One of my favorite classroom projects year after year is our November Turkey in Disguise Project. Each year, I’m amazed by the creativity of families as they work together on this fun assignment. I introduce the project with a letter from Mr. Turkey pleading for help!.
Then, I send home a letter to families, so they know exactly what to expect. I like to be clear about project expectations, the deadline, and all the little details. Plus, I send a blank turkey template on white card stock with the kids so they can start their Turkey in Disguise project right away!
I let parents and students know right away that their Turkey in Disguise is a family project. I don’t want to see mom or dad’s work alone. Families need to work with their children…and include siblings in the process! The more the merrier.
I also encourage families to be as creative as possible. I tell them to look through Pinterest for ideas, but I also tell them to look around them for ideas… popular TV shows, children’s toys, etc.
One year, when Duck Dynasty was very popular, one of my students dressed up as Uncle Si with a turkey. It was one of the funniest and most original Turkey in Disguise projects I’ve ever seen, and the kids voted for it and gave it an award!
The holidays are a magical time of year, full of joy, togetherness, and traditions One fun tradition many families enjoy is disguising their turkey as Santa Claus for Thanksgiving dinner! This quirky activity brings lots of laughter and creates lasting memories
If you want to disguise your turkey as Santa this year, this step-by-step guide will walk you through the entire process With some simple materials and a bit of creativity, you can transform your plain turkey into Jolly Old St Nick. Let’s get started!
Supplies You’ll Need
To disguise your turkey, you’ll need
- Turkey (thawed if frozen)
- Red, white and black construction paper or felt
- Googly eyes
- Pom poms
- Cotton balls
- Glue (glue stick or tacky glue)
- Scissors
- Markers or crayons
- Santa hat template (print out the free one below)
Step 1: Print Out the Santa Disguise Templates
Start by printing out our free Santa turkey disguise template, which you can get by clicking on the link below:
Free Printable Santa Turkey Template
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This printable contains all the pieces you need to transform your turkey into Santa, including his face, beard, hat, and more. Print it out on red, white and black construction paper or felt.
Step 2: Cut Out the Disguise Pieces
Use scissors to carefully cut out all of the disguise pieces from the printed template. Make sure to cut out:
- Santa’s face and beard
- Santa’s hat
- The coat and belt
- Santa’s boots
- Bag/present to cover the turkey’s tail feathers
Have kids help with cutting out the pieces – it’s great practice for their scissor skills!
Step 3: Decorate the Turkey’s Head
Take the turkey’s head portion and decorate it to look like Santa’s face.
Glue on the googly eyes towards the top of the head. Then glue on the beard right below the eyes.
Use markers or crayons to add Santa’s rosy red cheeks.
Step 4: Add Santa’s Hat
Take the Santa hat you cut out and glue or tape it to the top of the turkey’s head.
If desired, use a red pom pom for the hat’s fuzzy ball at the end.
Step 5: Cover the Turkey’s Body with Santa’s Suit
Now comes the fun part – disguising the rest of the turkey’s body as Santa!
First, take the coat piece and glue it onto the turkey’s body, making sure to cover the wings.
Next, glue the belt across the center of Santa’s coat.
You can also glue on cotton balls to make Santa’s trim around his coat, hat, and mittens.
Step 6: Attach Santa’s Boots and Bag
To finish the disguise, glue on Santa’s black boots at the base of the turkey where its feet are.
Then take the bag or present piece and glue it around the tail feathers to cover them up.
If using the bag, you can tie a ribbon around the opening for an extra festive touch.
Step 7: Add the Finishing Touches
To complete Santa turkey, consider adding:
- Three mini jingle bells on his coat as buttons
- A sprig of holly tucked into his hat
- A name tag that says “Santa”
- A mini candy cane tucked into his boot
Get creative with the final details and make your Santa turkey unique!
