Thankful turkeys for home or classroom

It is fall – a time when we all are excited to share the things we are thankful for, in preparation for Thanksgiving. 

A fun activity for our kids (students, too!) is to create a Thankful Turkey. This can be done in many ways, and can be adapted to every age level. I have a 3 and 5-year-old at home, and teach 3rd grade. The Thankful Turkeys I decided to create fit both of these age groups, while differentiating the writing portion. 

Here are some simple steps:

1. Find a turkey clipart online. Enlarge it to a desired size, and make sure the turkey image does NOT have feathers.
2. Find or create feathers to add to the turkey. These can be as big or as small as desired. You can add lines to write on (for the older kids that will be writing sentences) or leave them without lines for the younger kids to just add 1 word answers. 
3. Print the turkey and feathers. I like to print these on cardstock so that they are sturdy and can be hung at home or in the classroom. 
4. Have students complete a writing rough draft. I always have my students do this so that they aren’t concerned about spelling, and can  just let their creative thoughts out on paper. I have them write 5 sentences on lined paper, using the sentence starter: I am thankful for _________ because… 
   Then, we revise it together and fix any spelling mistakes.
5. Hand out the final copy. Now, students can write their sentences (or words/phrases) on each feather. 
6. Color, cut & glue. Once the writing has been completed, students are to color the turkey and feathers, cut them out, and finally, glue the feathers on the turkey. These are so cute to display in a bulletin board at school or even at home! 

Here is a PDF I put together from images I found online to help ease the process. 

How can you adapt this activity with the age group you work with?

Examples

About the author

Marissa Will is the mother of two, Olivia (5) and Logan (3). Writing was her first passion: she’s a freelance writer and a Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication alumna. Will is currently educating the future leaders of tomorrow: She has spent the past eight years teaching third grade with a master’s degree in elementary education from Northern Arizona University-Yuma.