A Book and a Craft: T is for Turkey

When holidays are in the near future I either pick up a few themed books from Scholastic sales or borrow some from the library to read with my daughter in the days leading up to the celebration. She’s been on the earth four years now, so she’s beginning to get the hang of holiday traditions, but it’s still fun to read how holidays originated and how others celebrate in our country.

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T is for Turkey

This book is called T is for Turkey: A True Thanksgiving Story (by Tanya Lee Stone illustrated by Gerald Kelley) and is a cute little tale using the ABC’s to tell the history behind November’s most grateful holiday through a children’s school play. (Hint: Not a bad book to base a real school play on if you’re a teacher!)

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My daughter likes to try and point out which ones are the pilgrims and which ones are the Native Americans on each page and she’s getting to be an expert at pronouncing words such as Massasoit and Wompanoag. I even learned some fun facts while reading this to her: for instance Abraham Lincoln is the president who declared Thanksgiving a national holiday at the request of Sarah Hale (who also wrote Mary Had a Little Lamb FYI).

Many times I try to come up with a craft to go along with a book my daughter and I have been reading. There are lots of activities that could easily go along with this book, but we decided to keep it simple and make some turkeys.

Turkey, confetti, glue, paper, googly eyes
Turkey Craft Items Needed

I freehanded an outline of a turkey and let her fill in the feathers with glue by spreading it around with a Q-tip. It’s a great task for working on those fine motor skills.

Spread glue with a q-tip
Spread glue with a Q-tip

Then we sprinkled paper confetti on top to make colorful plumes.  (You could also use dot markers, sequins, glitter, real feathers, buttons, fruit loops or whatever you have on hand instead of confetti!)

Crafts with friends are always funnest!
Crafts with friends are always funnest!

You can easily dump off the excess confetti after a few moments of drying.

Dump the excess confetti
Dump the excess confetti

Then we cut out circles for the turkey body and head and added a beak and googly eyes…because no fun craft is complete without googly eyes!

Adding the turkey body
Adding the turkey body
No turkey is complete without googly eyes!
No turkey is complete without googly eyes!

Now you have a holiday craft to decorate your fridge or frame and you’ve spent some time making holiday memories with your kiddo!  (And her friend!)

So proud of her turkey!
So proud of her turkey!
Ready for the fridge!
Ready for the fridge!

What holiday crafts have you been doing lately?

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Katie
Katie left her home state of Tennessee to come pursue an interior design degree in Oklahoma fourteen years ago. She met a handsome young fella from Oregon while in school, and they decided to marry and settle down in OKC. A dog and two daughters soon followed. She has been a textile designer, showroom merchandiser, custom furniture draftsman and children’s minister, but her most challenging and favorite role has definitely been that of a mother. You can read about the adventures she shares with her family at Strawberry Ruckus. Katie enjoys reading, being creative, exploring old houses, eating peanut butter, zumba and watching complete television series all at once on Netflix.

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