Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means it’s time to start thinking about festive crafts and activities to get the family into the holiday spirit. One of my favorite Thanksgiving crafts to do with kids is making a thankful turkey decoration. This easy kids craft allows little artists to express gratitude while creating an adorable turkey centerpiece for the holiday table.
In this step-by-step guide, I’ll walk you through everything you need to know to make an easy DIY thankful turkey with your kids. We’ll cover supplies, instructions, and tips for turning it into a meaningful gratitude activity. Let’s get started!
Supplies Needed
To make your thankful turkey craft you’ll need
- Construction paper or cardstock in fall colors like brown, orange, yellow, and red
- Googly eyes
- Glue stick
- Scissors
- Markers, crayons, or colored pencils
- Optional: Wiggle eyes, pom poms, foam shapes for embellishments
I like using construction paper for the simplicity, but feel free to use any craft supplies you have on hand. Printable turkey templates can shortcut the process, but it’s also fun to freehand the turkey body and feathers
Step-by-Step Instructions
Follow these steps to assemble your thankful turkey:
1. Cut out the turkey’s body
Use brown construction paper and cut out the shape of the turkey’s body. Add some rounding to make the body nice and plump! If using a printable template, trace it onto construction paper and cut out.
2. Cut out feathers
From construction paper in orange, yellow, red, cut out feather shapes in various sizes. Cut at least 10 feathers to fill up your turkey’s body.
3. Write what you’re thankful for
On each feather, write or draw something you are grateful for. Encourage kids to think about blessings big and small like family, friends, pets, favorite foods, toys, etc. Get creative!
4. Glue on the feathers
Glue the feathers onto the back of the turkey’s body, starting at the center and fanning them out. Press down firmly to adhere.
5. Add eyes and beak
Glue on 2 googly eyes for a fun pop of color. Cut an orange triangle for the beak and glue to the turkey’s head.
6. Add legs (optional)
Cut and glue on 2 brown paper legs so your turkey can stand up on its own.
And just like that, your thankful turkey is complete! Now let’s look at some ways to integrate gratitude lessons through this activity.
Turn It Into a Thanksgiving Activity
Beyond just making turkeys, there are lots of ways to turn this craft into an engaging activity that fosters thankfulness:
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Have a thankful turkey making party: Host a turkey crafting session with friends or family. Provide supplies and enjoy crafting together.
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Take turkey supplies on-the-go: Bring materials to make turkeys at a family gathering, church event, or community center. Craft as a group.
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Use it as a classroom activity: This is perfect for elementary schools and Sunday schools. Make turkeys and share what you wrote.
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Create a thankful tree: Hang finished turkeys from branches to build a gratitude tree. Display it for Thanksgiving decor.
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Take turns sharing: Let each child explain what they wrote on their turkey’s feathers. Talk about the importance of gratitude.
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Keep a gratitude journal: Use the thankful turkey activity to launch a gratitude journal. Set a goal to add something new you’re grateful for each day.
The goal is to go beyond just making a craft by using the hands-on experience to start meaningful conversations about thankfulness. Let the thankful turkey be a daily reminder of all the blessing in our lives!
Displaying Your Thankful Turkeys
These handmade turkeys make fabulous Thanksgiving decorations. Here are some creative ways to put them on display:
- Line them up on your mantel or bookshelf
- Hang them around the house by ribbon or string
- Arrange them down the center of your Thanksgiving table
- Display on a wreath, garland, or Thanksgiving tree
- Hang by string from the ceiling or in doorways
- Use as place cards by adding name tags
However you choose to showcase your thankful turkeys, they make a perfect addition to your Thanksgiving decor this season. Not only are they easy for kids to craft, but they also help nurture gratitude in a hands-on, creative way.
Turkey Craft Variations
The great thing about arts and crafts is that they allow for endless creativity! There are lots of ways to customize your thankful turkey to suit your supplies and style:
- Use a toilet paper roll, paper bag or cardstock for the body
- Cut feathers out of construction paper, tissue paper, or scrapbook paper
- Craft feathers from real fallen leaves and twigs for texture
- Attach feathers with brads instead of glue for a different look
- Use pom poms, wiggle eyes, foam or fabric for embellishments
- Make handprint turkeys with fingerprint feathers
- Decorate your turkey with stickers, glitter, sequins, etc.
- Accent with details like rick rack around the edges or fringe
Add your own artistic touches to make your thankful turkey unique. The options are endless when crafting with kids! Let their creativity shine through.
FAQs
What are other good Thanksgiving crafts for kids?
Some other Thanksgiving craft ideas include:
- Handprint turkeys
- Clothespin turkeys
- Fall leaf wreaths
- “I’m thankful for” jars
- Cornucopia centerpieces
- Turkey feather luminaries
- Place card turkeys
- Mayflower boats
- Pilgrim hats
- Handprint napkin rings
What are fun Thanksgiving activities for families?
Fun Thanksgiving activity ideas include:
- Decorating mini pumpkins
- Making Thanksgiving cards
- Having a grateful leaves scavenger hunt
- Playing Thanksgiving Bingo
- Doing easy science experiments
- Making Thanksgiving sensory bins
- Having a family gratitude circle
- Reading Thanksgiving books together
- Making turkey hand trace keepsakes
What are different ways to use the thankful turkey?
Some ways to use the thankful turkeys include:
- Thanksgiving table decor
- Place cards or napkin rings
- Tree or mantle decorations
- Window decorations
- Fridge magnets
- Front door wreath accents
- Centerpieces for food drives
- Party favors or goodie bags
The thankful turkey is a versatile craft that can be used in many festive ways!
What are other gratitude activities?
Some other great gratitude activities include:
- Keeping a family gratitude jar
- Doing gratitude scavenger hunts
- Sharing thankful roses (grab a rose for each petal to share what you’re grateful for)
- Writing thank you notes to loved ones
- Sending appreciation cards to community members
- Volunteering as a family
- Making artwork showing what you are grateful for
Bring on Thanksgiving with This Easy, Festive Kid Craft
The thankful turkey is the perfect kid-friendly craft to get in the Thanksgiving spirit. By making turkeys and sharing what they’re grateful for, children can practice gratitude in a hands-on way. Display your homemade turkeys to decorate for the holiday in a meaningful way.
Let the creativity flow by customizing your turkeys. Turn the activity into a fun family tradition by crafting turkeys each year. However you choose to use this easy craft, it’s a great way to cultivate thankfulness this Thanksgiving season. Happy crafting!
What is a Thankful Turkey?
The Thankful Turkey is the simplest, easiest, and cutest way to discuss thankfulness and gratitude throughout the Thanksgiving season.
Using this easy Thanksgiving activity helps children and families connect and engage in conversations that otherwise might not happen naturally or frequently.
Think of the Thankful Turkey as a reverse advent calendar to Thanksgiving – and it doesn’t cost a thing to make it.
RELATED: Looking for more Thanksgiving activities to try with kids? See my list of easy and fun ideas.
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- Brown paper bag or Kraft paper
- Construction paper
- Glue
- Scissors
- Black marker
- Blue painter’s tape
This isn’t a big supply list when you really look at it. It’s probably mostly things you have at home – which is one of the best parts about this activity. No need to run out and buy any fancy or one-time-use supplies.
How to create a Thankful Turkey
I cut out the turkey from a brown paper bag. Brown kraft paper or wrapping paper works awesome too.
I use construction paper to create a funny little face and then cut out a bunch of “feathers” from colorful paper.
Options:
- You can create one family turkey
- You can create one turkey per child
- You can create one turkey for each family member (you included)
Over the years, I’ve learned to make my turkey feathers small so they fit on my wall.
