One of my favorite classroom projects year after year is our November Turkey in Disguise Project. Each year, I’m amazed by the creativity of families as they work together on this fun assignment. I introduce the project with a letter from Mr. Turkey pleading for help!.
Then, I send home a letter to families, so they know exactly what to expect. I like to be clear about project expectations, the deadline, and all the little details. Plus, I send a blank turkey template on white card stock with the kids so they can start their Turkey in Disguise project right away!
I let parents and students know right away that their Turkey in Disguise is a family project. I don’t want to see mom or dad’s work alone. Families need to work with their children…and include siblings in the process! The more the merrier.
I also encourage families to be as creative as possible. I tell them to look through Pinterest for ideas, but I also tell them to look around them for ideas… popular TV shows, children’s toys, etc.
One year, when Duck Dynasty was very popular, one of my students dressed up as Uncle Si with a turkey. It was one of the funniest and most original Turkey in Disguise projects I’ve ever seen, and the kids voted for it and gave it an award!
The holidays are a magical time for children. Their eyes light up at the twinkling lights, the smell of fresh cookies, and of course – presents. As a parent, you want to make the season as fun and memorable as you can for your little ones. An easy way to get them excited is by doing festive arts and crafts together. One idea that’s sure to get lots of giggles is disguising a paper turkey as Santa Claus. This playful project lets kids flex their creativity while learning about holidays and traditions. With just a few supplies, your children will have a blast transforming a Thanksgiving symbol into Father Christmas.
Gather Your Materials
Before starting the craft. you’ll need to gather a few items
- Construction paper or cardstock in red, white, pink, black, green, and brown
- Glue (glue stick and tacky glue work well)
- Scissors
- Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
- Cotton balls
- Googly eyes
- Pom poms
- White craft foam or felt
- Printed Santa turkey template (available online)
Having all materials ready will allow the project to run smoothly and keep kids engaged from start to finish Lay everything out on a table or flat surface protected by newspaper or a disposable tablecloth
Print and Prepare the Template
There are free printable Santa turkey templates available online that provide all the parts you need for the disguise. Simply search “Santa turkey template” and you’ll find options to download. Print the template onto construction paper or cardstock, then use scissors to carefully cut out each piece – the turkey’s body, Santa’s beard, hat, suit, etc. Having these pre-cut shapes will make it easy for kids to assemble the craft. For very young children, you may want to do the cutting yourself ahead of time.
As an alternative, you can freehand draw your own turkey and Santa disguise pieces. This allows more room for creativity but does require more cutting skills.
Assemble the Disguise
Once your materials are prepped, it’s time for the fun part – transforming the turkey into Santa! Have kids color in the turkey head with crayons or markers. Then start gluing on pieces of the disguise one by one:
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Glue Santa’s red hat to the top of the turkey’s head. Use a pom pom for the end, or cut a circle from craft foam.
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Glue the white beard onto the turkey’s face. You can fringe the bottom with cotton balls for a fuzzy effect.
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Add the red Santa suit onto the turkey’s body. Cut white circles from craft foam and glue on for buttons.
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Glue brown boots onto the turkey’s feet.
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Finish by gluing or taping a Santa sack onto the turkey’s tail feathers.
As each piece is added, watch Santa emerge right before your eyes! Kids will love seeing the turkey’s transformation.
Get Creative with Materials
Part of the fun of crafts is experimenting with different materials. So feel free to get creative! Here are some ideas:
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Instead of a paper beard, use cotton balls for a fluffy white beard
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Use real or wooden buttons for the coat
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Craft pom pom mittens for the wings
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Cut the sack out of brown paper bag scraps
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Use wiggly eyes instead of gluing on paper eyes
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Replace the hat pom with a puff from a cotton ball
Let kids use whatever you have around the house. And don’t worry about perfection! The unique qualities will make the end result even more memorable.
Add Some Holiday Cheer
Once the Santa turkey is assembled, get into the holiday spirit by adding some festive embellishments:
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Sprinkle glitter onto the hat, beard, and boots
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Accent with stickers like holly leaves and berries
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Use ribbon to make a wreath for Santa’s neck
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Craft a miniature ornament from a bead and pipe cleaner
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Attach jingle bells to Santa’s suit with string
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Dot the coat with foam snowflake stickers
By personalizing their turkey Santa, kids will really feel like they created something special to celebrate the season. Display their masterpiece prominently so the whole family can enjoy!
