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As the leaves start to crunch underfoot and the scent of pumpkin spice begins to fill the air, we know Thanksgiving is on its way. And what’s Thanksgiving without our feathered friend, the turkey? This year, why not add a personal touch to your festive decorations with a craft that’s sure to ruffle some feathers—in the best way possible! Enter the cork painted turkey, a craft as fun to make as it is cute to display. It’s a fantastic way for kids to get involved in the holiday prep and unleash their inner artists.

Not only does this craft get the creative juices flowing, but it’s also a clever way to upcycle those leftover corks from your crafting stash. So, let’s shake out those paint bottles and dive into a crafting session that will leave you with a flock of adorable turkeys, each with its own unique plumage of colorful patterns.

List of Materials

Corks
Washable paints in various colors (red, yellow and orange)
Paper plate
Brown, red, and orange construction paper
Googly eyes
Glue
Scissors
Tray (to contain the mess)

Tips for Making this Craft

Cover your crafting area with newspaper or a plastic sheet to catch any stray paint or use a tray or baking sheet.
Use a separate cork for each paint color to avoid mixing.

Cork Painted Turkey Craft Instructions

Start by setting up your workspace. Place a tray down to contain any mess, and lay out your paper plate.
Take your brown construction paper, and cut out a smaller circle over a larger circle for the turkey’s body.
Now, it’s time to create those vibrant feathers! Have your child dip a cork into the first color of paint and press it onto the paper plate to start the feather pattern. Repeat this step with different colors, overlapping some of the cork prints to create a full and festive feather effect. Let the paint dry.

While the body dries, use the red construction paper to cut out a wattle (that’s the red dangly bit under the turkey’s neck). Cut out a small triangle from the orange paper for the beak. Fold the orange paper in half and cut out a triangle to make a beak that opens! Glue the wattle, beak and googley eyes to the head of the turkey.

Once the paper plate is dry, glue on the body.
For the final touch, try adding two small feet from the orange construction paper and glue them to the bottom of your turkey body.
Voila! You now have a colorful turkey ready to strut its stuff on your Thanksgiving table or proudly display on the fridge.

Skills Learned

Color recognition and selection.
Fine motor skills from handling corks and applying small details.
Creativity in designing their turkey’s feathers.

This cork painted turkey craft is not only a fantastic way to spend a chilly autumn afternoon but also an opportunity to chat about the Thanksgiving holiday, its traditions, and why it’s important to give thanks. Plus, it’s a craft that works just as well in the classroom as it does at home. So gather up those corks and let’s get painting—those turkeys won’t make themselves!

Age Suitability

This activity is good for toddlers aged children 2 years old and up with adult assistance.

Mess Level

The mess level for this activity is low.

Difficulty to Create

Easy.

Toddler and Preschooler Curriculums, Books & TV Show!

Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers

There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!

But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.

Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.

Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!

These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!

Click here for more information: Play2Learn

Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.

Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids

Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.

Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.

Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.

Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids

Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.

Find out more and grab your copy here.

Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.

Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids

Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.

350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.

Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!

Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.

TV Show: Curious Crafting

I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.

Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!

Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.

In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.

Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.

This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.

The Best Sensory Play Kits for Kids

Play is at the core of learning during the early years and it can take many forms. One of the most important of these is sensory play because it engages all of a child’s senses (taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing) and has a enoumous positive impact on brain development.

Our Sensory Play Kits are some fun and easy ways to keep your child engaged while at the same time using sensory play to nurture their mind!

Shop our ready made play kits here.