Thanksgiving has a habit of sneaking up on us. One minute we are packing away the Halloween decorations, and the next we are wondering how to keep the children entertained while the turkey cooks and every flat surface in the kitchen disappears beneath serving dishes.
These easy Thanksgiving turkey crafts for kids are perfect for filling that slightly chaotic stretch before Thanksgiving dinner. Most use inexpensive materials such as paper, cardboard tubes, fabric scraps, craft sticks, pinecones and paint, so you may already have much of what you need tucked away in the craft cupboard.
The finished turkeys can be used as Thanksgiving table decorations, classroom displays, place settings or handmade gifts for grandparents. They are also a lovely way to encourage children to slow down, get creative and talk about the things they are thankful for.
For even more seasonal inspiration, take a look at these easy Thanksgiving crafts for kids and our collection of 20 Thanksgiving turkey-themed kids’ crafts.
Thanksgiving Craft Supplies to Keep Handy
You do not need an elaborate craft-room setup for these projects. A simple collection of construction paper, child-safe scissors, washable paint, glue sticks, googly eyes and markers will cover most of them.
A packet of colorful feathers, dot markers and inexpensive paper bags can also be useful when you are crafting with a group. I like to place everything in shallow trays before the children begin. It does not completely prevent the glue-stick lids from vanishing, of course, but it gives us a fighting chance.
Easy Thanksgiving Turkey Craft Ideas
Handprint Thanksgiving Turkey
A handprint turkey is one of those classic Thanksgiving crafts that never really goes out of style. Children can trace their hands onto felt, craft foam or construction paper, then decorate the fingers as colorful turkey feathers.
This Thanksgiving handprint turkey craft is especially sweet because it also becomes a little keepsake of the child’s hand size. Make one each year and you will soon have a whole flock showing how much they have grown.
Easy Pumpkin and Pinecone Turkey
This easy Thanksgiving turkey craft combines a small artificial pumpkin with a pinecone, googly eyes, pipe cleaners and feathers.
The finished turkey makes a cheerful Thanksgiving table decoration. Because the tutorial uses hot glue, it is better suited to older children working with close adult supervision, or younger children can arrange the pieces while an adult handles the glue gun.
Scrap Fabric Turkey Craft
Every sewing room seems to produce an endless supply of fabric scraps that are too small to use but somehow too pretty to throw away. This scrap fabric Thanksgiving turkey craft gives those little leftovers a useful job.
Children can mix different prints and colors to create the turkey’s feathers. Autumn shades look lovely, but bright florals, polka dots and even Christmas fabric scraps can make wonderfully quirky turkeys.
Toilet Paper Roll Turkey
Save a few clean cardboard tubes for this colorful Thanksgiving toilet paper roll turkey craft.
Cardboard tube crafts are inexpensive, easy to prepare and ideal for preschool or elementary-age children. Add construction-paper feathers, a simple face and turkey feet to transform an ordinary recycled tube into a cheerful Thanksgiving decoration.
For more recycled crafting inspiration, children may also enjoy these kids’ crafts made with empty toilet rolls.
Quilled Paper Turkey
Paper quilling is a lovely way for older children to practise patience and fine motor skills. Thin strips of paper are rolled, pinched and arranged to form decorative turkey feathers.
This turkey craft requires a little more concentration than a basic cut-and-paste activity, so it is a good choice for tweens, classroom art sessions or children who enjoy detailed paper crafts.
A basic paper-quilling tool makes rolling the strips much easier, although a toothpick or thin knitting needle can work when you are experimenting with supplies already at home.
Turkey Wine Glass Decoration
Turn an inexpensive wine glass into a whimsical turkey decoration with this turkey wine glass DIY.
This project is best completed by adults or older children because glass can break and some versions use stronger craft adhesives. Once finished, the decorated glass can be displayed upside down with an LED tealight placed on the base.
Use battery-operated candles rather than real flames, especially when children are helping with the Thanksgiving decorating.
Painted Turkey Rocks
Rock painting is one of my favourite low-cost crafts because no two rocks ever cooperate in quite the same way. That odd bump you initially dislike often becomes the turkey’s head, belly or gloriously wonky tail.
Follow this painted rock turkey craft to create colorful Thanksgiving decorations that can be placed on the table, added to the garden or used as seasonal paperweights.
Wash and dry the rocks before painting, and seal them with a child-safe clear sealer when the paint is completely dry.
Wooden Spoon Turkey Puppet
A plain wooden spoon can quickly become a playful turkey puppet with paint, paper feathers, googly eyes and a little imagination.
Try this wooden spoon turkey puppet as a Thanksgiving storytelling activity. Children can make several characters and then put on a little puppet show while the adults finish preparing dinner.
Wooden spoons are particularly useful for group crafting because they are sturdy, easy for small hands to hold and far less likely to collapse beneath enthusiastic quantities of glue.
Woven Turkey Craft
This turkey weaving activity combines Thanksgiving crafting with a simple introduction to weaving.
Children thread yarn or string through the turkey shape to create texture and color. It is an excellent fine-motor activity and can be adapted to suit different ages by changing the size of the weaving spaces.
Younger children may find thick yarn easier to control, while older children can experiment with several colors, ribbon or textured fibres.
Pinecone Turkey
Pinecones make wonderful turkey bodies because nature has already done most of the decorating for us. Add paper or craft-feather tails, a small face and a pair of feet to create an adorable woodland-style turkey.
This pinecone turkey craft is a good choice after an autumn nature walk. Check collected pinecones for dirt and insects before bringing them to the craft table. A quick clean now is much easier than discovering a tiny uninvited guest halfway through Thanksgiving dinner.
Turkey Dot-Marker Activity
Dot markers are brilliant for toddlers and preschoolers because they produce bright color without requiring complicated brush control.
This Thanksgiving turkey dot-marker activity lets children decorate a printable turkey with colorful paint dots.
Place a washable mat or old tablecloth underneath the activity. Dot markers are marketed as child-friendly, but they still possess a remarkable ability to locate the one unprotected section of the table.
Brown Paper Bag Turkey
Transform an ordinary lunch bag into a turkey with this paper bag turkey craft.
Children can add construction-paper feathers, eyes, a beak and a red wattle. Depending on how the bag is decorated, the finished turkey can become a puppet, a table decoration or a little Thanksgiving treat bag.
Fill the bags with crayons, stickers, small puzzles or wrapped treats to create simple Thanksgiving favors for children.
Turn Your Turkey Crafts Into a Gratitude Activity
Turkey feathers are perfect for simple gratitude prompts. Ask each child to write or draw one thing they are thankful for on every feather before attaching it to the turkey.
For a larger family activity, make this Thankful Gratitude Turkey Bucket. Family members can write thankful messages on colorful craft sticks and place them inside the turkey bucket throughout November. Read them together at Thanksgiving dinner.
You can also explore these turkey learning activities if you would like to add counting, writing, science or fine-motor practice to your Thanksgiving craft session.
Tips for Thanksgiving Crafting With Children
Prepare complicated pieces before the children arrive, particularly when crafting with toddlers or a large group. Cutting turkey bodies, organizing feathers and pouring small amounts of paint into trays can prevent the activity from turning into complete feather-covered mayhem.
Choose washable supplies whenever possible and keep finished projects within reach of the children. Thanksgiving crafts do not need to look perfectly coordinated to make lovely decorations. The crooked eyes, oversized feet and wildly mismatched feathers are usually the parts everyone remembers.
Most importantly, let the children make their turkeys their own way. A purple turkey with eight eyes and glittery blue feathers may not be biologically accurate, but it will certainly be the most talked-about guest at the Thanksgiving table.
