Looking for fun and easy turkey crafts and activities for kids? This collection of 15 adorable turkey crafts, free printables, and hands-on learning activities are perfect for preschool, kindergarten, and elementary-aged children this Thanksgiving!
Turkey Crafts and Activities for Kids
Gobble, gobble! 🦃 Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and I’ve rounded up all of our favorite turkey crafts and activities for kids in one place!
From colorful paint splat turkeys and torn paper crafts to alphabet matching games, name crafts, and free Thanksgiving printables, there’s something here for every little learner.
These easy turkey activities are perfect for classroom art projects, preschool centers, Thanksgiving parties, homeschool lessons, and screen-free fun at home.
Many of these projects also include free printable templates to make preparing your activities even easier.
So, grab some construction paper, paint, crayons, and glue, and get ready for some turkey-themed fun!
Easy Turkey Crafts for Preschool and Kindergarten
These adorable turkey crafts are some of my favorite ways to celebrate Thanksgiving with little learners.
From painting and stamping to tearing paper and gluing colorful feathers, each project gives children an opportunity to get creative while practicing important fine motor skills.
1. Fork Painted Turkey Craft
Our fork painted turkey craft is a colorful Thanksgiving process art activity that preschoolers and kindergarteners will love!
Children use an ordinary plastic fork dipped in washable tempera paint to create bright, textured turkey feathers. Once the paint dries, they add a turkey body, googly eyes, a beak, and a wattle to finish their adorable creation.
I especially love how every turkey turns out a little differently depending on the colors children choose and how they apply their paint.
Skills practiced: Fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, creativity, and color recognition.
👉 See the full Fork Painted Turkey Craft tutorial.
2. Torn Paper Turkey Craft
This torn paper turkey craft is a wonderful Thanksgiving activity for strengthening little hand muscles!
Children tear colorful construction paper into small pieces and glue them onto the wide rainbow-shaped bands of our free printable feather template.
Once the colorful feathers are complete, they color, cut out, and attach their turkey body.
The finished craft makes an adorable Thanksgiving bulletin board display, and no two turkeys will look exactly alike!
Skills practiced: Fine motor strength, bilateral coordination, scissor skills, and color recognition.
👉 See the full Torn Paper Turkey Craft tutorial.
3. Paint Splat Turkey Craft
If your little learners love painting, this paint splat turkey craft is sure to be a hit!
Using tempera paint and a spoon, children create colorful splats that become their turkey’s feathers.
Once the paint is dry, they use our free turkey template to add the body, beak, wattle, and eyes.
This is such a fun way to explore process art because children get to experiment with paint while creating their own one-of-a-kind Thanksgiving turkey.
Skills practiced: Hand-eye coordination, creativity, fine motor skills, and color exploration.
👉 See the full Paint Splat Turkey Craft tutorial.
4. Toilet Paper Roll Stamped Turkey Craft
Save those empty cardboard tubes! This toilet paper roll stamped turkey craft turns an everyday recyclable into a fun Thanksgiving painting tool.
Children dip a cardboard roll into colorful tempera paint and stamp it onto paper to create their turkey’s feathers.
Then, they add the turkey body and facial features using our free printable template.
I love this activity for preschool classrooms because the stamping process is simple, engaging, and gives little learners plenty of opportunities to experiment with color.
Skills practiced: Fine motor control, hand-eye coordination, creativity, and color recognition.
👉 See the full Toilet Paper Roll Stamped Turkey Craft tutorial.
5. Fall Leaf Turkey Craft
Bring a little creativity into your Thanksgiving celebrations with our fall leaf turkey craft.
Children use colorful autumn leaves to create a beautiful fan of turkey feathers.
Then, they add a brown turkey body and finish their craft with eyes, a beak, and a wattle.
This is a particularly fun craft to pair with a classroom discussion about changing leaves and autumn colors.
Skills practiced: Fine motor skills, creativity, color recognition, and hand-eye coordination.
👉 See the full Fall Leaf Turkey Craft tutorial.
6. Turkey Handprint Craft
There’s something extra special about handprint crafts, and this turkey handprint craft makes a sweet Thanksgiving keepsake.
Children trace their hands onto cardstock, paint the handprints brown, and glue colorful craft feathers onto the fingers.
Add a googly eye, beak details, and feet to transform the handprint into an adorable turkey.
This is a wonderful project for younger children and makes a lovely keepsake to send home to families before Thanksgiving break.
Skills practiced: Fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination, creativity, and sensory exploration.
👉 See the full Turkey Handprint Craft tutorial.
7. Paper Plate Turkey Craft
Paper plate crafts are always a favorite in preschool and kindergarten classrooms!
