With Thanksgiving just around the corner, this week the #playfulpreschool team has developed activities centered around a FEATHERS THEME for PRESCHOOL!  Whether you teach in the classroom or have children at home, your kids will enjoy the many activity suggestions offered below!  The textured turkeys are a great way to encourage fine motor skills while adding the extra sensory layers.  We hope your kids enjoy learning and playing with us this week!

TEXTURED SENSORY TURKEYS FOR PRESCHOOL

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Objective:  to encourage the foundation of fine motor skills, directionality, transferring, spatial relationships, and to raise awareness of the differences between writing and drawing through the use of line paths.

Materials needed:

• collage (and sensory) materials commonly found at home (examples:  spaghetti or other pasta, clay, playdough, cotton balls, aluminum foil, paint, rickrack, glitter, ribbon, yarn, Wikki Stix, beans, sand, spices, sticks, leaves, orange or lemon rinds, or rice)
• printable Turkey Template – linked here:  Sensory Turkey Template
• liquid glue and a paintbrush (depending on the choice of sensory materials, poster putty may work best to adhere the items to the turkey/turkey’s feathers)
• blank die (can also use index cards labeled with various line paths for the children to choose from) and a permanent marker for labeling the die
• markers and/or crayons

Prior to the activity:  label the blank die (or index cards) with various line paths for the children to choose from; print the Sensory Turkey Template (linked above) for each of the children; and set out all of the collage supplies as an invitation for the children to create and play!

Invite the children to roll the die (or draw a labeled index card) and copy the patterns onto the turkey/turkey feathers with a marker or crayon.  Very young children may need assistance in transferring the patterns in the beginning, but as they gain confidence and practice in transferring the line paths, it will become second nature.  Have the children continue rolling until they are finished transferring the line paths to the various turkey parts.

After the children have completed the line paths, invite them to select sensory materials to reinforce the various lines.  As the children select various sensory materials, discuss descriptive words that could accompany each item:  shiny, bumpy, crunchy, smooth, prickly, squishy, sticky, rough, sweet, sour, etc.  Allow time for the turkeys to dry thoroughly before inviting each child to share their creations.

The textured turkeys are not only a playful way to encourage important early skills, but they also make great displays at home or in the classroom for Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving and Turkey Books Your Kids Will Enjoy!

5 Silly Turkeys by Salina Yoon 

Albuquerque Turkey by B. G. Ford

Pete the Cat – The First Thanksgiving by Kimberly and James Dean

10 Fat Turkeys by Tony Johnston

T is for Turkey by Tanya Lee Stone

The Night Before Thanksgiving by Natasha Wing

Also see our own Thanksgiving or 5 Senses Thematic Units for additional activities for preschool and kindergarten!

For more literacy and math activities with FEATHERS, see here!  

Additional FEATHERS THEME ACTIVITIES from the Playful Preschool Team:

ALL PLAYFUL PRESCHOOL THEMES:

APPLES THEME ACTIVITIES, FAMILY and HERITAGE THEME ACTIVITIES, FARM THEME ACTIVITIES, HARVEST THEME ACTIVITIES, FALL COLORS, NIGHT SKY THEME, DINOSAUR THEME, COMMUNITY HELPERS THEME, CREEPY CRAWLIES THEME, SCARECROW THEME