Fall is here, which means Thanksgiving is coming…which means so are the turkeys! Actually where we live, we often see turkeys wandering the streets year-round so November isn’t anything special. But it does make for some fun fall activities for the little ones! Like this Turkey Feather Name Activity that’s a great way to help your child practice spelling their name. Or any name for that matter, like the one they might want to give the turkey itself.
While it can often take a while for preschoolers to learn full alphabet recognition, it’s a good idea to start with the letters in their name. I have been working on this with our preschooler for a while now and she’s getting better every day. She doesn’t always remember the name of the letter but she does know the order they go in.
That’s why I love including crafts and activities that revolve around her name! I especially love to do them when we do any sort of themed learning. And fall is an awesome time for some themed name practice activities like this turkey one or our Fall Pumpkin Name Practice Sensory Bin.
There’s something about turkeys kids are drawn to. Maybe it’s just because they gobble, and saying “Gobble! Gobble” is pretty funny! This name activity will definitely add some fun to helping your child learn their name but it will also help with writing, fine motor skills from cutting and gluing, and counting. Like counting how many feathers are in their name! Hey, hey… it’s a language, math, and art lesson all in one.
QUICK TIP: This activity can be used to practice middle names, last names, phone numbers, colors, words, the list goes on. Laminate the turkey and all of the feathers and then use dry erase pens on the feathers. That way you can write, attach, and erase! I love these easy Self-Adhesive Laminating Sheets or if you want to invest in a great, inexpensive laminator, this Scotch Laminator is the one I have used for years.
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Here’s what you’ll need for the Turkey Feather Name Practice Activity:
- Turkey Feather Name Activity printable (download below, it’s free!)
- White cardstock paper- I recommend cardstock because it makes the turkey and feathers more durable for when your kiddo wants to make it run, hop, dance, or fly
- Scissors
- Tape or Glue
- Black Marker
Here’s how you put this turkey together:
- Print the turkey and feathers on white cardstock paper and cut them out. The printable comes with eight (8) feathers but you may need to print more
- Let your child choose which color feathers they want to use.
- Write a letter of their name in the box on each feather
- Flip the turkey upside down and tape or glue the bottom of the feathers onto the back of the turkey, in letter order of the name. Make sure the letter side of the feathers are facing down.
- When you flip the turkey over your child will see their name fanned out in feathers.
Let them use as many feathers as they want, even if they have a short name. A long name will make the turkey so colorful! My daughter wanted to glue every feather to the turkey. She also wanted to use tape. So, after they were glued on, she practiced her taping skills on top…just to make sure they really didn’t fall off.
Our daughter has such an imagination right now and had her turkey “walking” all over the place saying “gobble, gobble” and then had him chasing after the cat which she thought was hysterical. Sigh.
Anyhow, she had a great time playing with Mr. Turkey for the next few days! And no, that’s not the name she gave him; he may not even be a boy. But as I’m typing this, I feel like he needs a name. Even though I guess it should just be “Emily”.
I’d love to know what your child names their turkey, if they do!
DOWNLOAD THE TURKEY FEATHER NAME PRACTICE PRINTABLE
If you like this Turkey Feather Name Activity and are looking for more name learning activities, check out this School Bus Name Practice printable too!
