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Cardboard Tube Turkey Craft

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Out of the dozens of cardboard tube crafts we’ve made over the years, we’ve never made a turkey. Go figure.

So, this was the year to correct things (and use of that supply of cardboard tubes we’ve accumulated) and make a cute and very colorful Cardboard Tube Turkey Craft.

Let’s grab some supplies and get crafting! And, once you’re done with your turkey, check out all of our Thanksgiving Crafts for Kids for more holiday fun with your kids.

Close up of a turkey craft for kids made out of a cardboard tube with googly eyes and a colorful tail.

Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.

Supplies Needed:

2 empty cardboard tubes
Scissors
Red, orange, green, yellow, and brown craft paint
Glue
Googly Eyes
Scrap of yellow paper

Short cardboard tube painted brown and strips of cardboard painted green, yellow, orange, and red.

How to make your Cardboard Tube Turkey Craft

To start, we need to cut up our cardboard tubes. Cut one tube in half. We’ll only use one of the halves for our turkey, so set the extra half aside. If you’re making this craft with a group, precut the tubes in half to eliminate waste.

Cut the second cardboard tube lengthwise into four different sections.

Paint your half tube brown and your lengthwise sections in red, orange, yellow, and green.

Close up of a piece of cardboard tube painted red with fringes cut at the top

After your paint is dry, cut fringes in the top of each color section.

Then, cut each of the tail sections in half lengthwise. You’ll have eight different fringed pieces for your tail.

Cardboard pieces fanned out in a variety of Thanksgiving colors, red, orange, yellow, and green

Alternate the colors of your tail pieces and arrange your fringed section into a fan-shape just like in the photo above.

You’ll want it to be in the shape of a half circle.

In process photo of gluing the tail pieces together to show where to place the glue at the bottom of the fan shape.

Glue your tail pieces together. Start with the first piece, and use a quarter-size spot of glue to glue each piece down.

Glue piece by piece until you have your fan shape complete.

Hold tight for awhile to let the glue dry. Then, take a clothespin (or any type of clip) and clip the glued section to hold it tight while the glue dries. It can take awhile for the glue to dry since this is such a thick piece.

Note: If you would like to avoid the drying time, you can use a hot-glue gun for this project. It will dry a lot faster and you won’t need to use the clothespin as a clamp. If your kids are old enough to use a hot-glue gun, I would use this instead of the white glue to cut back on waiting times.

Close up of the body of your turkey, a half cardboard tube painted brown with two googly eyes and a small yellow triangle for the beak.

While you’re waiting for your tail to dry, complete the turkey’s face.

Glue two googly eyes to your brown painted cardboard tube. Then add a small triangle of yellow for the beak.

Finally, take your tail (which will be a bit heavy) and glue it to the back of your turkey. Use your clothespin to help hold the two pieces together until they dry. (Again, use your hot glue gun for this step to cut back on drying time.)

Once everything is dry, your super-cute and colorful turkey craft is ready for display.

Cardboard tube turkey craft for kids with a brown body and red, orange, yellow, and green tail feathers.

If you enjoyed this Cardboard Tube Turkey Craft, the above photo is perfect for sharing on Facebook or you can save the photo below on Pinterest.

Pinterest image showing the completed cardboard tube turkey and an in process image of the tail feathers with the words cardboard tube turkey in the middle

You may also like one of these Thanksgiving activities for kids:

Cardboard Tube Pilgrim Hat Craft

Turkey Suncatcher Craft

Fun Cranberry Activities for Kids

Sensory Bottle Turkeys at Fun-A-Day

Fun Thanksgiving Books To Read With Your Craft

The Night Before Thanksgiving by Natasha Wing

Bear Says Thanks by Karma Wilson

A Turkey for Thanksgiving by Eve Bunting

Cranberry Thanksgiving by Wende and Harry Devlin

How to Catch a Turkey by Adam Wallace

Recommended Resources for Thanksgiving Crafts

If you’re looking for easy crafts, I love the limited addition Thanksgiving Box from Green Kid Crafts. It comes with all the supplies and instructions you need to make some cute Thanksgiving Crafts. We’re big fans of Green Kid Crafts boxes. They’re fun, easy, and contain only natural and sustainable materials. And, if you’re not interested in their Thanksgiving Box, there are plenty of other art and STEM boxes (including a monthly subscription) to choose from.

