Thanksgiving Turkey Crafts for Preschoolers
Thanksgiving is a very busy time for most families. Pre-school aged children are often bored during the day when so many preparations are taking place. One way to occupy the children in a positive way and make them feel like they are a part of things is to let them make the decorations for Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving turkeys are one of the key elements of the holiday, so what better choice for the little ones to make.
There are several simple, but fun activities that pre-school children can do to make Thanksgiving turkey crafts. These can be made from construction paper, paint, markers, craft foam, paper plates and crayons. Glue sticks, scissors and marking pens will also be needed for the projects. By having an adult or older child get the parts ready beforehand, it will be much easier for the children to enjoy the crafts.
One of the turkeys can be made by using half a paper plate. Cut a paper plate in half and draw lines on it starting from the center of the cut edge. Each section will represent a feather in the turkey’s tail. Cut out a body from brown construction paper to be glued onto the paper plate. Use a black marking pen to mark features on the head of the turkey. Have the child color the feathers of the paper plate. Once the feathers are colored, glue the body on and the turkey is ready to hang up as a decoration.
Construction paper is one of the staple ingredients of craft projects. Using construction paper in Thanksgiving colors, cut out a body for the turkey and eight feathers for each turkey. Using a glue stick help the children glue the feathers together in a fan shape, overlapping them at the narrow ends. After the feathers are glued together it is time to glue the body on top of the area where they overlap. Use a marker to make eyes and a beak on each turkey.
Craft foam has only been out for a few years but gains in popularity every year. It is fun, flexible and inexpensive. It comes in many colors and is widely available. Cut out the shapes you will need for the number of turkeys that will be made. The foam is simple to use and most children enjoy working with it. From here the turkey is made the same way it is made from construction paper. Glue the feathers together and glue on the body. Because of the thickness of the craft foam, it will last for years with minimal care.
One of the oldest Thanksgiving turkey crafts is made using white paper and crayons. Have the child place their hand down on white paper and trace around their hand. Using the thumb area as the head, the palm as the body and the fingers as the tail feathers, you know have a turkey to decorate. Encourage the child to color the turkey how they want it to look. After the turkeys are colored, they can be hung on the wall to help decorate for thanksgiving.
Printable pictures are available free on the Internet for children to color. There are coloring pages, word searches and mazes in Thanksgiving themes. At the end of this article will be some websites that will provide you with easy, fun craft activities for children. This year make Thanksgiving a fun time for the little ones in your family by letting them create the Thanksgiving decorations.
Paper PlateTurkey
http://www.craftlinky.com/preschool-turkey-crafts.html
http://www.enchantedlearning.com/crafts/thanksgiving/
http://www.first-school.ws/theme/animals/birds/turkey.htm
