Mr. Turkey is on a mission to outsmart the farmer, who’s been eyeing him for the big Thanksgiving dinner. So what’s a turkey to do when the countdown to Thanksgiving begins? Hatch a clever plan to become something else that’s loved at Thanksgiving time – football!
He’ll be safe and sound wearing this creative football turkey disguise while cheering for his favorite team that’s playing that day.
This craft is a fantastic opportunity for kids to let their imaginations run wild and think outside the (turkey) box. Making this disguise is an activity that combines creativity, fine motor skills, and a whole lot of fun!
Help Mr. Turkey score a touchdown in his quest to stay safe at Thanksgiving with more turkey disguise project ideas.
You’ll need a few supplies that you probably already have at home, and we’ll provide you with a free template to make sure your turkey looks like it’s ready to take the field.
Gather some art supplies, and get the kids ready to create a turkey that even the craftiest farmer won’t recognize!
This craft is a fantastic opportunity for kids to let their imaginations run wild and think outside the (turkey) box. Making this disguise is an activity that combines creativity, fine motor skills, and a whole lot of fun!
The big game is coming up and you want to save your turkey from becoming the main course. What better way to fool the hungry guests than disguising your feathered friend as a star athlete! Dressing up your turkey as a soccer player is a creative and fun way to spare it from the Thanksgiving table. This disguise will have everyone cheering not carving.
Crafting the Costume
To transform your turkey into a convincing soccer superstar you will need
- Construction paper or felt in team colors
- Glue
- Scissors
- Soccer ball ornament
- White and black craft foam or cardstock
- Googly eyes
- Popsicle sticks
Step 1 Cut circles out of the colored paper for the jersey and shorts Make them big enough to wrap around the turkey’s body
Step 2: For the jersey, cut out a rectangle of white paper for the number. Glue black craft foam cut-outs onto the white paper to form the player’s number. Glue the number onto the front of the jersey.
Step 3: Use scissors to trim the bottom of the jersey into a wavy line to appear tucked into the shorts.
Step 4: For the shorts, glue strips of black paper onto the sides for the stripes. Cut a slit in the back of the shorts to fit around the turkey tail.
Step 5: For the socks, cut long rectangles out of white paper, about 1-2 inches wide. Trim into a curved ankle shape.
Step 6: For the shoes, cut black cardstock into shoe shapes and glue on white craft foam for the laces and trim. Glue googly eyes near the toe for added flair.
Step 7: Glue the popsicle sticks on the back of the shoes as cleats.
Step 8: Finish off the costume by gluing the soccer ball ornament to a popsicle stick and attaching it to the turkey’s wing to look like it’s carrying the ball up the field.
With the outfit complete, dress your turkey in its jersey, shorts, socks and soccer shoes. Now it’s ready to join the team!
Taking the Field
In addition to the costume itself, there are other creative ways to set the scene and really sell the soccer disguise:
-
Construct a soccer goal out of cardboard and decorate with colored paper or fabric for the net. Have your turkey posed like it just scored the winning goal!
-
Print out soccer banners with the turkey’s fake player name and number and tape them to the walls.
-
Play crowd cheering sound effects in the background.
-
Set up rows of mini soccer balls around the turkey to look like fans begging for autographs.
-
Make a fake magazine cover celebrating your turkey soccer pro.
-
Include props like a referee whistle, penalty cards, a trophy, or coach clipboard.
With the right environment, no one will ever guess there’s a turkey under that uniform ready for the oven. Your Thanksgiving guests will be convinced an up-and-coming soccer phenom has stopped by dinner!
Turkey Team Spirit
To complete the disguise, give your soccer turkey a name and backstory to share when people inquire about the mysterious athlete at dinner. Get into character as the turkey’s manager ready to talk soccer stats, training regimen and championship aspirations.
Some examples:
-
Cluck Pelé – From a long line of fowl footballers in Brazil, this young bird prodigy is set to dominate the Poultry League.
-
Pecker Beckham – With wings that bend it like Beckham, this British bird is a free kick specialist signed to Manchester Chickens for a record corn fee.
-
Henrik Gobbler – The Swedish striker is known for his speed, stamina and ability to fly past defenders.
-
Cristiano Ronaldo-Ino – Hatched in Portugal, Ronaldo-Ino leaves goalies flapping their wings trying to block his shots.
-
Lionel Messy – This Argentine winger and team captain is easily recognized by his unkempt feathers sticking out from his jersey.
-
Franck Featherlampard – A top goal scorer in the Premier League, this midfielder rules the roost with his talons and fearsome beak.
Get creative and have fun supporting your turkey’s alternate identity as a rising soccer star. With the right disguise and background details, you can fool the hungriest guests that this bird belongs on the pitch, not the platter!
Tips for Turkey Sports Disguises
While soccer is a great choice, you can pick any sport to disguise your Thanksgiving turkey as an athlete. Some other fun ideas include:
-
Football – Outfit as a quarterback with helmet and jersey. Pose with a football under its wing.
-
Basketball – Use construction paper to make a basketball jersey and ball. Attach ball to wing like it’s mid-shot.
-
Hockey – Make pads from felt, mini stick from popsicle sticks and use a plastic Easter egg as the puck.
-
Tennis – Wrap turkey in a white paper skirt as a tennis dress. Include racket made from popsicle stick and paper.
-
Golf – Attach paper cut-out clubs to wings. Use masking tape to create fun pants. Top with a collared paper shirt.
