This free disguise a turkey printable pack has everything for the classic November school project: a big turkey template with tail feathers, a plain turkey for children who want to make their own feathers, a “Please don’t eat me!” sign, a writing page, a parent letter with a due date line and a cut-and-glue turkey disguise kit. Each printable turkey template is a free PDF in US Letter and A4, with thick lines that are easy to color, cut and cover. Every disguise a turkey printable here is free and prints on standard paper.
Download the whole disguise a turkey printable pack in one PDF (6 pages): US Letter or A4. Print at 100% (actual size) so the turkey stays about 7 inches wide.
What is the disguise a turkey project?
The idea is simple and very silly, which is why children love it. A turkey is worried it will end up as Thanksgiving dinner, so it needs a disguise. Each child takes home a turkey template, and with their family turns it into something that is definitely not a turkey: a superhero, a pumpkin, an astronaut, a snowman or a favorite animal. Back at school, the turkeys go up on the wall and every child explains their disguise.
It is popular from kindergarten to about third grade because it mixes art, fine motor work and writing. The writing page in this pack turns it into an opinion piece, which matches the early writing standards: kindergartners use drawing, dictating and writing to share an opinion, and first and second graders write opinion pieces with a reason (Common Core W.1.1).
How to run the turkey disguise project in class
Thanksgiving 2026 is on Thursday, November 26, and many schools close for part of that week, so give families two weekends. A simple timeline for 2026:
| When (2026) | What happens |
|---|---|
| Monday, November 9 | Send home the turkey template and the parent letter, with the return date filled in. |
| Friday, November 20 | Disguised turkeys come back to school. |
| Monday, November 23 | Children finish the writing page, share their turkeys and the class guesses each disguise. |
| Before the break | Display the turkeys in the hallway with the writing pages next to them. |
Pick the writing task that fits your class:
| Grade | Writing task | Pages to print |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K and kindergarten | Draw the disguise and dictate or write one sentence: “My turkey is a ___.” | Turkey template, “Please don’t eat me!” sign |
| First and second grade | Answer the three prompts: what the disguise is, why you chose it, and why nobody will find the turkey. | Template, writing page, parent letter |
| Third grade and up | Write a persuasive paragraph from the turkey: “Why you should not eat me,” with three reasons. | Plain turkey, writing page, disguise kit |
Disguise a turkey printable tips for families
No shopping is needed: most turkey disguise projects are made from things already in the house. Good materials are paper scraps, tissue paper, old magazines, yarn, fabric and felt, cotton balls, buttons, pom-poms, foil, coffee filters, stickers and markers. Use a glue stick for paper and white glue or tape for heavier pieces, and print the template on cardstock if you plan to glue on a lot.
- Keep it flat. A flat turkey survives the trip to school and hangs on the wall.
- No food. Pasta, candy and cereal attract pests and can be a problem for classmates with allergies.
- Let the child lead. Adults can cut and glue, but the idea and the coloring should be the child’s.
- Leave the face visible, or add a mask from the disguise kit, so everyone can still find the turkey under the costume.
15 quick turkey disguise ideas
Stuck for an idea? Each of these works with the template and a few things from the craft drawer:
- Superhero with a cape and mask (both in the disguise kit)
- Pumpkin: orange tissue paper squares and a green stem
- Snowman: cotton balls, a scarf of yarn and a carrot nose
- Astronaut: foil suit and a paper helmet
- Firefighter: red helmet and a paper hose
- Chef: the chef hat from the kit and an apron of fabric
- Scarecrow: yarn “straw”, a patched shirt and a hat
- Football player: helmet and a jersey with the child’s number
- Unicorn: a paper horn and a yarn mane
- Mermaid: a sequin or foil tail
- Rock star: sunglasses and a paper guitar
- Doctor: a white coat and a pipe-cleaner stethoscope
- King or queen: the crown from the kit and a fabric robe
- Ballerina: a coffee-filter tutu
- Santa Claus: red paper suit and a cotton-ball beard
For 40 more, with what you need for each, see our turkey disguise ideas.
Hide the turkey: a classroom game
Once the turkeys are back, use them twice. Number each turkey, hang them up without names, and let the class vote on whose turkey is whose. Or use the plain page as a hide the turkey template: one child hides a small printed turkey somewhere in the room, and the others search while the hider says “warmer” or “colder”. It is a five-minute brain break for the last days before the Thanksgiving break, and the same printed turkey works again next year.
Disguise a turkey printable: printing tips
- Choose Letter in the US and Canada, and A4 almost everywhere else.
- Print at 100% or “actual size”, not “fit to page”.
- Every page is black and white line art, so a school printer or copier is fine.
- Print the parent letter on plain paper and the turkey template on cardstock if you can, so it holds glue and heavier decorations.
Send the disguise a turkey printable home a week before it is due, so families have time to plan and decorate together.
Frequently asked questions
8 quick answers
What grade is the disguise a turkey project for?
It is most common in pre-K to second grade, and older children enjoy the persuasive writing version. The turkey template is the same for every age; only the writing changes.
When do schools do the turkey disguise project?
In November, in the two or three weeks before Thanksgiving. In 2026 Thanksgiving is on Thursday, November 26.
Can I use a turkey template without feathers?
Yes. The plain turkey has no tail feathers, so children can make their own from paper, real craft feathers or handprints.
What can I use to disguise a turkey without buying anything?
Paper scraps, old magazines, foil, cotton balls, yarn, buttons, fabric scraps and coffee filters all work. Avoid food.
How big is the turkey on the template?
About 7 inches wide on US Letter when printed at 100%, big enough to decorate but still flat enough to carry to school.
Is the disguise a turkey printable free?
Yes. Print as many copies as you need for your class or family, with no sign-up.
How does the hide the turkey template game work?
Print a small turkey from the plain page. One child hides it somewhere in the room, and the others search while the hider says "warmer" or "colder". It makes a five-minute brain break before the Thanksgiving break, and the same turkey works again next year.
What paper is best for the printable turkey template?
Cardstock is best if you plan to glue on a lot, because it holds glue and heavier decorations such as buttons. Print the parent letter on plain paper, and print at 100% or actual size rather than fit to page.
More Thanksgiving printables
- How many days until Thanksgiving: live countdown and turkey countdown printables
- Thanksgiving worksheets with a word search, bingo and a card
- Thanksgiving word search printables
- Thanksgiving bingo cards
- Thanksgiving jokes for kids
- Paper crafts for kids and scissor skills by age
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