If your children are anything like mine, they love a craft that comes in pieces they get to put together themselves. This turkey comes as a head, a body, a hat, two feet, and a pair of hands holding a sign, and the children build the whole thing on their own.
That building part is half the fun. Little ones like seeing a turkey come together from a heap of paper shapes, and they feel a real sense of ownership once it’s done.
Then come the feathers, which are the heart of it. Each one holds something they’re thankful for, written in their own hand.
a little about this craft
Children color and cut out the turkey’s pieces, then glue them together into a whole turkey holding a sign that reads “Thank You God For…” Every feather they add finishes that sentence, and the thanks goes to God.
The turkey glues flat onto a sheet of paper, so there’s no folding or standing to manage. That makes it one of the simpler turkeys to put together, and a good fit for the youngest crafters.
That sign says plainly what Colossians 3:15 says.
And be thankful. (Colossians 3:15)
There are eight feathers, which is a comfortable number for one child to fill in without running out of ideas.
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)
- A sheet of paper or cardstock to build the turkey on
- Regular paper or cardstock for the printable pieces
- Crayons, colored pencils, or markers
- Scissors
- A glue stick
- A pen or fine marker for writing on the feathers
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.
For two more turkeys in this same thankful style, take a look at our 3D turkey craft that stands up on a paper ring, and our turkey toilet paper roll craft that stands on a cardboard tube.
how to make the build a turkey craft
The steps are simple enough for a child to follow with a little help.
1. print and color the pieces
Print the pieces and the feather pages. If you’re using the black and white version, let the little ones color the turkey’s body, head, hat, feet, hands, and the eight feathers however they like.
Mine tend to reach for the same two or three colors every time, and that’s just fine.
2. cut out all the pieces
Cut out the body circle, the head, the hat, the two feet, the hands holding the sign, and the eight feathers.
There are a few small pieces here, so it helps to cut the hat and feet ahead of time for younger children while they work on the coloring.
3. write what you’re thankful for
This step is the heart of the whole craft. Have them write one thankful thing on each feather. It might be their family, their friends, their home, food to eat, good health, their pets, or God’s love.
Little ones who aren’t writing yet can tell you theirs and let you write it down, or draw a small picture instead. Don’t rush this part, because the list is the whole point of the turkey.
4. build the turkey
Now put the turkey together on a sheet of paper. Start with the large body circle in the middle, then glue the head at the top, the hat on top of the head, and the two feet down at the bottom. Finally, add the hands holding the sign across the front of the body.
If your pieces sit a little differently than that, go with what looks right to you. There’s no wrong way to build a turkey.
5. add the feathers
Glue the feathers around the back of the body so they fan out like a tail, spacing them evenly. Once everything is down, press the pieces flat and let the glue dry for a minute.
Then read the feathers out loud together and thank God for each one. That’s a sweet way to finish the afternoon.
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 little place mat 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 feathers 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 build a 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 eight feathers, so you can pick whatever works for the children you’re with.
Get the FREE Build A Turkey Craft
Don’t let your kids just hear about thankfulness this Thanksgiving—help them build a turkey that says thank you to God.
With this free Build A Turkey Craft, kids color the turkey’s body, face, pilgrim hat, feet, and feathers, then cut out the pieces and build them into a little Pilgrim turkey holding a sign that reads “Thank You God for…”
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 few paper shapes won’t do that work on their own. But building a turkey gives a child a reason to sit down, think of eight good things, and remember that every one of them came from God.
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 ended up on your feathers.
With love,
Betty
frequently asked questions
what age is this craft best for?
It works well for children around three and up. Since the turkey lies flat and there’s no folding or standing, it’s one of the easier ones for little hands. For the youngest ones, do the cutting yourself and let them color, write, and glue the pieces down.
should I print on cardstock or regular paper?
Regular paper is fine here, since nothing needs to stand up. Cardstock makes the finished turkey a bit sturdier if you’d like to keep it, but it isn’t necessary.
what if my child can’t write yet?
That’s perfectly okay. Let them tell you their thankful things and write the words for them, or let them draw a small picture on each feather instead. Saying it out loud is the part that matters.
how long does it take to make?
Plan on about twenty minutes with the color version and closer to thirty with the black and white one, since the coloring takes a while. Building the turkey from its pieces is part of the fun, so give the little ones time to enjoy it.
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 for your class, and cut out the smaller pieces ahead of time so everyone can keep up. Then let each child read a feather or two out loud at the end.
