Thankful Turkey

Choose 8 to 10 songs that the children love to sing including some "thankful" songs.

Using the Turkey from the November 22, 2014 blog post:

• cut 1 large circle and one small circle
• draw the face as shown 
• Cut out 10 to 20 (or more) feathers from colored paper
• Tape the turkey on the board with no feathers
• Give each teacher 3 or 4 (or more) feathers and ask them to help the children write something they are thankful for on each feather.
• choose one class (I look for reverent classes) and ask 3 or four children from that class to bring up the feathers and read what was on each feather
• tape them around the big circle (the body of the turkey)
• Sing one or two of your chosen songs
• Choose another class and repeat the process, singing a song after the feathers are place on the turkey

Instead of cutting out the turkey, you could draw it on the board and tape the feathers around it's body.

This activity can be long or short to meet your music time.

Thanksgiving - Pluck a Feather

I will be using my turkey this week.  I am putting several "thankful" songs on the back of each feather plus a few favorite songs and a couple of Article of Faith songs.  A child will come will come and pick a feather and we will sing that song.  Continue until there are no feathers left or time runs out.

Here is a sample of  the Turkey that I use:

The "Thankful" Turkey

Here is a great way to sing "thankful" songs and and share things that you are thankful for - the "Thankful Turkey!"  Cut a large circle from brown paper for the turkey body.  Draw or cut out another small circle from tan or grey paper for his face.  Draw a beak and eyes and a red waddle.  Paste the face in the middle of the large circle.  Cut several hearts from all colors.  These will be the turkey's feathers - thankful feathers.  Put the hearts in a basket.  Choose songs that talk about thankfulness or favorites from the Sacrament Meeting Program.  Before you sing a song choose several children to pick a heart and tell what they are thankful for, then tape the heart around the turkey body as feathers.  You can have 10 feathers (hearts) or as many as 50 if time permits.  A challenge would be not to repeat anything that the children are thankful for.

Thanksgiving Turkey

Thanksgiving or giving thanks is a great concept to teach children.  I love to give the children many opportunities to express their thankfulness -- they come up with treasured ideas.  I made a simple turkey and 10 feathers (more or less).  Tape the turkey on a board.  Let the children either put the feathers on the turkey or take them off.  There are several things that you can put on the feathers:

1. titles of "thankful" songs
2. titles of favorite songs
3. phrases of a song that you are working on

Ask the children to tell one or two things that they are thankful for, then let them choose a feather.  Sing the song or phrase on the feather.

How to make a simple turkey:

Make one large circle for the turkey body.  Cut another small circle for the head.  You can put a waddle, eyes, mouth and feet if you would like.  Cut several feathers out.  I made the feathers out of several different colors.  It should look like this: