Turkeys

Inside the touch box this week was a turkey feather.  Then I showed the kids some pictures of wild and domestic turkeys and told them facts about the birds such as wild turkeys can fly, the males are called toms, the females are called hens and the babies called poults. 

We then read the story “Gobble, Gobble” by Cathryn Falwell.  This charming story takes you through a year of having a turkey flock living in a girl’s backyard. 

Then it was time to get moving with a little “The Turkey Pokey”!

You put your right wing in, you put your right wing out,
You put your right wing in, and you flap it all about,
You do the Turkey Pokey and your waddle all around,
That’s what it’s all about, GOBBLE, GOBBLE!
(Continue with left wing, right/left feet, beak, & tail feathers)

The next activity allowed the kids to help my felt turkey get his tail feathers back.  We had a small group so each kid chose two felt feathers to add to my turkey.  The feather were several different colors:  red, yellow, blue, purple and green.  We sang the below song and as their color was called, they brought up their feather.
Turkey Feathers (Tune: Frere Jacques)

Turkey feathers, turkey feathers.
Colored bright, colored bright.
If you have a ___________ feather. If you have a __________feather.
Add it now! Add it now!

When the turkey had all his feathers we reviewed our colors once more with this verse:

See the turkey, see the turkey
Spread the tail, oh so wide
Tell me all colors
Pretty pretty colors
Tell me now, tell me now.

Lastly, we counted all the feathers the turkey had by signing this verse:

See the turkey, see the turkey
Spread his tail, oh so wide
Let’s count all the feathers
pretty, pretty feathers
Count them now, count them now
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10…

We ended the story time by reading “TurkeyTrouble” by Wendi Silvano.  This is a cute story about a turkey who dresses up like his fellow barnyard animals to avoid ending up as Thanksgiving dinner.  He eventually comes up with a more vegetarian plan for the family’s dinner. 

This week’s craft was an adorable little turkey made from part of a paper tube and colorful paper feathers. 

Sources:http://rovingfiddlehead.com/kidlit/?p=1078

http://www.sotomorrowblog.com/2011/11/flannel-friday-turkey-feathers.html

http://misssarahsstorytime.blogspot.com/2011/11/flannel-friday-did-you-ever-see-turkey.html?showComment=1321066653900#c7320952854839337261