Turkey Craft for Preschoolers: A Hands-On Turkey Activity

Looking for a simple, hands-on turkey craft activity to keep those little hands busy and creative? This turkey craft project is a big hit in my classroom every fall! It’s quick to set up and kids love exploring with paints and seasonal colors.

Using autumn paint shades like orange, yellow, red, and brown, kids will get to paint feathers for their turkeys, experimenting with color mixing as they go. Let’s dive into how you can set up this turkey craft project in your classroom.

Turkey Craft Checklist

Guided turkey template | Clickable download below. 🎉
Paint | Red, yellow, orange, and brown paint for painting the feathers
Turkey parts (included in template)
Glue or tape to assemble
Googly eyes or paper circles for eyes
Black marker for legs and any extra details

Step-by-Step Turkey Craft Preschool Activity

Step 1: Painting Feathers

The first part of this turkey craft for preschoolers is painting feathers. Use the guided turkey template for your students to paint the feathers on. They’ll paint directly on this template, creating colorful feathers.

The outline will help them see where the turkey’s body will be placed later. To keep the area for the bottom clear, fold a scrap piece of paper in half and tape it temporarily about two-thirds down the sheet. This will prevent little ones from accidentally painting over the spot where they’ll eventually draw the legs.

guided instructions for turkey craft project

Step 2: Let the Feathers Dry

Once their masterpieces are complete, I set the painted papers aside to dry. You’ll want to make sure these are fully dry before moving on, so I usually do this step early in the day or even a day ahead.

Step 3: Cut out the turkey parts.

Cut out the turkey parts. There are blank options as well if you prefer to have your little ones color or paint them on their own.

Step 3: Assembling the Turkey

Now for the fun part—assembling our turkeys! After the paint dries, have the kiddos glue the large circle (for the turkey body) on first. Then, they'll glue the smaller circle (for the turkey's head) just above, but still touching the larger circle.

I joke with my kiddos "Make sure they're connected! Our turkeys need their heads attached to their bodies!" 😂

Step 4: Finishing Touches

Time to make those turkeys complete! Glue the googly eyes and beaks to the face. Use a black marker to draw legs. The kids love putting on their own “final touches” to personalize their turkeys.

Why I Love This Turkey Craft for Preschoolers

Hands-On Creativity: The painting part gives kids a lot of creative freedom and helps them learn color blending and brush control.
Simple Materials: All you need is paper, paint, scissors, and some glue or tape. Super easy to prep!
Festive and Fun: These adorable turkeys make the cutest classroom displays. Hello fall bulleting boards!

So, gather your supplies and let’s make some adorable turkeys! This turkey craft activity is sure to be a hit in your classroom too!