story follows Mr. and Mrs. Moose as they prepare a special Thanksgiving dinner.
A Turkey For Thanksgiving is a wonderful book about friendship, kindness, and making everyone feel welcome.
5. The Great Turkey Race by Steve Metzger
Three turkeys compete in a series of challenges to see who will become the special Thanksgiving turkey.
The Great Turkey Race is a funny story with a clever ending that makes a great addition to a Thanksgiving read-aloud.
6. Five Silly Turkeys by Salina Yoon
This colorful counting book is especially fun for toddlers and younger preschoolers.
Its simple rhymes and playful turkeys make Five Silly Turkeys a great choice for introducing Thanksgiving-themed activities.
My pick: I’d pair this paint splat turkey craft with How to Catch a Turkey or Turkey Trouble. Both are fun, engaging stories that work especially well with preschool and kindergarten Thanksgiving activities.
More Thanksgiving Crafts and Activities for Kids
Looking for even more Thanksgiving activities to keep little hands busy this November?
Here are some of our favorite easy Thanksgiving crafts, printable activities, and hands-on projects for preschoolers and kindergarteners.
More Turkey Crafts
If your little ones enjoyed making this paint splat turkey, they’ll love these other colorful turkey crafts!
- Fork Painted Turkey Craft – Use a fork and colorful tempera paint to create beautiful turkey feathers. Another fun Thanksgiving process art activity!
- Fall Leaf Turkey Craft – Turn colorful fall leaves into an adorable Thanksgiving turkey with this easy cut-and-paste craft.
- Torn Paper Turkey Craft– Use torn pieces of construction paper to create a silly Turkey craft for Thanksgiving.
- Thankful Turkey Craft – A simple gratitude activity perfect for early elementary kids.
- Turkey Handprint Craft – A sweet Thanksgiving handprint activity that makes an adorable keepsake.
- Turkey Name Craft – Combine Thanksgiving crafting with name recognition and early literacy practice.
Pumpkin and Pumpkin Pie Crafts
Pumpkins and pumpkin pie are another favorite Thanksgiving theme in our house!
These easy crafts are perfect for November art centers, Thanksgiving classroom activities, and seasonal crafting at home.
- 🥧 Torn Paper Pumpkin Pie Craft – Kids tear and glue orange construction paper to create a cute slice of pumpkin pie, complete with a cotton ball whipped cream topping.
- 🧡 Fingerprint Pumpkin Pie Craft – Use little fingerprints to create the pumpkin filling in this adorable paper plate pie craft.
- 🥧 Pumpkin Pie Paper Plate Craft – An easy Thanksgiving art project that turns a simple paper plate into a delicious-looking pumpkin pie.
- ✏️ Pumpkin Pie Name Craft – Practice spelling names while making an adorable Thanksgiving pumpkin pie.
- 🎃 Pumpkin Name Craft – A fun fall name recognition activity that’s perfect for preschool and kindergarten.
- 🍁 Pumpkin Wagon Name Craft – Kids build their names while assembling an adorable wagon filled with pumpkins.
More Fall Crafts and Activities
If you’re looking for activities that work throughout November, these fall favorites are great choices too!
- 🍂 Torn Paper Acorn Craft – A simple fall fine motor activity using torn construction paper.
- 🦔 Mosaic Hedgehog Craft – A colorful cut-and-paste activity that’s perfect for a fall classroom art center.
- 🌳 Torn Paper Fall Tree Craft – Use torn paper to create a beautiful autumn tree while practicing fine motor skills.
- 🍁 Fall Leaf Alphabet Matching Activity – A hands-on literacy activity that helps children match uppercase and lowercase letters.
For even more ideas, be sure to visit our complete collections of Thanksgiving Crafts and Activities, November Crafts and Activities, Fall Crafts for Kids or Crafts and Activities to pair with Too Many Pumpkins by Linda White.
Final Thoughts
This paint splat turkey craft is such a fun way to combine messy process art with a simple Thanksgiving cut-and-paste activity.
With just a spoon, a little tempera paint, and our free turkey template, children can create colorful Thanksgiving turkeys that are full of personality.
Whether you’re planning a Thanksgiving classroom art project, setting up a preschool craft center, or looking for an easy November activity to make at home, this turkey craft is a great choice.
Download our free turkey template, grab some paint, and have fun creating your own colorful Thanksgiving turkeys!
Happy crafting! 🦃
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