For teachers · Free printables

Disguise a Turkey: Classroom Guide

The disguise a turkey project works best as a one-week family homework assignment: send each child home with a printed turkey and a short note, then display the finished turkeys before Thanksgiving break. Everything here is free — 9 one-page templates in US Letter and A4, an all-in-one PDF for printing a class set, and a parent note you can copy below. No sign-up.

What you need

• One printed turkey per child, plus three or four spares for lost copies.
• A short note home with a clear due date (copy ours below).
• A wall or bulletin board with room for the whole class.
• Optional: a small box of paper scraps, glue sticks, and crayons for children who want to finish their turkey at school.

Choose the templates

Most classes send home the blank turkey. It leaves the whole idea to the child, and families can decorate it with whatever they have at home. The eight ready-made disguises are useful as a backup: a child who has no supplies, or who was absent when the project went home, can simply color one and still take part.

All nine designs are on the templates page, or grab every one in a single file: all-in-one PDF (Letter) · all-in-one PDF (A4).

Printing a class set

• To print 25 blank turkeys, open the single blank PDF and set the copy count — don’t print the all-in-one file 25 times.
• Choose Fit to page (or 100% on most school copiers) so the feathers and the name line aren’t cut off.
• The templates are black line art, so grayscale printing is fine and saves toner.
• Cardstock holds glued-on extras like yarn, buttons, or fabric much better than copy paper. If cardstock is scarce, keep it for the spares.
• Use A4 if your school is outside the US or Canada; the drawing is the same, only the page size changes.
• Every page already has a Name and Date line at the top, so finished turkeys don’t get mixed up on the wall.

A one-week timeline

Thanksgiving 2026 is Thursday, November 26. Working back from a display the week of Thanksgiving, a simple plan looks like this:

1. Monday (Nov 16): Read a turkey story, show a turkey you disguised yourself, and send the template home with the parent note.
2. Wednesday (Nov 18): Send a quick reminder. Mention that children can finish at school if they need supplies.
3. Friday (Nov 20): Turkeys are due. Give each child 30 seconds to share: “My turkey is disguised as a ___.”
4. Monday (Nov 23) to break: Put the turkeys on display with the writing pieces next to them, then send them home before the holiday.

If your break starts earlier, shift every step back a few days. One week at home is long enough for busy families without the project being forgotten.

Parent note to copy

Copy this into your newsletter or print it to staple to the template:

In-class extensions

• Writing (K–1): “My turkey is disguised as a ___ so ___.” Children draw or dictate the ending.
• Persuasive writing (grades 2–3): Write a short paragraph convincing the farmer that your turkey really is a pirate, a chef, or an astronaut. Ask for three reasons.
• Speaking and listening: A 30-second share where classmates ask one question each.
• Guess who: Hide the names and let the class match each turkey to its maker.
• Math: Sort the disguises into groups — people, animals, food, other — and build a class bar graph.

Keep it fair for every family

Some turkeys come back with sequins and a hot-glue cape, others with crayon only — and that’s fine. Praise the idea, not the materials. Keep a few ready-made disguises printed for children who come back empty-handed, and let them color one during free time so everyone has a turkey on the wall. For younger classes, the preschool guide has simpler designs and cutting tips.

← All 9 free templates