The crafts my little ones are proudest of are always the ones that stand up on their own. A flat picture gets a glance, but something that stands on the table gets shown to everyone who walks by.
This thankful turkey is one of those. It folds like an accordion and stands right up, with a little turkey on each end and the word THANKFUL spelled across the feathers.
In between the two turkeys sit five panels, each showing something to be thankful for, with Jesus right at the front.
a little about this craft
There are two little turkeys in this craft, one for each end, and eight feathers that spell out THANKFUL when they line up. In between sits an accordion strip that folds up small and stretches open to stand on its own.
The panels come ready with five good things: Jesus, my family, my friends, food, and good health. If you’d rather your children choose their own, there’s a blank strip you can print instead and let them write or draw what they’re thankful for.
The first panel is Jesus, a good reminder that our thanks has somewhere to go. It is the same idea in Psalm 100:4.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. (Psalm 100:4)
That mix of coloring, folding, and standing it up makes this one feel like a small project rather than a quick craft.
what you’ll need
There’s nothing fancy here, and you probably have most of it already.
- The free printable (you’ll find it near the end of this post)
- Cardstock or regular paper. Cardstock helps the accordion stand up, so it’s worth using if you have it.
- Crayons, colored pencils, or markers
- Scissors
- A glue stick
- A pen or fine marker, if you’re using the blank strip
The printable comes in two versions, one already colored and one in black and white. If you’re working with the littlest ones or you’re short on time, print the color set and go straight to cutting. The black and white set gives them more to do, since the coloring becomes part of the afternoon.
If you’d like a few more turkeys in this same thankful style, we have three others: an easy 3D turkey craft that stands on a paper ring, a turkey toilet paper roll craft that stands on a cardboard tube, and a build a turkey craft the children put together from separate pieces.
how to make the accordion thankful turkey craft
The steps are simple enough for a child to follow with a little help.
1. print and color the pieces
Print the two turkeys, the eight lettered feathers, and the panel strip. If you’re using the black and white version, let the little ones color the turkeys, the feathers, and the five panels however they like.
If you’d rather they fill in their own thankful things, print the blank strip instead of the one with pictures.
2. cut everything out
Cut out the two turkey bodies and the eight feathers. Then cut around the accordion strip in one long piece, keeping all five panels and the two “Glue Here” end tabs joined together. Don’t cut the panels apart, since the lines between them are the fold lines.
The feathers are long and rounded, so it helps to cut those ahead of time for younger children.
3. fold the accordion strip
Now fold the strip back and forth on those lines between the panels, so it collapses like a little accordion and stretches open again.
That back-and-forth fold is what lets the finished craft stand open on the table.
4. glue on the turkeys and feathers
Glue one turkey onto each end of the strip, at the tabs marked “Glue Here,” so the two turkeys face each other with the panels between them. Then glue four feathers behind each turkey.
The left turkey gets T, H, A, N, and the right turkey gets K, F, U, L, so the whole craft reads THANKFUL from one side to the other.
5. stand it up and give thanks
Stand the turkey up and open the folds until it balances on its own. Then read the panels together, starting with Jesus, and talk about each good thing as you go.
If you printed the blank strip, this is when the little ones fill it in with their own thankful things.
simple ways to use this craft
One of the nice things about this craft is how many places it fits.
- On the Thanksgiving table, as a standing decoration each child makes for themselves
- In Sunday school or children’s church, as a hands-on way to talk about giving thanks to God
- At home or in your homeschool, as a quiet November afternoon
- As a gift for a grandparent, with the blank strip filled in about them
If you’d like more for a Sunday school morning, these thanksgiving sunday school crafts pair nicely with it. And for a few more ideas to fill out the season, take a look at these easy thanksgiving crafts for kids.
grab the FREE accordion thankful turkey craft
The free printable is yours to download and print as many times as you need for your family, your classroom, or your co-op. Both the color and black and white versions are included, along with the blank strip, so you can pick whatever works for the children you’re with.
Get the FREE Accordion Thankful Turkey Craft
Don’t let your kids just say they’re thankful—help them name their blessings and thank God for each one.
With this free accordion thankful turkey craft, kids color two little turkeys and a row of panels, then fold the strip into an accordion so it stands up on the table. They glue a turkey to each end and add the feathers, which spell THANKFUL across the tail, with panels in the middle showing what to be thankful for, starting with Jesus.
a gentle thought before you go
Children don’t learn to be thankful by being told to be thankful. They learn it by stopping long enough to name a few good things out loud, which is easier to do when their hands are busy.
A folded paper turkey won’t do that work on its own. But it gives a child a reason to sit down, name the good things one panel at a time, and see Jesus right there at the front of the list.
If you make this one at home, in a classroom, or with a little group, I’d love to hear how it went. Leave a comment below and tell me what your little ones were thankful for.
With love,
Betty
frequently asked questions
what age is this craft best for?
It works well for children around four and up, since the folding and gluing take a few steps. For younger ones, do the cutting and folding yourself and let them color the panels, place the feathers, and help stand it up.
should I print on cardstock or regular paper?
Cardstock is better here, since the accordion has to hold its shape and stand up. Regular paper works if that’s what you have, but the finished turkey will be floppier and harder to balance.
can my children add their own thankful things?
Yes. Along with the five ready panels, there’s a blank strip in the printable. Print that one instead and let the little ones write or draw whatever they’re thankful for, one panel at a time.
how long does it take to make?
Plan on about thirty minutes, a little more with the black and white version since the coloring takes a while. It has more steps than a simple paper turkey, so it’s an easy one to split across two sittings if little hands get tired.
can I use this for a Sunday school class or co-op group?
Yes, and it’s lovely for a group. Print as many as you need, and cut out the feathers and fold the strips ahead of time so everyone can keep up. Then let each child read their panels out loud at the end.
