Turkeys certainly are interesting creatures! From their massive size, to their mottled caruncles, and their irresistible gobbles, it’s like these birds were made just to wow children! Use the ideas below to create turkey learning activities for your preschoolers this year.
Learn some facts about turkeys
Turkeys are more than just the stars of Thanksgiving; they’re fascinating creatures with a host of intriguing characteristics. Here are some fun turkey facts perfect for preschoolers:
- Gobble Sound: Only male turkeys, called toms, gobble. Female turkeys, known as hens, make a clicking noise.
- Flying Ability: Wild turkeys can fly for short distances at speeds up to 55 mph, while domesticated turkeys are generally too heavy to fly.
- Nighttime Habits: Turkeys sleep in trees! They fly up to their roosts around sunset.
- Colorful Heads: A turkey’s head can change colors (from red to blue to white) depending on its mood.
The video below is great to watch with preschoolers, and includes some fun facts for learning about turkeys!
Preschool Turkey Learning Activities
The learning activity ideas below will help you incorporate the following skills into your curriculum while using a turkey theme:
- letter-sound knowledge
- fine motor skills
- sorting and patterning
- comprehension
- counting
- social-emotional learning
Turkey Beginning Sounds | Preschool Activities Nook
Enhance phonics skills with this turkey-themed beginning sounds learning activity. Using colorful turkey feathers, preschoolers can practice matching initial sounds with corresponding uppercase and lowercase letters. This printable is available in my TpT store.
Turkey Color Sorting | Welcome to Mommyhood
Sorting is a foundational math skill, and what better way to practice it than with a turkey color sorting activity? While the basic idea is simple, you can introduce numerous variations to challenge and engage your students further.
Colored Turkey Feathers | @cara_florance
Introduce a sensory experience with this color matching activity using long, tactile feathers. It’s not just about recognizing colors; it’s also about feeling the texture and an opportunity to work on the concept of matching.
Torn Paper Turkey Craft | @nontoygifts
Not only are torn paper collages great for improving fine motor skills, but children will really enjoy creating their own patterns for the turkey feathers.
Thankful Turkey Paper Rolls | @cotalife
Chances are you’re planning your turkey theme during the Thanksgiving season. This is a fun little turkey craft to talk about things we’re thankful for. Not only are the assembly and collage skills great for little hands, but the preceding discussion is a great way to work on vocabulary and oral language development.
Thankful Turkey | @playandsaypediatrictherapy
Here’s another variation of the Thankful Turkey craft. Instead of just writing or speaking about what they’re thankful for, children can use images, drawings, or magazine cutouts to represent their feelings. For instance, a child might choose a picture of a family, pets, or their favorite toy, making the concept of gratitude tangible and personal. Adding mages can help children identify what they “wrote” later. But note that this could limit their choice of things to add to their list so you’ll have to weigh the pros and cons of using this version!
Turkey Counting | @gb.academy_preschool
Math meets turkeys in this counting activity. Introduce paper turkeys to your math corner and encourage sorting and counting!
Turkey Life Cycle | Welcome to Mommyhood
You can’t do a unit on turkeys without learning about the life cycle of a turkey! I love these cards and resources from Welcome to Mommyhood! This awesome life cycle printable in included in the Hands-On Kids Activities Club so if you’re a member, be sure to grab it from your November resources!
Learn About Turkeys | @im_the_simon
I love all the turkey resources featured in this post by @im_the_simon! Click through to the original post on Instagram for more details.
Turkey Learning Activities: Songs and Gross Motor Ideas for Preschoolers
Turkey songs for preschoolers can range from action songs, where children can flap their “wings” or strut around like turkeys, to more melodic tunes that teach about turkey behaviors, sounds, and habitats. Incorporating these songs into circle time or transitions can make learning about turkeys a rhythmic and memorable experience.
Here are a couple of action songs featuring turkeys that will be perfect for circle time!
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