My children and I did some local pumpkin picking over the weekend.  Although they were many great pumpkins to choose from at the farm, my son and daughter were more interested in the many squash and gourds growing in the field.  They came in many shapes and sizes.  So, on top of the pumpkins we picked, I let them each get a couple of gourds and squash.  

Many of them had long necks, so in the spirit of the upcoming holiday we turned one into a turkey, and just for the fun of it, we turned one into a swan.

My children loved the idea of turning squash into animals.  

How cute are these squash turkeys and swans? This cute squash craft is fun and make for children of all ages. It’s easy to make and only requires a small number of materials. Squash turkeys would be a fun addition to any Thanksgiving-themed classroom activity. They can also be made in a childcare or Pre-K class setting.

Materials:

• Craft feathers:  I purchased feather trim at Michaels. If you cannot find feather trim, you can use brown or white craft feathers.
• Hot Glue or craft glue
• Googly eyes
• felt
• Orange or Yellow paint to paint the beak
• Squash with a long neck or a long neck gourd

Step 1:

 Clean off the squash to remove excess dirt.  We pick ours from the farm, so there was a lot of dirt.  You want to be sure you are working with a clean, dried surface.

Step 2:

Using your hot glue or craft glue, glue the feathers to the back of the turkey.  I did a couple of rows because I wanted a full feathered turkey.  Instead of buying individual feathers, I purchased feather trim at A.C Moore, it is also available on Amazon.  It was easier to apply a line of glue onto the feather strip then gluing each feather on individually. 

Step 3: 

It’s time to add on all your turkey details.  You can glue on the googly eyes, use the red felt to make the turkey’s waddle, paint the beak onto the turkey.  Have the children use their imagination and have fun designing the turkey.

If you are choosing to make the swan.  Just use white feathers.  I glued them to the back and also the sides of the squash to make wings.