Find the Thanksgiving Box here.

Check out all the other boxes here.

Thanksgiving Math Activities for Kids

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It’s time to combine some holiday fun with math when you play one of these awesome Thanksgiving math activities.

You’ll find fun printable games and other hands-on ideas to practice addition, telling time, fractions, and more. Sounds like so much fun, right?

So let’s get started!

Have some fun learning and practicing math with both printable math games and other hands-on Thanksgiving math activities for kids.

Whether you’re looking for a simple printable math game or a fun way to practice math facts, just click through each link to get to all these fun ideas.

I just know you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for here.

Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.

Thanksgiving Math Activities

Fun Thanksgiving math games for kids to help them practice addition, multiplication, fractiions, and more.

Thanksgiving Addition Game: Add & Fill Turkey

Practice addition while you fill your turkey with this fun turkey addition game.

Pumpkin Pie Fractions Activity

Learn about fractions with this fun Thanksgiving twist to a classic activity.

Telling Time with a Turkey Clock

Practicing telling time can be so much fun with our fun paper plate turkey clock.

Build a Number Bond Turkey

Photo Credit: lifeovercs.com

Work on addition to ten with this fun felt number bond turkey.

Math Fact Families Turkeys

Photo Credit: www.notimeforflashcards.com

Practice any set of math facts with this fun Pin the Feathers on the Turkeys activity.

Racing Turkeys Number Line Game

Photo Credit: funlearningforkids.com

Race your turkeys along a number line with this fun number line game.

Turkey Feather Ten Frames

Photo Credit: www.coffeecupsandcrayons.com

Create turkeys out of ten frames with this fun Thanksgiving math game.

Thanksgiving SuDoKu Logic Games for Kids

Photo Credit: royalbaloo.com

Practice your logic skills with this printable turkey SoDoKu game.

Free Thanksgiving Addition Game – Turkey Trot Addition

Photo Credit: royalbaloo.com

Practice addition with this fun printable board game.

Roll a Turkey Math Facts Dice Game

Photo Credit: thisreadingmama.com

Practice math facts with this fun Roll a Turkey printable game.

Easy Thanksgiving Math With Addition & Subtraction

Photo Credit: www.3dinosaurs.com

Practice addition and subtraction with this fun printable Thanksgiving dinner mat.

"Build a Turkey" Number Sense Activity

Photo Credit: mathgeekmama.com

Develop your number sense with this fun printable Build a Turkey game.

No Prep Thanksgiving Multiplication Fact Practice

Photo Credit: royalbaloo.com

Practice your multiplication facts with this fun printable multiplication pack.

Which one of these fun Thanksgiving math activities are you going to try with your kids?

Fun Thanksgiving Math Games for Kids

You may also like one of these Thanksgiving Activities:

Turkey Art Projects for Kids

Thanksgiving Word Family Game: Word Family Turkeys

Printable Thanksgiving Word Searches for Kids

Fun Cranberry Activities for Kids

My Must-Have Math Resources:

Sometimes, as much as you want to prep a fun hands-on math activity, you just don’t have the time. That why I love having a few math games on hand.

Here are some great options. Your kids will have so much fun that they won’t realize how much they’re learning.

Paper Plate Valentine Bear Craft

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Paper plates make a great canvas for all sorts of crafts. We’ve used them for almost every holiday!

This time, we turned our paper plate into a cute Valentine bear craft.

This craft is easy to make and is a perfect Valentine craft for preschoolers. So, let’s grab some supplies and get started.

This fun paper plate Valentine bear craft is so easy to make with a few simple supplies. It's perfect for preschoolers to make for Valentine's Day.

Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.

Before you begin, set up your craft station.

I like to use an old sheet to cover my table and my girls wear an old t-shirt to protect their clothes. You can also use newspapers or even a plastic tray to protect your table.

This isn’t that messy of a craft, but anytime we use paint, I like to protect our clothes and table.

This fun paper plate Valentine bear craft is so easy to make with a few simple supplies. It's perfect for preschoolers to make for Valentine's Day.

