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Multimedia Turkey Art

  • History & Social Studies
  • Sensory Play
  • Grades 1-3
  • All Ages

Use straws and various craft materials to create a cool, textured turkey collage for Thanksgiving!

Materials

  • Feathers Brown
  • Red Fuzzy Sticks
  • Watercolor Paint Palette
  • Smoothie Straws: Yellow, Orange & Red
  • Craft Glue or Hot Glue* *May Require Adult Assistance
  • Scissors
  • Card Stock
printDownload Template

Instructions

Step 1. Gather your materials.

 

 Step 2.

 

Download and print the provided template on to card stock. To download the template, simply click the “Template” button above.

 

 Step 3.

 

Paint a watercolor layer so you know what colors will go where.

 

 Step 4.

 

Cut a straw in half, then cut each half open.

 

 Step 5.

 

Cut the straws into small, .5″ to 1″ pieces that curl, as shown.

 

 Step 6.

 

Cover the snood (the red dangle off a turkey’s face) with red straws.

 

 Step 7.

 

Cut a large orange smoothie straw the same way as Steps 4 & 5.

 

 Step 8.

 

Cover the turkey’s beak and feet in orange straws.

 

To make the toes, we pulled the straws and glued them along the curves.

 

 Step 9.

 

Cover the turkey’s body in brown feathers.

 

 Step 10.

 

Add eyes so the turkey can see.

 

 Step 11.

 

Cut more yellow, orange and red straws the same way as Steps 4 & 5.

 

 Step 12.

 

Glue the straw pieces onto their corresponding colors.

 

 Step 13.

 

Cut red fuzzy sticks into about 3″ pieces.

 

 Step 14.

 

Curl as shown.

 

 Step 15.

 

Glue to the last red layer of the turkey’s feathers.

 

 


Teacher's Corner

Season your turkey craft with all the best craft materials to make it uniquely yours this Thanksgiving! 

Lesson Objectives

  • Stuff Your Turkey: From feathers, fuzzy sticks, poms, watercolors or even recycled materials, give your class all kinds of craft supplies to fill in their turkey templates. While they’re crafting, ask your students what they like about that certain material — is it their favorite? Do they like the way it felt? How can they describe the texture?
  • On the Menu: Many American families bake a turkey for their Thanksgiving meal — but who started this tradition and why? Discover some fun turkey facts with your students while they craft their very own birds!   

Follow-up Discussion

Did you know that every Thanksgiving, the President of the United States “pardons” a turkey right on the White House lawn?! That’s right, a special turkey is granted freedom from the dinner table as a modern American tradition. Read about how this tradition started with your students, then ask them what Thanksgiving traditions their families celebrate!