The Perfect, Low Prep Kindergarten Thanksgiving Craft: Turkey In Disguise

We are quickly approaching one of my favorite times of year in the elementary school classroom. The holiday season comes with so much joy, fun, and even magic for our little learners, and as teachers, we have an opportunity to create that for them each day in our classrooms. 

But as wonderful as this season can be, it is also wildly chaotic and exhausting. Dealing with students hitting a whole new energy level, organizing parent-teacher conferences, finishing up report cards (and then starting assessments right back up again) all while attempting to find magical, engaging, holiday-themed crafts… well that's just nuts. 

We do it anyway because we are teachers and let’s face it, we’re crazy. 

So I thought I might as well create a simple, easy-to-use, Thanksgiving craft to add a little fun into the classroom without the prep and stress. It  is developmentally appropriate for students in preschool all the way to 2nd grade.

This Turkey In Disguise Craft Bundle has so many options and variations I am sure you will find exactly what you need for your classroom! 

What is the Turkey In Disguise Craft? 

To complete this craft you’ll want to read Turkey in Trouble by Wendi J Silvano. Throughout this goofy book, Turkey disguises himself to escape the farmer on Thanksgiving. 

After you’ve inspired your students and had a silly conversation about all the different ways the turkey could hide, you will start the craft. With a template I’ve provided your students will create their very own turkey disguise. It’s that simple! 

Students absolutely LOVE creating these silly disguises and I am always blown away by their creativity. I’ve seen turkeys become gumball machines, popcorn, plants, and pretty much every animal possible. 

I’ve also included a bulletin board template so that you can easily display your student’s work! 

What are the different options included in this bundle? 

I have included a few different options with varying levels of prep inside this bundle so that you can decide what works best for you and your students. 

First, you’ll find the simplest, lowest prep option that also includes families in their child's learning! This is an option to send home to families for them to create together at home. You’ll choose one of the two turkey templates provided, print it off along side the family letter, and then send it home. Families can use construction paper, coloring supplies, or even glue on other objects to disguise their turkeys!

Next, I have included a couple of different options for the classroom. Similar to the at-home craft you could print off turkey templates and give students supplies to create their own disguises. Or you could use the premade disguises that I have included! Print off the disguises in black and white or in color, and pass them out to students. Then students will cut and glue them onto their turkeys. 

Either way, prep is pretty minimal! You just need to print and provide a few supplies. 

What if I don’t want to do an entire craft but still want students to have the chance to get creative? 

I have options for you too! 

The disguise templates I have included would be perfect to make into a fun, November center. Laminate the colored disguises and a few turkey templates and your students can spend time coming up with silly ways that turkey can hide! 

I am hoping to connect this more with reading and writing standards. Is there a way to do that? 

Absolutely! Your students can work on their opinion writing skills with the simple writing activities I have included. I’ve also created a “Turkey in Disguise” emergent reader. This would be perfect to read whole group, small group, or even to send home for parents to read with their children! 

You’ll also find a sentence scramble center so that students have the opportunity to write about their turkey disguises during independent centers or small groups. 

I am sold! Where can I find this craft? 

My Turkey in Disguise craft bundle can be found here! Now that you have a Thanksgiving craft covered,  if you are looking for another holiday craft or a developmentally appropriate writing resource, I’ve got you covered. Head over to my TpT Storefront!