• Home
  • About Me
  • PR Friendly
    • Site Statistics
  • Copyright, Disclosure & Privacy Policy
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Kid Crafts
    • Valentine’s Day Crafts & Activities
    • Easter Crafts & Activities
    • Summer Crafts & Activities
    • Halloween Activities & Crafts
    • Thanksgiving Crafts
    • Christmas Crafts & Activities
  • Dr. Seuss Activities
  • STEM Activities
  • Games for Kids
    • Shark Games for Kids
  • Shop

A Turkey Craft That Improves Fine Motor Skills

November 5, 2018 by OneMommy

The laundry had piled up.  All the pants with elastic waists were in the dirty clothes, so I grabbed the lone pair of hand-me-down blue jeans my son has and helped him put them on.

It wasn’t until he had to use the restroom that I realized my mistake.

He couldn’t undo the fastener.

Mom fail.

You see, my son just doesn’t have those fine motor skills yet.

Fine motor skills are something lots of kids need help with.  This week we did a simple Thanksgiving craft to help strengthen those fine motor skills.

This preschool Turkey craft is perfect for working on fine motor skills.

preschool turkey craft with dried beans

Turkey Craft

Materials Needed:

  • Paper Plate
  • Craft Glue
  • Paintbrush
  • Pen or Pencil
  • Variety of Dried Beans, Pasta, or Colored Rice

A variety of dried beans, split peas, pasta, and even rice (we used rainbow rice) will give your child plenty of choices and colors to craft with.    A paper plate makes a nice palette to display all the dried beans, etc.

strengthen fine motor skills with this simple turkey craft

 

Keep in mind that spills can happen.   You will want to wait to sweep the floor until after craft time.

If you really want to keep the mess down, have children sit on a plastic tablecloth on the floor for this Thanksgiving craft.  You can easily pick up the cloth afterwards and shake the mess into the trash.

Use a pen or pencil to trace each child’s hand on the center of a paper plate.  Paper plates are stronger than regular paper, which tends to be too flimsy for the weight of all the dried beans once the craft dries.

Use paintbrushes to apply craft glue inside the hand print.  You will need a thick layer to keep beans in place.

simple dried bean turkey craft to improve fine motor skills

Have your child choose from the dried beans and pasta to decorate their hand print turkey.

Picking up each bean and placing it onto the hand print is great for building those fine motor skills.    Those fine motor skills are important when it comes to hand writing, buttoning clothes, and turning pages in a book.

dried bean turkey craft

 

Once your child is finished decorating their turkey, they can add a googly eye and use markers to add a beak, waddle, and legs.

Be sure to let it dry completely before hanging it up to display.

handprint turkey craft for kids

 

I have been trying to incorporate more fine motor skills activities, like this preschool turkey craft, into our day.  After all, I won’t always be there to help unfasten those stubborn buttons on a pair of blue jeans.

 

Other posts you might like:

  • Paper Cup Turkey
  • Thanksgiving Sensory Play Small World 
  • Wigwam Craft for Kids 


Updated post.  Originally published November 17, 2015.  

Filed Under: Kids Crafts Tagged With: fine motor skills, hand print craft, Thanksgiving craft, turkey craft

Comments

  1. Ginny Marie says

    November 19, 2015 at 7:58 am

    What a cute turkey! I pinned it to my preschool board. We are constantly working on fine motor skills at our preschool, too!

    • OneMommy says

      November 22, 2015 at 10:42 pm

      Those fine motor skills are so important. 🙂
      Thanks for pinning!

  2. Maria says

    November 19, 2015 at 1:43 pm

    What a festive way to get kids involve and also hone their fine motor skills. I love the fact that the all the materials are found in our cupboard. It’s an absolutely perfect activity for the little ones!

    It was lovely to see you on #SHINEbloghop this week. Thanks for sharing this craft with us 🙂

    Have a great weekend 🙂

    • OneMommy says

      November 22, 2015 at 10:43 pm

      I was blessed by my sister giving us her half used bags of beans when we went to visit this past October. Perfect for crafting!

  3. ilka says

    November 19, 2015 at 2:40 pm

    This really is a great craft idea to train motor skills. I love the material! Pinned:)

    • OneMommy says

      November 22, 2015 at 10:41 pm

      They had so much fun with it, they decided to make more pictures with the beans when the turkeys were finished. 🙂 Thanks for pinning!

  4. Jessica says

    November 20, 2015 at 6:56 pm

    My kids would love this! Thanks for sharing!!

  5. Emma @ P is for Preschooler says

    November 27, 2015 at 6:39 am

    It’s so easy to forget how often fine motor skills are used in a day! This is a cute way to practice those important skills. Thanks for sharing at the Thoughtful Spot!

Trackbacks

  1. Thoughtful Spot Weekly Blog Hop #116 - ABC Creative Learning says:
    December 7, 2015 at 5:02 am

    […] How a Turkey Craft Can Improve Fine Motor Skills By: There’s Just One Mommy     […]

Connect with me

Link to my Facebook Page
Link to my Pinterest Page
Link to my Twitter Page

Check Out My New Book & Popular Posts

Engineering Activities for Kids

how to make egg geodes

Straw Weaving -- weaving craft

how to make vanishing ghosts by melting packing peanuts

Search this site

Recent Posts

  • Make Learning Easier with DIY Math Manipulatives
  • Engineer a Truss Bridge with Craft Sticks
  • Dragon STEM Activities
  • Fun and Foamy Elephant Toothpaste Experiment
  • Shark Party Games — Perfect for Shark Week or a Shark-Themed Birthday Party

Proud Member

Women Online
Blog Meets Brand

Archives

Copyright © 2023 · Lifestyle Pro Theme on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in