Our paper plate turkey craft is an easy Thanksgiving art project that turns a simple paper plate into an adorable turkey.
It’s a fun choice for classroom craft time, Thanksgiving parties, or a quiet afternoon of creating at home.
I especially love paper plate crafts because they’re inexpensive and easy to prepare for groups of children.
Skills practiced: Fine motor coordination, creativity, and following directions.
👉 See the full Paper Plate Turkey Craft tutorial.
8. Easy Paper Bag Turkey Craft
This easy paper bag turkey craft is another adorable Thanksgiving project for little learners.
Using a simple paper lunch bag and basic craft supplies, children can create their very own festive turkey.
It’s a great option for Thanksgiving classroom parties, preschool craft time, or a fun afternoon activity at home.
Skills practiced: Fine motor skills, creativity, and hand-eye coordination.
👉 See the full Paper Bag Turkey Craft tutorial.
9. Wood Slice Turkey Craft
Looking for a Thanksgiving craft that’s a little different from traditional paper projects?
Our wood slice turkey craft uses a small wood slice, colorful faux fall leaves, googly eyes, and construction paper to make an adorable turkey decoration.
Children glue autumn leaves behind the wood slice to create feathers before adding the turkey’s facial features and feet.
The finished turkey makes a cute seasonal decoration that families can display throughout November.
Skills practiced: Fine motor coordination, creativity, and hand-eye coordination.
👉 See the full Wood Slice Turkey Craft tutorial.
Turkey Learning Activities for Preschool and Kindergarten
Turkey crafts are lots of fun, but I also love incorporating a little learning into our Thanksgiving activities!
These next ideas are perfect for preschool literacy centers, kindergarten morning work, small-group activities, and hands-on learning at home.
10. Turkey Name Craft
Make name recognition practice a little more festive with our turkey name craft!
This adorable Thanksgiving activity combines crafting with early literacy practice as children create their own personalized turkey.
It’s a fun way to help preschoolers and kindergarteners become more familiar with the letters in their names while making something they can proudly display.
These personalized turkeys would also make a cute November classroom bulletin board.
Skills practiced: Name recognition, letter identification, fine motor skills, and letter sequencing.
👉 See the full Turkey Name Craft tutorial.
11. Thanksgiving Alphabet Matching Game
Our Thanksgiving alphabet matching game is a fun, hands-on way to practice uppercase and lowercase letter recognition.
Children match corresponding letters while enjoying a festive Thanksgiving-themed activity.
I love using printable matching games in preschool and kindergarten because they can easily be adapted for independent work, partner activities, or small-group instruction.
Print the cards on cardstock, laminate them for durability, and store them in a small container to create a reusable November literacy center.
Skills practiced: Alphabet recognition, uppercase and lowercase matching, visual discrimination, and early literacy.
👉 Download our Thanksgiving Alphabet Matching Game.
12. Turkey Color by Number
Practice number recognition while creating a colorful Thanksgiving picture with our turkey color by number printable.
Children use the color key to identify numbers and color the corresponding sections of their turkey.
This simple, no-prep activity is perfect for kindergarten morning work, independent learning, early finishers, or a quiet Thanksgiving activity at home.
Skills practiced: Number recognition, color matching, following directions, and fine motor control.
👉 Get the Turkey Color by Number printable.
Free Printable Turkey and Thanksgiving Activities
Need something quick and easy that doesn’t require gathering a bunch of craft supplies?
These free Thanksgiving printables are perfect for keeping little hands busy during November.
They’re especially handy for classroom parties, early finishers, Thanksgiving dinner, and those moments when you need a simple screen-free activity.
13. Thanksgiving Thankful Turkey Printable
Encourage children to think about gratitude with our Thanksgiving thankful turkey printable.
This sweet Thanksgiving activity invites children to write the things they’re thankful for.
It’s a wonderful way to start conversations about family, friendship, kindness, and appreciation.
You can also use the completed turkeys to create a meaningful classroom gratitude display during November.
Skills practiced: Gratitude, self-expression, writing, and fine motor skills.
👉 Get the Thankful Turkey Printable.
14. Printable Thanksgiving Placemats for Kids
Keep little hands busy while everyone waits for Thanksgiving dinner with our printable Thanksgiving placemats.
These festive activity placemats include fun Thanksgiving-themed coloring and activities that children can enjoy right at the table.
Simply print a placemat for each child, set out a few crayons, and you’ve got an easy screen-free activity that requires very little preparation.
They’re also a great addition to classroom Thanksgiving celebrations and Friendsgiving parties.
Skills practiced: Fine motor skills, creativity, problem-solving, and independent play.