Let the Kids Lead the Way
Craft time is even more meaningful when children get to take charge of the process. Have them:
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Choose which materials to use
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Decide where to place each piece of the disguise
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Select any decorative embellishments
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Determine how the final turkey will look
Giving them creative freedom makes the experience more engaging and builds confidence. Follow their lead as much as possible and let their imaginations soar. They might come up with ideas you never would have thought of!
Extend the Fun
The learning doesn’t have to stop once the craft is complete. Here are some extra activities to try:
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Have kids write or dictate a story about the turkey’s adventure as Santa
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Act out a skit with the turkey Santa as the star
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Use the turkey Santa as a jumping off point to learn about holidays around the world
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Craft extra characters like elves, reindeer, and Mrs. Claus
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Display the turkey Santa during your family’s holiday celebrations
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Take photos of your child with their completed craft to commemorate their hard work
The Santa turkey disguise is the perfect hands-on way to kindle that festive spirit. Letting children take the reins gets them fully immersed in holiday tradition and creativity. So grab your construction paper, turn up the Christmas tunes, and get ready to craft! This simple yet imaginative project will become a new favorite on your list of fun family activities.
The Most Memorable Turkey in Disguise Project
Of course, my favorite was the turkey that was supposed to be ME! If only I were that young and pretty! See the number in the bottom left corner? That’s how I number each project. Then, using a secret ballot, the students get to vote on categories like “Most Creative,” “Most Unique,” and “Best Disguise.”
Students love to vote, and I’m always impressed by how they support their friends without getting angry. We also take the time to discuss how honorable it is NOT to vote for yourself. The voting process is a great character lesson for the children!.
Finally, we award blue ribbons to the winners. Every kid gets a certificate and a bag of Turkey Toes (candy corn) for saving a turkey’s life.
This year, Uncle Si won for Best Disguise, The Girl Scout won for Most Unique, and the Easter Bunny won for Most Creative.
Great Books to Kick off Your Project
When introducing the project, I also like to read some fabulous turkey books. There are many wonderful Thanksgiving books that fit the theme of a turkey trying to avoid being eaten. Kids can really relate to the turkey after reading these books, which makes them want to hide him even more!
Here are some of my favorite Turkey themed books. I’ve included Amazon shopping links for your convenience.
Santa Turkey Disguise Craft For Kids
FAQ
What is the story of disguise a turkey project?
How do you make a Santa Claus disguise for a Turkey?
Kids can use crayons, coloring pencils, or markers (markers really make this craft pop). Also, print the sheet with just the turkey on it. This is where we’ll design the Santa Claus disguise for the turkey. Kids can color it whole or just the parts that won’t be hidden by the disguise.
How do you make a disguise a Turkey?
Place the feet with the toes pointed upward and glue them to the bottom of the turkey’s body. Finish up by gluing the Santa turkey body to the feathers. Use green feathers for Christmas colors or black for Santa’s bag. We’re sure your kids loved making this cool disguise a turkey project idea!
How do you make a Santa hat for a Turkey?
Glue the Santa body over the turkey’s body. Add the two arms along with the mittens directly below them. Next, glue on Santa’s boots to cover the turkey’s feet. 6. Add Santa’s face details. Glue on Santa’s beard and red hat. 7. Add cotton balls. Gently unravel a cotton ball to glue on. Add some glue to the beard, hat brim and mitten ends.
How do you make a Santa bag for a Turkey?
Line the template up on your turkey so that the bag covers the tail feathers completely. Place the lid over the turkey’s face and trace it. Use scissors to cut out the circle on the template. Trace the template onto a piece of brown paper for the Santa bag (or any color you’d like) and cut it out.
How do you show a turkey without a disguise?
Print the sheet that has the “I am not a turkey, I am…” text on it. This one will be used as a background and will show the turkey without a disguise. Have the kids color it in with colors they feel represent the regular-looking turkey the most. Kids can use crayons, coloring pencils, or markers (markers really make this craft pop).
How do you protect a Turkey from becoming dinner?
This Thanksgiving, help your kids protect a turkey from becoming dinner by letting them create a disguise! This disguise a turkey mermaid is perfect for even the youngest artist, as all you need is some construction paper, scissors, and glue. Who knows – maybe she’ll be so well disguised that the farmer won’t even think twice about her!