Turkey Time!

I can't believe Thanksgiving is a week from today! The fall always moves quickly and this year is no exception. I just got home from my no-kids, no-hubby vacation and I have to turn around and pack for our trip to Idaho next week. In the meantime, we are doing a few turkey crafts with the kiddos. Of course, there's the hand turkey which is perfect for the little ones at my house for daycare. Today's post is a little more complex. I wouldn't recommend for kids under 3. This idea was adapted from a turkey project my friend Jaime did with her kids. I hope you enjoy!

Here is what you need:

styrofoam balls (2 sizes)

paint

googly eyes

school glue

toothpicks

pipe cleaners

feathers

First, paint the styrofoam balls. You can be traditional and paint them brown or get creative and let the kids paint whatever color they want. Let them dry. This can take several hours depending on the type of paint used, so it is likely a 2-step project.

Using a toothpick, poke one end halfway into the large ball and then skewer the small ball on the opposite exposed end. This is your turkey body and head. I also used toothpicks to make legs for the turkey so it doesn't roll. You could also use pipe cleaners for this, but my daughter was in a hurry to get to the feather part.

Then glue on the googly eyes. This is another step that could take some time to dry. If your kids are anxious like mine, you can do the eyes last. Cut a small piece of pipe cleaner (2-3 inches) and curl one end up toward the top about 1/3 down. Using that 1/3, poke into the turkey head under the eyes for the wattle.

Here comes the fun part! Take various sizes and colors of feathers and poke into the turkey body. Sometimes the feathers weren't strong enough to pierce the styrofoam, so try to use ones that have a stiff spine. Personally, I like all sorts of colors on the turkeys because it's much more festive, but let the kids decide where to poke the feathers and what colors to use.

It's a pretty easy project, but some of the poking and the toothpicks requires older kids and/or adult supervision. Happy Thanksgiving!!