Supplies Needed

Paper plate
Brown craft paint
Heart doily (6 inch works perfectly)
Googly eyes
Button
Pink or red construction paper
White glue

This fun paper plate Valentine bear craft is so easy to make with a few simple supplies. It's perfect for preschoolers to make for Valentine's Day.

How To Make Your Valentine Bear Craft

Start by using your brown craft paint to paint your paper plate for your bear’s head.

Let the paint dry for awhile.

While your paint is drying, cut out two circles from the pink or red construction paper for your bear’s ears. You can also trace around a drinking glass, jar lid, or other round object to help make your circles.

This fun paper plate Valentine bear craft is so easy to make with a few simple supplies. It's perfect for preschoolers to make for Valentine's Day.

After the paint is dry, glue your heart doily to the center of your plate.

Glue the googly eyes to the upper section of the doily. Then, glue your button to the bottom section.

This fun paper plate Valentine bear craft is so easy to make with a few simple supplies. It's perfect for preschoolers to make for Valentine's Day.

Finally glue your circle ears to the back of your bear so at least half of the circle sticks up to look like a pair of ears.

Let all the glue dry.

If you’d like, you can use glitter glue or marker to make your bear’s mouth. We preferred our bear without a mouth.

This fun Valentine bear craft was so simple to make. It’s perfect for preschoolers and even toddlers could handle it with a little bit of help.

This fun paper plate Valentine bear craft is so easy to make with a few simple supplies. It's perfect for preschoolers to make for Valentine's Day.

You May Also Like One of These Valentine Crafts:

Heart Stamped Valentine Cards

Coffee Filter Valentine Suncatcher

Heart Collage Valentines Cards

Paper Plate Valentine’s Day Unicorn at Red Ted Art

Our Favorite Valentine Craft Resources

This easy craft uses supplies that you probably already have at home. But, if you need to restock, here are some of our recommended resources:

Valentine’s Day Word Scramble Printable

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I always loved a fun word scramble when I was a kid. They’re fun and usually a quick activity. Plus, my brain loves the puzzle.

I still love them now and luckily, so do my kids. I don’t think I’ll ever grow out of my love for word puzzles and I don’t think my kids will either. Do you and your kids like to solve word scrambles?

That’s why I’ve got a fun Valentine’s Day Word Scramble printable for you. Print it out, share with your kids, and have some fun.

Can you unscramble all the words on this Valentine's Day word scramble printable for kids? Grab this free printable and have some fun.

Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.

Valentine’s Day Word Scramble

I created this simple word scramble with ten Valentine’s Day words, like cupid, love, and heart.

Unscramble and solve all the words. If you need help, you can also download and print the word scramble answer sheet.

This activity is fun for quiet time. It’s also a great time filler in the classroom. And, it’s perfect to take along to a waiting room or a restaurant.

Or, why don’t you try this idea? You can print one for all your classmates, roll them up, tie with a pretty ribbon, and hand them out as classroom Valentines instead of candy. Include a cute Valentine’s pencil as well. Wouldn’t that be so much fun?

How would you use this Valentine’s Day word scramble?

Can you unscramble all the words on this Valentine's Day word scramble printable for kids? Grab this free printable and have some fun.

Are you ready to have some fun? Use the links below to download and print your Valentine’s Day Word Scramble printable. Feel free to make as many copies as you need for your family, friends, or classroom.

And, for your convenience, you can also download and print an answer sheet.

Download the Valentine Word Scramble here

Download your answer sheet here

Can you unscramble all the words on this Valentine's Day word scramble printable for kids? Grab this free printable and have some fun.

You may also like one of these Valentine’s Day Activities:

No-Sew Valentine Pencil Topper

Valentine Watercolor Resist Painting

STEM at Home: Design a Valentine Card Holder

Valentine Word Family Game

Valentine Find and Color Printable at Picklebums

Resources to turn this into a classroom Valentine

This would be a perfect candy-free Valentine for the classroom. Just print, roll, tie with a ribbon. And, if you want, you can add a cool pencil or pen. Here’s some great resources to get you started.

Valentine Sensory Bags for Toddlers

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Are you looking for a mess free Valentine’s Day activity for young children? You’ll want to check out our Valentine sensory bags for toddlers.

They are super easy to put together and my kids just love to play with them.

Have some Valentine's Day fun with these simple Valentine sensory bags for toddlers. They're easy to make and fun to play with!

