I’ve been a vegetarian for years, but I still enjoy using turkeys as a theme for Thanksgiving. I just don’t focus on turkeys on the Thanksgiving table. Here, you’ll find lots of free turkey printables and Montessori-inspired turkey activities for classroom or home!
Free Printables Used in the Turkey Activities for Preschoolers-First Graders
Turkey Practical Life and Color Matching Activity
This was a fun activity to prepare. I used the the Turkey Template by The Mommy Teacher to create a turkey from a colander. Because I had found a small colander at the grocery store, I printed out the turkey template at 50%. With a larger colander, I would have used the larger size. I also printed out the Turkey Feather Color Game from TOADally Tots for the feathers. (Update: TOADally Tots is no longer available, so free colored feathers from Teachers Pay Teachers could work. These are a possibility.) I used a large plastic tray from Montessori Services.
When I laminated the feathers before cutting them out, they were stiff enough to insert into the colander holes for a practical life activity. I would recommend using this as a color-matching activity as well. I only used two feathers of each color for the matching activity. With a child who isn’t comfortable with identifying colors yet, you could place a feather on the table or rug in front of the child and ask him or her to find the matching feather. Then he or she could insert the feathers into the colander. A child who’s more comfortable with color names could be asked to find the red feathers and so on before inserting them into the colander turkey.
Although I used feathers from the printable, I imagine colored feathers from a craft store would work very well. You could also use colored pipe cleaners and have the child place matching colored beads on each pipe cleaner after it’s inserted into a hole in the colander.
Turkey Cutting Activity
For this activity, I used the Thanksgiving Cut It Out from This Reading Mama. This printable has lots of fun turkey cutting activities for various skill levels. This is just one example of tray for cutting straight lines to make turkey puzzles. The tray is an inexpensive wooden tray from Michaels hobby store
Ten Little Turkeys Activity and Song
I always loved holiday songs and props for group times as a Montessori teacher and as a homeschooler. This activity uses the Ten Little Turkeys Activity and Song. This is especially fun with the song “10 Little Turkeys.” The link in the download no longer works, but you can find the original melody by Rachel Rambach and two other versions of “10 little Turkeys” in my Free Thanksgiving Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time post.
You could use the props at circle time and allow children to use the tray to act out the song on their own.
Update: The turkey fractions activity uses a free turkey printable from a blog that isn’t available any longer. There are a number of fun, free turkey fraction printables on Teachers Pay Teachers. The original clip art from Pink Cat Studio is available for free on Teachers Pay Teachers, so you can design your own turkey fraction printable if you choose.
This is just a fun themed extension to fraction work. The printable I used also contained the fraction words, but I just used the symbols and numerical fraction. I put the layout on a large hemmed work rug from Montessori Services.
Build-a-Turkey Phonetic Reading Activity
This was a super easy activity to prepare. I used Build a Turkey – CVC Freebie from My Fabulous Class and a medium-size tray from Montessori Services. This is simply a fun way for children who are working on blending phonetic sounds into words.
Free Turkey Printables for Preschoolers-First Graders
Note: These free printables focus specifically on turkeys or have more than one activity that’s specifically about turkeys. For general Thanksgiving printables, be sure to check out my post from last year: Montessori-Inspired Thanksgiving Math Activities and Free Thanksgiving Printables.
- Parts of a Turkey 3-Part Cards and Definitions from Trillium Montessori
- Thanksgiving Thank You from Teaching Mama
- Turkeys {Expanded} from A Teaching Mommy
- Turkey and Thanksgiving Theme from Making Learning Fun
- Turkey Feather Matching Cards from Teach Beside Me
- Turkey Freebie from Pre-K is Special
- Five Little Turkeys from Kindergarten Fever
- Odd and Even Numbers Turkey Coloring Freebie from Learning Ideas – Grades K-8
- Turkey Categories from Speech Room News
- Hide Turkey Hide! from Kinder Kapers
- Turkey Scramble from Kinderglynn
- Color by Number Turkey from Criss-Cross Applesauce
- Turkey Printables from Teachers Pay Teachers
More Thanksgiving Resources (2023 Update)
Amazon Affiliate:
- Montessori-Inspired Gratitude Activities
- How to Help Your Child Feel Comfortable Greeting Relatives
- Table Setting
- How to Teach Your Child Table Manners for Holiday Gatherings
- Homeschool Thanksgiving
- Activity of the Week – Montessori Thanksgiving Noun Sorting Work
- Montessori-Inspired Corn Unit
- Montessori-Inspired Thanksgiving Activitie
- Kids in the Kitchen on Thanksgiving
- Montessori-Inspired Thanksgiving Math Activities and Free Thanksgiving Printables
- Thanksgiving Grace and Courtesy
- Montessori-Inspired Native American Unit
- Free Turkey Printables and Montessori-Inspired Turkey Activities
- 20+ Family Gratitude Activities
- Montessori-Inspired Thanksgiving Ideas
- Free Thanksgiving Songs and Rhymes for Circle Time
- Free Gratitude Songs and Rhymes for Home or School
- Delicious and Nutritious Vegan, Gluten-Free Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin Pie Squares
- How to Make Fluffy and Tasty Coconut Whipped Cream
- How to Help Your Kids Have an Attitude of Gratitude (November Gratitude Activities)
- 30+ Free Thanksgiving Gratitude Printables for Kids
- Free Guided Gratitude Meditations for Kids
- Free Guided Gratitude Meditations {Mindfulness Resources for Teens and Adults}
- Free Gratitude Printables and Montessori-Inspired Gratitude Activities
- Historically Accurate and Culturally Sensitive Thanksgiving Printables for Preschool Through Elementary
- Free Gratitude Do-a-Dot Phonics Printable (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- How to Use Flint Corn (Ornamental Corn) for Montessori Practical Life and Language Work
- Free Gratitude Cutting Strips (Montessori-Inspired Instant Download)
- The Best Gratitude Books for Kids
- Gratitude Activities and Inspiration Pinterest Board,
- Kids’ Thanksgiving Activities Pinterest Board
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Ana says
Thanks for this wonderful printables. Just to share a free pack of file folders Turkey style 🙂
http://ingles360.blogspot.com.ar/2013/10/gooble-gooble-free-pack.html
Kim says
You’ve been featured on our After School Thanksgiving Roundup of Activities for School Aged Kids this week. These turkey activities are so much fun for the kids to create and learn with. Just want to tell you that we are so thankful for you and your blog! Happy Thanksgiving!
Kelly Burlinski says
I just saw my cvc turkeys on pinterest and had to follow the link. Love all the freebies. Great website!
Kelly
myfabulousclass.blogspot.com
Carrie says
Great round-up!! Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!
Thaleia ( says
Love this round-up of @Thanksgiving ideas. Thanks for linking up to the Thoughtful Spot Blog Hop. I have chosen your post as one of my features this week!
Anastasia says
These are so much fun! Thank you so much for sharing at Kids Learning Printables Linky Party!