# Open-Ended Foam Turkey Craft
> Kids glue feathers, buttons, sequins and other collage bits onto store-bought foam turkey cut-outs. It's an open-ended busy-play craft you can set up in under 5 minutes, handy for the kids' table or before the big Thanksgiving dinner.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/thanksgiving-craft-with-foam-shapes/
- Ages: 2–5 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: low
- Time: prep 5 min, activity 15 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class
- Skills: fine-motor, patterns, counting, colors
- Cautions: ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- 1 piece Foam turkey cut-outs
- 1 piece Glue stick
- Collage materials
- 1 piece Bowls or a sectioned tray for the collage bits (household)
- 1 piece Table cover (optional) (household)

## Safety
- Buttons, sequins, beads and other small collage bits are a choking hazard. Supervise toddlers and anyone who still mouths things.
- Use glue sticks rather than liquid glue if you can't sit with the kids. The author did this because leaving a toddler alone with glue didn't seem like a good idea.

## Before you start
- Buy the foam turkey cut-outs before Thanksgiving day. Stores switch to Christmas shapes fast.
- Sort the collage materials into bowls or a sectioned tray.

## Steps
1. Set out the foam turkeys on a covered table, one or more for each child.
2. Put the collage materials in bowls or a tray where everyone can reach them.
3. Give each child a glue stick.
4. Rub glue onto the turkey wherever you want a decoration.
5. Press feathers, buttons, sequins and other bits onto the glue.
6. Try making a pattern, like a ring of buttons in alternating colors.
7. Count the pieces on your turkey and name their colors.
8. Lay the finished turkeys out together to show off your flock.

## Tips
- Sustained interest depends on the collage materials you supply. They should appeal to your kids and their current likes.
- Foam cut-out activities have ALWAYS come in handy for pre-dinner meltdowns, at least with my preschooler. The toddler had only a fleeting interest.
- It takes under 5 minutes to throw together. Keep that in mind when you're preparing the big dinner on Thanksgiving day or need an activity for the kids' table.
- All the turkeys were not decorated in one sitting. All kids have different attention spans.
- If you're involved rather than using it as busy play, you can turn it into a learning activity on patterns, counting and colors.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2013)

### Time for another easy open-ened Thanksgiving craft - a foam turkey craft.

It’s gobble gobble time and all the stores carry orange colored Thanksgiving knick knacks.. One such seasonal item I always buy from the "store-which-should-not-be-named" is foam cut out, foam turkeys for the month.We have used foam cutouts in a couple of activities in the past. [We did addition with apple and pumpkin foam shapes](https://www.funlittles.com/addition-activity-for-preschoolers/). We used the [pumpkin shapes](https://www.funlittles.com/halloween-sensory-bin/) for our Halloween sensory bin. Foam cut outs activities have ALWAYS come in handy for pre-dinner meltdowns, at least with my pre schooler. Toddler has a fleeting interest in this regard. Today’s Thanksgiving craft is a uber-simple one that you can throw together in under 5 minutes. Bear that in mind when you are preparing the big dinner on Thanksgiving day or if you need a good activity for the kids table.

- Foam shapes (turkeys)
- Glue stick
- Collage materials

 As I said before, the success of the activity in terms of sustained interest in this Thanksgiving craft is based on the collage materials supplied. It should clearly be appealing to your kids and current likes. Nature bits, glitter, stickers, sequins, buttons, feathers, pipe cleaners, tissue paper bits, beads are something we usually use. I set out the turkeys and glue sticks (Not glue since I can’t be directly involved in the activity) Knowing the toddler, leaving the kids alone with glue did not seem like a good idea for me. I asked them to go to town with the collage materials. All through the process I kept hearing excited ooohs and aaahhhs as the pre schooler and toddler worked together( many times taunting each other on whose turkey is better). Sigh! One lesson at a time.

 With the competitiveness aside, this turkey craft helped them tremendously in developing their fine motor skills. Big A true to form, did her patterned decorating. Here are some final shots.







Please note that all the turkeys were not decorated and played with in one setting. All kids have different attention spans. Remember to buy those foam shapes before Thanksgiving day. I already see lots of snow flakes and snowman cutouts Christmas is fast approaching and the stores are turning red and green already. If you are not using this activity as busy play and are involved, then there are so many ways in which you can turn this into a craft-based learning activity.

- Fine Motor Skills
- Patterns
- Counting
- Colors

We have done few other thanksgiving crafts for kids

- [Turkey craft for your pre schooler](https://www.funlittles.com/thanksgiving-crafts-for-kids/)
- [Geometric turkey craft for your toddler](https://www.funlittles.com/thanksgiving-craft-for-the-toddler/)
- [Number Turkey](https://www.funlittles.com/math-based-turkey-craft/)
- [Turkey Hand print family Thanksgiving Art](https://www.funlittles.com/thanksgiving-art/)

**Thanks for reading**

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