Disclosure: There are Amazon Affiliate and other affiliate links in this article which means, at no additional cost to you, we could receive compensation for our recommendations. You can read our full disclosure policy on our Disclosure Page for more details.

Valentine Sensory Bags for Toddlers

A sensory bag allows children to experience different textures and manipulate small objects while being contained in a bag. This means it’s mess free and safe for toddlers who tend to put things in their mouths. (You’ll still need to supervise just in case the bag comes open.)

Supplies Needed for the Valentine Sensory Bags

  • Zip top plastic bag (gallon or quart size works well)
  • Rubbing alcohol
  • Paper towel or cloth
  • Water beads
  • Water
  • Marker
  • Tape
  • Hair gel
  • Craft foam sheets
  • Scissors
  • Plastic hearts (This is the link on Amazon but you can find them at Dollar Tree for a $1.)
Have some Valentine's Day fun with these simple Valentine sensory bags for toddlers. They're easy to make and fun to play with!

How to Make a Valentine’s Day Sensory Bag with Water Beads

Select a zip top plastic bag. I used a gallon size freezer bag but a quart size bag can work, too. Use rubbing alcohol and a paper towel to remove any labels from your bag.

Follow package directions to hydrate your water beads. (It might take a couple hours.) Add the hydrated water beads to your zip top plastic bag. I found my water beads in the craft section of Walmart. Amazon sells water beads for a good price as well. You can find some water beads already hydrated like the Orbeez brand at several retailers or online.

Have some Valentine's Day fun with these simple Valentine sensory bags for toddlers. They're easy to make and fun to play with!

You can add extra water to your plastic bag or just the water beads. Adding water will change the sensory feeling just a little bit.

I drew a heart on the plastic bag for an added valentine element. Encourage your child to push the water beads into the heart or away from the heart. This focuses on fine motor control.

Here’s a great opportunity to practice counting. How many water beads will fit inside the heart?

Have some Valentine's Day fun with these simple Valentine sensory bags for toddlers. They're easy to make and fun to play with!

You can tape the plastic bag shut if you’re worried your child might try to open it. Taping the bag shut may also help keep the bag from popping open when your child pushes on it. I like to use the freezer bags because they are a bit more sturdy and their zippers tend to be stronger.

If the bag moves around on the table while your child is playing, tape it down.

Have some Valentine's Day fun with these simple Valentine sensory bags for toddlers. They're easy to make and fun to play with!

How to Make Valentine Sensory Bags with Gel

Instead of filling the sensory bag with water, you can use hair gel. I found a bottle of clear hair gel at Dollar Tree.

Using hair gel changes the way the sensory bag feels. It’s more squishy than water. Water will work for this sensory bag, too. Just be careful how full you fill the bag. It may pop open if your child pushes too hard.

Have some Valentine's Day fun with these simple Valentine sensory bags for toddlers. They're easy to make and fun to play with!

Feel free to use tape to seal the top of this bag as well (especially if you’re using water instead of hair gel). You can also tape this sensory bag to the table to prevent it from sliding around while your child plays.

Use rubbing alcohol and a paper towel to remove any labels from your zip top plastic bag. Add the bottle of gel to your bag.

Cut out foam hearts and place them in your plastic bag.

Add plastic hearts to the bag. I found our plastic hearts at Dollar Tree.

Have some Valentine's Day fun with these simple Valentine sensory bags for toddlers. They're easy to make and fun to play with!

Encourage your child to push the plastic hearts around. I started with the plastic hearts on top of the foam hearts. My toddler immediately pushed them all off.

Then, I asked him to push the red hearts back on top of the foam hearts.

Practice counting the hearts. How many red hearts are on the blue heart?

Have some Valentine's Day fun with these simple Valentine sensory bags for toddlers. They're easy to make and fun to play with!

More Toddler Activities for Valentine’s Day

Valentine Crafts for Toddlers – Check out this collection of easy craft ideas for little ones.

Make and play with these fun Silly Heart Puppets!

Frozen Vinegar Hearts – Combines two ingredients kids love: baking soda and vinegar. Add some frozen hearts and you have a perfect Valentine’s Day science activity.

Guess How Much I Love You Movement Game – Have fun moving around and doing the actions from the book with this fun game.