Thanksgiving Theme Math and Crafts!

Turkey “Disguises” Family Craft – Turkey Template   Note to Families: Turkey Disguise Instructions for Families

Print the Turkey Disguise Template (linked above) for your family or those of your students.  Attached the note (linked above) to the turkey template.   Tell each family that they are to work together to “disguise” their turkey so he won’t be eaten on Thanksgiving Day!  Remind them use their imaginations and be creative.  It is fun to see what other families come up with!  We’ve even used this as a family “game” on Thanksgiving Day and divided into groups with a small prize for the best turkey “disguise.” Have each family return the turkeys to school and use as a November display.   The turkey above is disguised using the felted owl craft kit available at Freckles Crafts.

Cardboard Tube Turkeys

Materials needed:  Empty cardboard tubes (one per child), silk, plastic, or real leaves (five or six per child), glue dots or poster putty, black/red/yellow crayons or markers.

Have the children arrange the leaves behind the cardboard tube to resemble the turkey’s feathers.  The children can attach the leaves with glue dots (poster putty works well, too.) Have the children make facial features and the waddle for their turkey (younger children may need assistance with the facial features and attaching the leaf “feathers.”)

Ordering Leaves by Size – Smallest to Largest Leaves

Materials needed:  One (or more) Smallest to Largest Leaves page (linked above), and scissors.

Have the children cut the leaf cards apart (assist younger children or pre-cut prior to the activity.)  Have the children sort the cards into piles of large, medium, and small leaves.   Once the leaves are sorted by size, have the children place the leaves in order from smallest to largest or largest to smallest.  The children could also sort the leaves into colors. For patterning skills, have the children use the different color leaves to create patterns. For younger children, start a leaf pattern for them and see if they can continue (extend) the pattern started.  You might also do a complete pattern and see if the children can duplicate the pattern and begin to recognize the patterns created.  Extension Activity – Write a number on the larger leaves.  Make several copies of the smaller leaves and have the children count out the number of small leaves to correspond with the number written on the larger leaves.  Print more copies of the leaf cards and have the older children work with larger numbers.

For MORE Fall and Thanksgiving Math and Art ideas, see the Thanksgiving Thematic Unit at The Preschool Toolbox!