👉 Get the Printable Thanksgiving Placemats.
15. Thanksgiving Coloring Pages
Sometimes a simple coloring activity is exactly what you need!
Our Thanksgiving coloring pages are a fun and easy way to celebrate the holiday with preschoolers, kindergarteners, and elementary-aged children.
Print a few favorites and add them to your November morning tubs, classroom art center, or Thanksgiving activity table.
They’re also perfect for keeping children entertained while Thanksgiving dinner is being prepared.
Skills practiced: Fine motor control, pencil grip, creativity, and concentration.
👉 Get the Free Thanksgiving Coloring Pages.
Fun Ways to Use These Turkey Crafts and Activities
There are so many ways to incorporate these turkey crafts and activities into your Thanksgiving celebrations!
Here are a few of my favorite ideas:
- 🦃 November classroom bulletin board: Display colorful fork painted, torn paper, and paint splat turkeys under a fun title like “Gobble Up Some Creativity!”
- 🎨 Thanksgiving process art station: Set up different painting tools so children can experiment with fork painting, cardboard tube stamping, and paint splatting.
- 🔤 Thanksgiving literacy center: Combine the turkey name craft and Thanksgiving alphabet matching game for hands-on letter recognition practice.
- ✂️ Fine motor activity station: Use torn paper turkeys, handprint crafts, and coloring pages to give little hands extra practice.
- 🍂 Fall nature theme: Pair the fall leaf turkey craft with a nature walk and a discussion about autumn leaves.
- ❤️ Gratitude activity: Invite children to complete a thankful turkey and share something they’re grateful for.
- 🖍️ Thanksgiving kids’ table: Print coloring pages, color-by-number worksheets, and Thanksgiving placemats to keep children entertained during family gatherings.
Favorite Turkey Books to Pair With These Activities
One of my favorite ways to make a craft activity even more meaningful is to pair it with a good picture book.
Whether you’re planning a Thanksgiving classroom read-aloud or a little storytime at home, these turkey-themed books are wonderful companions for our crafts and activities.
How to Catch a Turkey by Adam Wallace
A silly, action-packed Thanksgiving story about a turkey on the loose at school. I love pairing How To Catch A Turkey with our fork painted turkey craft or toilet paper roll stamped turkey craft.
Turkey Trouble by Wendi Silvano
Turkey is determined not to become Thanksgiving dinner, so he comes up with some very creative disguises! Turkey Trouble is a fun choice to pair with our turkey name craft or paper bag turkey craft.
10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston
This playful counting story is a great way to incorporate early math skills into Thanksgiving storytime. Pair 10 Fat Turkeys with our turkey color-by-number printable for extra number recognition practice.
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey! by Lucille Colandro
A silly Thanksgiving read-aloud that preschoolers and kindergarteners will enjoy. Follow reading There Was An Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey with a colorful paint splat turkey or torn paper turkey craft.
A Plump and Perky Turkey by Teresa Bateman
This hilarious Thanksgiving story follows a clever turkey named Pete who manages to outsmart the townspeople trying to catch him for Thanksgiving dinner! With its playful rhymes and funny twists, A Plump and Perky Turkey is a wonderful read-aloud for preschool and kindergarten.
More Thanksgiving and Fall Crafts for Kids
Looking for even more fun and easy activities to keep little hands busy this fall?
I’ve got plenty of other seasonal crafts, free printables, and learning activities you might enjoy!
- Thanksgiving Crafts and Activities for Kids – A big collection of Thanksgiving crafts, games, printable activities, and learning ideas.
- November Crafts and Activities – Fun seasonal projects for preschool, kindergarten, and elementary-aged children.
- Fall Crafts for Kids – A growing collection of autumn crafts, fine motor activities, and free printables.
- Pumpkin Crafts for Kids – Easy pumpkin crafts and creative fall art projects.
- Too Many Pumpkins Crafts and Activities – Fun activities inspired by a favorite fall picture book.
Final Thoughts on These Turkey Crafts and Activities
I hope this collection of turkey crafts and activities gives you plenty of inspiration for Thanksgiving!
Whether you’re making colorful turkeys with paint, practicing letters with a matching game, or encouraging gratitude with a thankful turkey printable, these activities are a fun way to keep little hands busy, learning, and creating.
And remember, the best part of crafting with kids isn’t making everything look perfect. It’s giving them the freedom to experiment, get creative, and make something that’s uniquely theirs.
Happy Thanksgiving and happy crafting! 🦃🧡
If you try one of these turkey crafts or activities, I’d love to hear which one was your favorite!
And don’t forget to follow This Tiny Blue House on Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest for even more easy crafts, free printables, and screen-free activities for kids.
