You need to try this Turkey Toss Thanksgiving Primary singing time idea! This activity is one your Primary kids will never forget! With this activity I suggest singing all the Primary songs on thanks in the Children’s Songbook but any songs will work!
Hands down, this is one of my Primary’s favorites! Everyone is willing to sing their little hearts out for a turn!
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Turkey Printable
For this activity, you need about 12 turkeys. To make the turkeys, use this 3-page printable that includes the body, feathers and feet:
Primarily Singing recreated my turkey printable – thank you!! Access these printables at my Resource Library. Instructions for accessing the Resource Library are found at the bottom of this post.
Print on white card stock and color. Or print on various colors of card stock (orange for the feet, brown for the body and various bright colors for the fathers). Then laminate and cut out.
TIP: Creating these turkeys makes for a WONDERFUL service project for the Primary Activity Days kids or YM/YW. They are always looking for service opportunities so make sure to involve them if you need help!!
See what singing time office supplies I recommend you always have on hand for projects like this!
These are what the pieces look like:
Notice the 2 pennies taped to the bottom of the feet. Those provide weight and make it so the turkey stands up. So don’t skip that vital step!
Then blow up 12 balloons to maybe half capacity. Tape the balloon between the head and body with the feet on the bottom. To help them not tip over, make sure the body and feathers touch the bottom.
Number the turkeys 1 -to 12 on the balloons with a Sharpie marker.
Then you need a couple bean bags like these (Amazon affiliate link):
ThanksgivingPrimary Songs
Assign a song to each turkey. These songs can be program songs, or I recommend songs on thanks! Did you know there are TONS of songs on thanks in the Children’s Songbook. Here are some suggestions:
- Thanks to Thee p. 6
- I Thank Thee, Dear Father p. 7
- Father We Thank Thee for the Night p. 8
- Can a Little Child Like Me? p. 9
- Thank Thee For Everything p. 10
- I’m Thankful to Be Me p. 11
- Children All Over The World p. 16
- A Song of Thanks p. 20
- Thanks to our Father p. 20
- For Health and Strength p. 21
- For Thy Bounteous Blessings p. 21
- Thank Thee, Father p. 24
- We Bow Our Heads p. 25
- I Love to Pray p. 25
Thanksgiving Flip Charts
Several of these songs may be unfamiliar and that’s wonderful! Just make sure to post the words using flip charts.
Turkey Toss Thanksgiving Singing Time Idea
Thanksgiving Singing Styles
For additional movement, have the children sing Thanksgiving style with each song:
- Gobble like a turkey by holding your throat as you sing
- Turkey Dance (i.e. chicken dance – bend elbows in like wings, stick out bum, and shake tail feathers)
- Rub belly after eating so much Thanksgiving dinner
- Sing with your mouth full of food (hum)
- Throw a pretend football for a turkey bowl
- Sing with hand puppets as if visiting with family
- Turn lights off or close eyes and take an after-turkey nap
- Pick an action to resemble traveling to see family (airplane, car, train, etc)
- Sing slow because cooking a turkey takes a long time
- Gobble the song by singing fast
- Tap mouth like a Native American while oohing to the rhythm of the song
- Hold the “gobble” & “sing the words” signs (see below) to have children go back and forth between singing “gobble” and the words.
These actions are a great singing time activity on their own!
Gobble and Sing the Words Signs
Hold up these signs to go between “gobbling” and singing the words to provide additional movement:
Access these printables at my Resource Library. Instructions for accessing the Resource Library are found at the bottom of this post.
Variations
2. Omit balloons and place turkey printables on the board using tape or magnets. Number them 1 to 12 on the back and have bean bags tossed at them.
If a turkey is hit, take it down and sing the corresponding song.
3. Make one turkey and tape it onto a round laundry basket. Sing a song as children toss bean bags into the basket. Or when a shot is made, sing a song.
Demonstration Video
Check out this demonstration video for implementing this Thanksgiving Turkey Toss in singing time:
You can also find this Thanksgiving Turkey Toss video on my YouTube channel. I’d love it if you’d like and subscribe!
Thanksgiving Nursery Singing Time Idea
Bring the turkeys into Nursery! Sing songs on thanks (or play them on a phone + speaker) as the children toss bean bags at the turkeys. Replace turkeys as they are knocked off.
More Thanksgiving Singing Time Ideas
Make sure to check out all my Thanksgiving singing time ideas.
Check out this quick tutorial video for accessing the Resource Library:
These printables are filed on my Resource Library page under Category Title > Thanksgiving.
8 thoughts on “Turkey Toss Thanksgiving Primary Singing Time Idea”
This will be perfect for my singing time this Sunday! Thanks so much for the fun idea. 🙂
What a fun idea! Thanks so much. 😀
Thank you so much for this idea. I was wondering what you meant when you said that the kids would have the words in front of them. thanks Wendy
Not sure if you are asking how I post words or not but I'll still tell you ;). I have a "Posting Words" tab up at the top of the page which tells how I post the words to most of the songs we sing – especially ones that we are unfamiliar with (as is the case with this activity). I hope that helps.
~Camille
Than you so much for this idea! The kids loved it!!
How are you taping the turkey pieces on the balloon? A hot gun is out. But I’m thinking office tape is too flimsy.
Double sided tape?
Duct tape?
How????
Hi Linnae!
Your hot glue gun idea gave me a good chuckle, haha! I’m using packaging tape to tape the bodies and feathers to the balloon. For the feet, I punched a hole using a hole punch and fed the knot of the balloon through. Works like a charm! Good luck!
~Camille
Thank you. I wondered what to do with the knot