3-D Thanksgiving Turkey Craft for Kids

Thanksgiving is coming up and I’m loving thinking up crafty ways to make turkey art activities! We have quite a lot of wild turkeys roaming through my neighborhood (seriously, I saw one walking into the drive-through door of the carwash – I guess he needed a bath). They aren’t the prettiest of creatures. That said, creating turkey art poses some issues.

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Do you really want your preschooler making a realistic turkey? I can almost guarantee you that it won’t be anything that you’ll want to display at your holiday dinner. Instead, why not make a cuddly, cute looking little Thanksgiving pal?

I was about to toss an egg carton when it occurred to me that I could reuse it to make a 3-D turkey craft. Let your child get in touch with texture, shape and form during this holiday-inspired art activity.

Here’s What You’ll Need:

·        A cardboard egg carton

·        Scissors

·        Tempera or washable kids' paint

·        A paintbrush

·        Cotton balls

·        Clear-drying school glue

·        Googley eyes

·        Card stock paper

Here’s What to Do:

1.     Cut the egg carton so that you have two compartments and a divider together. Each compartment will become an eye, and the divider will become the beak.
 

2.     Cut a larger section of at least four compartments to make the body.
 

3.     Pour paint into the remaining egg carton compartments. Use fall colors such as yellow, brown, orange and red.
 

4.     Mix the paint into custom turkey colors. Your child can use the extra egg compartments to mix in.

5.     Paint the inside of the egg carton. Add a bit of orange on the divider for the beak.

6.     Let the paint dry.

7.     Dab glue onto the bottom of the egg carton pieces. Press the glue onto a piece of card stock paper.

8.     Glue one cotton ball in each “eye” compartment. Attach one googley eye to each cotton ball using glue.
 

 

9.    Cut a piece of red card stock paper into an amoeba shape to make the turkey's waddle. Fold the end under and glue it under the head.

10. Create the feathers. This is messy fun for your child! Dip a cotton ball into one of the paint pools (use the tempera that is leftover from paining the egg carton). Press another cotton ball into the first one, sharing the paint.

11. Glue the cotton balls onto the paper on the sides of the body. Repeat the painting and gluing process for as many feathers as your child wants to make.
 

Are you looking for more Thanksgiving art activities? Follow my Pinterest board for ideas!

Follow Mini Monets and Mommies's board Thanksgiving Kids' Activities on Pinterest.