Turkey Disguise Tips and Ideas
- Let kids help with decorating so they feel involved in the process
- Use whatever craft supplies you have on hand – construction paper, felt, tissue paper and more will all work great
- Try attaching the disguise pieces with tape instead of glue for easy removal after dinner
- Look for turkey disguise ideas on Pinterest or Instagram for even more inspiration
- Consider disguising the turkey platter too for the ultimate Santa presentation
The Big Turkey Reveal
Once your masterpiece turkey is ready, it’s time for the big reveal!
Bring your Santa turkey to the table and watch your family’s delight and surprise. Serve up with a “Ho Ho Ho” and enjoy all the laughter together.
Part of the fun is eventually taking the disguise off to carve the turkey. Consider saving your kids’ handmade Santa disguise and displaying it each holiday season for a very merry tradition.
Disguising a turkey as Santa Claus for Thanksgiving is such a fun way to bring extra holiday magic. With these simple steps, you and your kids can work together to transform your ordinary turkey into Saint Nick himself.
Let your creativity run wild as you make this activity your own. The memories made will last a lifetime! Have a very merry Thanksgiving with your Santa turkey disguise.
The Most Memorable Turkey in Disguise Project
Of course, my favorite was the turkey that was supposed to be ME! If only I were that young and pretty! See the number in the bottom left corner? That’s how I number each project. Then, using a secret ballot, the students get to vote on categories like “Most Creative,” “Most Unique,” and “Best Disguise.”
Students love to vote, and I’m always impressed by how they support their friends without getting angry. We also take the time to discuss how honorable it is NOT to vote for yourself. The voting process is a great character lesson for the children!.
Finally, we award blue ribbons to the winners. Every kid gets a certificate and a bag of Turkey Toes (candy corn) for saving a turkey’s life.
This year, Uncle Si won for Best Disguise, The Girl Scout won for Most Unique, and the Easter Bunny won for Most Creative.
Great Books to Kick off Your Project
When introducing the project, I also like to read some fabulous turkey books. There are many wonderful Thanksgiving books that fit the theme of a turkey trying to avoid being eaten. Kids can really relate to the turkey after reading these books, which makes them want to hide him even more!
Here are some of my favorite Turkey themed books. I’ve included Amazon shopping links for your convenience.
Santa Turkey Disguise Craft For Kids
FAQ
What is the story of disguise a turkey project?
How do you make a Santa Claus disguise for a Turkey?
Kids can use crayons, coloring pencils, or markers (markers really make this craft pop). Also, print the sheet with just the turkey on it. This is where we’ll design the Santa Claus disguise for the turkey. Kids can color it whole or just the parts that won’t be hidden by the disguise.
How do you make a disguise a Turkey?
Place the feet with the toes pointed upward and glue them to the bottom of the turkey’s body. Finish up by gluing the Santa turkey body to the feathers. Use green feathers for Christmas colors or black for Santa’s bag. We’re sure your kids loved making this cool disguise a turkey project idea!
How do you make a Santa hat for a Turkey?
Glue the Santa body over the turkey’s body. Add the two arms along with the mittens directly below them. Next, glue on Santa’s boots to cover the turkey’s feet. 6. Add Santa’s face details. Glue on Santa’s beard and red hat. 7. Add cotton balls. Gently unravel a cotton ball to glue on. Add some glue to the beard, hat brim and mitten ends.
How do you make a Santa bag for a Turkey?
Line the template up on your turkey so that the bag covers the tail feathers completely. Place the lid over the turkey’s face and trace it. Use scissors to cut out the circle on the template. Trace the template onto a piece of brown paper for the Santa bag (or any color you’d like) and cut it out.
How do you show a turkey without a disguise?
Print the sheet that has the “I am not a turkey, I am…” text on it. This one will be used as a background and will show the turkey without a disguise. Have the kids color it in with colors they feel represent the regular-looking turkey the most. Kids can use crayons, coloring pencils, or markers (markers really make this craft pop).
How do you protect a Turkey from becoming dinner?
This Thanksgiving, help your kids protect a turkey from becoming dinner by letting them create a disguise! This disguise a turkey mermaid is perfect for even the youngest artist, as all you need is some construction paper, scissors, and glue. Who knows – maybe she’ll be so well disguised that the farmer won’t even think twice about her!