DIY Turkey + Free Poem

Create a fun turkey learning manipulative for the fall season! Use the turkey to bring excitement and fun when practicing basic skills. It helps bring a little magic to the mundane!

If you are crafty, break out your foam and glue gun and transform a plastic container into an interactive turkey. Get the directions to create the turkey from a Cascade container here.  Have an extra plastic bucket? Get the directions to make that turkey here.  

Want an easier project? Just print, cut & use a turkey for an easy interactive center/activity!

Kids can feed the turkey to practice so many skills. I made up a little rhyme to go with the game. You can get your free copy of the poem here.


Using an animal to feed makes basic skills practice so much fun!

Use in a whole group or small group setting. You can pass out cards and have kids examine their cards to determine whether their card shows the matching skill. Whoever has the matching letter, sound, or number gets to "feed" the turkey.

I made up a little rhyme to bring more excitement to the turkey game. You can get your free copy here.

 You don't need to be crafty to make your own turkey to feed! Just find a picture of a turkey and cut it out. You have a two options to make your easy turkey.

 To make the magnetic center, you will just need to attach your turkey to a cookie sheet. This provides a magnetic surface for kids to attach the matches. I attached my cookie sheet to a Mini Magnetic Stand that I made out of PVC pipe. You can see the DIY directions here.

Students can then use the magnetic surface to attach the matches and "feed" the turkey.  You will do the same thing to make a turkey for the pocket chart. Find, print, and cut for the pocket chart. You are ready to roll!

The turkey on the cardboard box is just as easy. Just print or cut out a picture of a turkey. Find a cardboard box and cut a hole in the side with scissors or a box cutter.

 I glued paper around the hole, because I was in a rush and created a raggedy hole. I wanted to cover my mistakes with paper and glued the pieces of paper around the sides or the hole.

 Glue your turkey onto the box and add the poem. Your turkey is ready to join your kids for some fun! I hope you enjoyed these ideas.

 You can get all the turkey pictures, poem, and cards a in my Turkey Time pack. The Turkey Time pack will be 50% off this week for Markdown Monday! Hope you all have a wonderful week :)