Create a fun and easy Thanksgiving turkey craft with kids. This sticky, feather-filled activity will keep little hands busy and happy this holiday season.
A Thanksgiving turkey craft that sticks!
I have a roll of Contact Paper that I feel like I inherited from my great, great, grandparents because no matter how much I use it, the roll always looks brand-new.
Same thing with craft feathers. 😂
SO, committed to finding a use for both supplies for Thanksgiving, I stumbled on this activity from on Busy Toddler’s website and had it prepped and ready within minutes.
Per usual, Susie is a genius and her ideas are always showstoppers.
This Thanksgiving turkey craft is a blast for kids
There’s something magical about sticky paper for young kids (and adults).
For this project, kids can place, remove, and replace feathers to create their very own Thanksgiving turkey masterpiece.
It’s an easy, low-prep Thanksgiving activity that’s all about exploring textures and colors.
I love how this is fun for one child to do on their own, or for a group of kids to complete together.
🦃 🍂 Try some of these other 10/10 Thanksgiving activities:
- Fizzing Turkey Science – My most favorite Thanksgiving activity of all time
- Painting with Feathers – Art meets sensory meets Thanksgiving
- Play Dough Turkeys – These are the absolute cutest things ever
- Turkey Tape Resist Art – This activity goes viral every year for good reason!
Materials
Friends Art Lab is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.
- Clear contact paper – I used this exact roll, but if I needed more for this project, I would buy this roll
- Painter’s tape or masking tape
- Brown paper for the turkey body – you could also use a brown grocery bag or piece of cardboard
- Scissors
- Craft feathers – I have this exact set, but if you’re looking for an Amazon set, I would try this set
- Markers or googly eyes – optional, for turkey’s face
How to make this sticky Thanksgiving turkey craft
Cut a piece of contact paper and tape it to a wall or window with the sticky side facing outward.
Add a turkey body shape to the contact paper. I cut mine from brown construction paper, but a piece of cardboard or a paper grocery bag would also work great.
Invite the kids to start decorating by pressing feathers onto the sticky contact paper.
Let them experiment with placing and repositioning feathers to make their own unique turkey design.
What kids learn from this Thanksgiving turkey craft
This Thanksgiving turkey craft has so many hidden learning opportunities.
- Fine motor skills – Peeling and placing feathers builds those tiny muscles.
- Creativity – Kids can arrange feathers however they like to make each turkey unique.
- Social skills – If you’re crafting with a group, this activity encourages teamwork and sharing.
- Color recognition – Point out the different colors of feathers as they create their masterpiece.
- Sensory exploration – The sticky surface of contact paper adds a unique sensory experience.
Thanksgiving turkey craft tips
For this Thanksgiving turkey craft, here are some tips to make it a hit.
- Place the contact paper at child-level on the wall so they can reach it comfortably.
- Use a variety of feather colors to keep it visually exciting for your little ones.
- If the contact paper loses its stickiness, add a fresh layer. You can reuse your turkey body shape on the new layer.
- No feathers? No problem! Invite kids to use foam shapes or cut up paper for feathers, too.
Turkey talk: Fun facts for kids
Add an educational twist with some fun turkey trivia.
Kids love learning quirky facts about animals, and it’s a perfect opportunity to sprinkle in some Thanksgiving fun.
- Did you know wild turkeys can run up to 20 miles per hour?
- Turkeys have around 5,000 to 6,000 feathers covering their bodies.
- The famous “gobble gobble” sound only comes from male turkeys, called toms.
- A turkey’s color changes with its emotions – their heads can go from red to blue to white depending on how they’re feeling!
Frequently Asked Questions
This craft is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers but can be enjoyed by older kids too.
Yes! Foam shapes, leaves, or even small paper shapes work great, too.
Encourage them to design a background or add details like wings or a nest.
What happens to the art after you’re all done, meaning, how do you save it for display? I read the original post on busytoddler.com and the two activities are a little different. The other site gives an ending. I can’t find an ending to save this method.
We left ours on the window and kids can come back and forth to it! 🙂