Pine Cone Turkey

What You Need:

• Pinecones
• Paper
• Pen
• Scissors
• Glue
• Colored pencils
• Disposable napkins

What You Do:

1. Have your child use a pen to draw a peanut shape on a piece of paper. The shape should be at least three inches tall—maybe larger depending on the size of your pinecone.
2. Next to the peanut shape, have your child draw a small upside-down triangle.
3. Have your child use colored pencils to color the peanut shape reddish-brown and the triangle yellow.
4. Let your child carefully cut out both shapes.
5. Have your child glue the yellow beak to the peanut shape.
6. To complete the turkey head, have your child use a pen to add eyes and a wattle, the bright red bit of skin that hangs under the beak.
7. Help your child use a small amount of glue to attach the turkey head to the pine cone. The head will stick better if your child places it on the stem-side of the pine cone.
8. Time to design the tail feathers! Have your child draw pointy feathers on paper.
9. Let your child color each feather with familiar fall colors like purple, orange, red and yellow. Encourage your child to get creative. Have your child add stickers, paint or even glitter to the turkey feathers.
10. Who's coming to dinner for Thanksgiving? Pick one family member and write each letter of their name on a feather.
11. Help your child cut out each feather.
12. Carefully glue each tail to the backside of the pine cone. Make sure the letters of the name are in the right order!
13. Keep making pinecones so that your child can present each dinner guest or family member with a pinecone turkey place setting.
14. When Thanksgiving Day finally arrives, have your child arrange the turkeys around the table, successfully assigning each person a place to sit.
15. Place a napkin next to each turkey.
16. Let your child use a pen to draw tiny turkey footsteps on each napkin.
17. Now everyone at the table will have their own personalized piece of Thanksgiving charm—thanks to your child!