Thanksgiving is just around the corner and it is the perfect time to introduce some craft fun into your lessons. From color words to rhyming words to character education, these four handprint turkey activities are easy to integrate with the Common Core State Standards or your state’s standards. Make this Thanksgiving, a memorable one for you and your students and turn those completed turkeys into bulletin boards!
Handprint Turkey Crafts for Thanksgiving
Handprint Turkey #1:Â The Color Word Turkey
Learning color words is an integral part of the kindergarten experience. Trace students’ hands and let them get to work cutting out their turkeys for fine motor skill practice. Brainstorm color words on the whiteboard and ask students to choose five of their favorite colors. Have them copy the color words onto the finger “feathers” and color them in with the appropriate color. Display on a bulletin board labeled, “We Gobble Up Colors!”
Handprint Turkey #2:Â The Word Family Turkey
This turkey can be customized to work with any word family that your students are currently studying. Start by putting the word ending in the body of the turkey and have students brainstorm words that have the same ending. You may want to brainstorm as a class and have the students then copy five of the words onto their turkeys. Color the fingers to act as feathers, add a beak and feet and then hang the completed turkeys across the top or bottom of your white board.
Handprint Turkey #3:Â I am thankful for…
Gratitude is a wonderful thing and adding character education into your handprint turkey craft lesson is a wonderful way to bring it out. Start by having students trace their hands on brown paper and cut out four different colored feathers. In the middle of the turkey, write “I am thankful for.” Have students write four of the things that they are thankful for on the colorful feathers. Glue the feathers, beak, and feet on the turkey and you will have a gratitude turkey that is unique as each student in your class. Tie the activity in with vocabulary, handwriting, or a Thanksgiving book that you are currently reading together.
Handprint Turkey #4:Â Vocabulary Turkey
Building a strong vocabulary is a critical part of the standards. The Vocabulary Turkey can help! After students have traced their hand on a brown sheet of paper and cut it out, have them cut out four or five colorful feathers. Using a children’s book about Thanksgiving, brainstorm together words that they associate with the holiday. Depending on which book you are reading, your students’ words may be more advanced. Students can then write their choice of vocabulary words on the feathers and glue them to their turkeys. Add the completed turkeys to a board labeled, “We are thankful for a strong vocabulary!”
Do you have a Handprint Turkey craft that you love to do with your students each year? Share how you do it by leaving a comment below!