-
NASCAR – Make checkered flags from paper and a numbered car body from a box. Add wheels from milk tops.
-
Baseball – Craft jersey, ball cap and bat from paper and popsicle sticks. Have it posing as a slugger.
No matter which sport you pick, a creative uniform and fun backstory will help your turkey disguise score big on Thanksgiving! Let your turkey live out its dreams of becoming a pro athlete instead of the main dish.
Gobble Up the Winning Disguise
Disguising your turkey as a soccer player or star athlete is a clever and crowd-pleasing way to keep it off the carving platter. With the right costume, props and character background, your feathered friend can convince even the hungriest guests that it deserves MVP status, not basting. Getting into the spirit of the disguise will ensure your turkey gets to live out its sports dreams instead of becoming dinner. So get creative, cheer on your bird’s inner athlete and enjoy a fun twist on traditional Thanksgiving decor. Just don’t be surprised if your “player” gobbles up all the attention!
Thanksgiving Crafts For First Graders
Turkey Handprint Card Craft – Let kids get creative and give thanks in style with this cute handprint card! They’ll create an adorable turkey card that’s easy, fun and leaves behind a sweet memory of their tiny hands.
Handprint Pilgrim Craft – Journey back in time to the First Thanksgiving and learn about the story behind this special holiday. It’s a creative way to chat about gratitude, and our free templates have boy and girl pilgrims for your little ones to choose from.
Spy Turkey Disguise – Calling all agents! Join our mission to help Mr. Turkey go undercover as a stealthy spy to escape the Thanksgiving feast! Kids will craft a spy disguise for him that’ll be top-secret fun!
Turkey Craftivity – This fun project combines creativity and thoughtful writing activity, making it the perfect blend of crafting and skill-building.
They’ll make a cherished keepsake and express their gratitude, refine fine motor skills, and improve their handwriting and scissor skills.
Gobble up the Thanksgiving fun and learn with our turkey do a dot printables! These activities will keep your little turkeys joyfully busy throughout the holiday. Whether used during pre-feast excitement or quiet classroom time, these printables are a perfect choice.
Kids can dot turkey masterpieces while boosting their counting, fine motor skills, and letter recognition on a platter of festive pages!
We’re convinced your little ones will have a gobbling good time with this roll a turkey printable game! As they race to fill the feathers of their turkey buddies, they’re sneaking in some learning, too. This game makes improving their counting, color recognition, and patience skills lots of fun.
It’s easy to prepare the game – just download the printables, gather some colorful pom poms, and roll the dice to reveal the next feather’s color for some turkey-tastic fun!
On the hunt for quick and fun activities? Check out these turkey coloring pages that’ll have your kids grinning from beak to tail feathers! Coloring isn’t just fun; it’s a sneaky way to sharpen those motor skills and ignite your kiddo’s creativity.
Grab this free coloring page set featuring four fabulous turkey s and the crayons to get started. Once they’re all done coloring in their masterpieces, the pages will make great decorations for Thanksgiving!
Looking for an exciting and fun way for your kids to master the alphabet? This feed the turkey alphabet game will be a hit with your kids! They’ll love the challenge of listening to your instructions and serving up the right pumpkin pie to their hungry turkey friend.
This printable game adds a playful twist to learning the alphabet. With just a bit of setup, it’s a versatile tool for letter recognition, beginning sounds, and interactive alphabet fun.
Did you make this activity with your kids or students? We’d love to feature them on our social media!
For a chance to have your child’s project featured, simply snap a picture of the completed project and post it to our Facebook page, email it to us directly by clicking here, or use #simpleeverydaymom on your social media!
This craft is a fantastic opportunity for kids to let their imaginations run wild and think outside the (turkey) box. Making this disguise is an activity that combines creativity, fine motor skills, and a whole lot of fun!
- Colored cardstock
- 12″ x 18″ Construction paper
- Scissors
- Glue
- Tape
- Football Turkey template
- Download the football turkey template, print, and cut out the pieces you need.
- Begin by gluing the eyes in the middle section of the turkey’s head.
- Glue the snood in between and slightly below the turkey’s eyes.
- Place the beak on top of the snood and glue it in place.
- Put the tape in the center of the head to create a helmet-like appearance.
- Glue the feet to the bottom of the turkey’s body.
- Finish up by gluing the turkey to the feathers.
Kids’ Ideas for Thanksgiving
This time of year is a wonderful time to engage your little ones in exciting and educational activities that will ignite their creativity and curiosity. We’ve gathered a cornucopia of ideas that will keep your kids entertained and learning throughout the holiday season.
Read on below for a selection of crafty projects, captivating books, and educational activities that are sure to interest your children and make this Thanksgiving a memorable one.
Below are some of the top Thanksgiving books for kids!
Turkey Trouble – If you’ve never read this book, you have to add it to your holiday collection! It’s so cute and fun and kids just love it! Follow the turkey around the farm as he disguises himself as different animals so the farmer doesn’t catch him for Thanksgiving dinner!
How To Catch A Turkey – Kids who love the How To Catch books will want to see all the crazy contraptions kids make to try to catch a turkey loose at the school!
Pete The Cat: The First Thanksgiving -Every Pete the Cat book is fantastic, but this one takes it up a notch with flaps for the kids to open. It’s a great way to get the kids excited about reading and Thanksgiving!
