shape turkeys

It just isn't Thanksgiving without making a cute turkey to take home for the family to cluck over.

Our shape turkeys start out as a collection of squares and rectangles. Quick and easy to prep with a paper cutter. (No cutting lines for the kids...)

Each child needs ...

head - 4.5 x 4.5" (11 cm)

body - 7 x 7" (18 cm)

tail - 9 x 9" (23 cm)

These need to be cut into circles by cutting "curvy corners". That sounds easy, but putting spatial thinking and fine motor skills together in the same action, can be tricky for 5 year olds.

legs - 2.5 x 3.5" (6 x 9 cm)

Legs are cut in half lengthwise.

feet - 3 x 3" (7.5 cm)

Feet are cut in half diagonally to make two triangles.

beaks - 2 x 2.75" (4.5 x 7 cm)

yellow diamonds

handprint feathers
construction paper cut in half lengthwise and then folded in half
students need three folded papers to make six feathers

There was lots of planning what colours would go where,

Handprints were traced.

Lots of cutting.

Gluing everything in the correct place.

We learned that 3 circles, 2 rectangles, 2 triangles, a diamond and 6 handprints can make a turkey.

Skills practiced
• planning

• shape identification -- square, circle, rectangle, triangle, diamond

• spatial awareness - front, back, on top, underneath, how to divide a square into 2 triangles, cutting a rectangle in half, removing the corners to change a square into a circle

• fine motor skills - tracing and cutting