Thanksgiving Activity

Turkey Time!!!

Thanksgiving is all about celebrating with family and friends. Take some time out this Thanksgiving weekend to spend time with your child doing this fun turkey activity. This is a great craft for kids to not only prepare for Thanksgiving, but also improve so many fine motor and speech skills! The greatest way to encourage kids to work on their fine motor  and speech skills is to make any activity fun. Go ahead and make a paper turkey yourself! It will also bring you closer to your children because you’ll have even more topics to talk about with them! Don’t forget to have Fun!

*Tips From Our Occupational Therapist

While doing this project, your child will have the opportunity to enhance his or her fine motor skills through coloring, cutting, gluing, holding, and writing.  They will work on their writing skills by writing what they are thankful for in the feathers. They can also work on their higher level thinking skills by creating a color-coded pattern with the turkey’s feathers.

#1 Tip about coloring: Make sure when they are coloring, they keep the pinky side of their hand on the table and try to hold the marker or coloring tool with 3 or 4 fingers.

#2 Tip about cutting: Make sure when they are cutting, they place their thumb in the small hole and the rest of their fingers in the larger hole; thumbs up while cutting; and holding and/or moving the paper with their other hand.

#3 Tip about Writing: Try to encourage a uniform size, direction, and formation of letters. An example of this may be encouraging them to capitalize the first letter of each phrase, such as “My family.”

*From Our Speech Therapist

Materials:

• Turkey Template
• Markers/ Colored Pencils /Crayons
• Glue Stick
• Scissors
• Colorful Construction Paper
• Brown Paper Lunch Bag

Instructions: 

There are three different ways you can do this project. Pick the option that will work best for your child based on their age and skill level.

Option #1

1. Print out the turkey template
2. Have your child color the different turkey body parts. Discuss with your child what they think each body part is and where it belongs.
3. Cut out the turkey parts. (If your child is very young, you can help them with this.)
4. Glue the eyes, beak, arms, and legs onto the turkey body.
5. Ask your child what they are thankful for.
6. On each feather write down one thing your child is thankful for.
7. Glue the feathers to the turkey

Option #2

1. Print out the turkey template
2. Cut out the turkey parts. (If your child is very young, you can help them with this.)
3. Trace the turkey body parts onto colorful construction paper. (Make sure to trace 10-20 feathers.)
4. Cut out the turkey body parts
5. Glue the eyes, beak, arms, and legs onto the turkey body. (Discuss with your child where they think each body part belongs)
6. Ask your child what they are thankful for.
7. On each feather write down one thing your child is thankful for.
8. Glue the feathers to the turkey

Option #3: Turkey Puppet

1. Print out the turkey template.
2. Cut out the turkey parts. (If your child is very young, you can help them with this.)
3. Trace the turkey body parts onto colorful construction paper. (Make sure to trace 10-20 feathers.)/Color the turkey body parts
4. Cut out the turkey body parts
5. Glue the eyes, beak, arms, and legs onto the brown paper lunch bag. (Discuss with your child where they think each body part belongs)
6. Ask your child what they are thankful for.
7. On each feather write down one thing your child is thankful for.
8. Glue the feathers to the turkey.

Turkey Template

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We hope you enjoy this activity, and wish you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving!

If you have questions regarding your child’s development. Please call us at 410-358-1997. For more information on Pediatric Occupational Therapy click here

For more information on Pediatric Speech Therapy click here