Disguise a Turkey Template and Project Printables
Updated November 2026 · 6 free printables
Everything for the disguise a turkey school project on six free pages: a big turkey template with nine tail feathers, a turkey body without feathers for children who make their own tail, twelve costume pieces to color and cut out (top hat, crown, cape, mustache, bunny ears and more), a planning sheet with a materials checklist, a writing page with sentence starters, and a ready-to-send letter to parents with a due date line and a return slip.
About these printables
The pages are black and white on US Letter, so they print cheaply for a whole class; card stock makes the turkey sturdier for glue and glitter. Most children in kindergarten to second grade do the project at home in a weekend.
At a glance
- Pages
- 6 free printables, one PDF each
- Ages
- 5 to 7
- Levels
- Kindergarten, Grade 1
- Paper
- US Letter and A4
- Price
- free, no sign-up needed to download
Learn: How to Draw a TurkeyEasy step-by-step guide with a free printable worksheet →All 6 Disguise a Turkey Template and Project Printables, One by One
Here is a closer look at every page in this collection, with who it's best for and a coloring idea for each one.
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1. Disguise a Turkey Template
The classic disguise a turkey template: one big, friendly turkey with nine tail feathers that fills the page, ready to color, cut out and dress up so it can hide from the Thanksgiving dinner table. Glue on paper, fabric, cotton balls, yarn or buttons and turn it into a superhero, a pumpkin, a football player or a unicorn. A line at the bottom names the disguise. Letter-size, black and white. It suits ages 4 to 6, and little ones can count the pictures with a finger. Color the feathers red, orange, yellow and brown.
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2. Turkey Body Template Without Feathers
A big turkey body with no tail feathers, for the version of the disguise a turkey project where children make the tail themselves: paper feathers in fall colors, real craft feathers, pressed leaves, traced handprints or strips of wrapping paper. A dashed arc behind the turkey shows where the tail goes. Also works as a plain turkey template for gratitude feathers and bulletin boards. Big pictures and only a few tasks per page make it a gentle start for kindergartners. Make every feather a different fall color.
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3. Turkey in Disguise Writing Page
The writing half of the disguise a turkey project: a big box to draw the finished turkey in its costume (or to glue a photo of it) and three sentence starters on handwriting lines: my turkey is disguised as, nobody will find my turkey because, and I made the disguise with. A small turkey peeks out from behind a bush in the corner. For kindergarten to second grade. First graders can do it on their own once they know the strategy at the top of the page. Color the feathers red, orange, yellow and brown.
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4. Disguise a Turkey Costume Cut-Outs
Twelve costume pieces for the disguise a turkey project, in black and white to color and cut out: a top hat, a crown, a cowboy hat, a chef hat, glasses, a mustache, a bow tie, a superhero cape, a mask, a magic wand, a Santa beard and bunny ears. Glue them on the turkey template for a quick disguise in class, or use them as a starting point when there are no craft supplies at home. Dashed cut lines around every piece. Big pictures and only a few tasks per page make it a gentle start for kindergartners. Make every feather a different fall color.
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5. Disguise a Turkey Letter to Parents
A ready-to-send family letter for the disguise a turkey project: it explains the story (the turkey wants to hide before Thanksgiving), asks families to help their child disguise the turkey with things already at home, promises no shopping, and has a blank line for the due date and a teacher signature. A box lists twelve disguise ideas, from superhero to dinosaur, and an optional return slip. Send it home with the turkey template. It suits ages 4 to 6, and little ones can count the pictures with a finger. Color the feathers red, orange, yellow and brown.
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6. Disguise a Turkey Planning Sheet
A one-page plan for the disguise a turkey project: what the turkey will be disguised as, why that is a good hiding place, a checklist of twelve craft materials (paper, yarn, cotton balls, googly eyes...) and a big sketch box with a light gray turkey to draw the idea on before building it. Helps kindergarten to second graders plan the project with a grown-up and gives teachers a record of each child's idea. It matches first grade goals, roughly ages 6 to 7. Make every feather a different fall color.
Tips for coloring Disguise a Turkey Template and Project Printables
- Print the turkey on card stock: it survives glue, paint and the trip back to school.
- Set a due date about a week after the letter goes home so families have a weekend for the project.
- Ask each child to finish the writing page before presenting, so the class hears the plan in their own words.
Fun facts about Disguise a Turkey Template and Project Printables
- The disguise a turkey project is a writing and speaking activity as much as a craft: children explain why their disguise works.
- Real wild turkeys hide in tall grass and trees and can fly short distances at up to 55 miles per hour.
- Turkey feathers in the wild are bronze, brown and copper, which is camouflage in a fall forest.
Fun ways to use your printables
- Hang the finished turkeys in the hallway under a "Can you find the turkeys?" sign.
- Hold a class vote for the best hiding place, the funniest disguise and the most surprising material.
- Draw a turkey step by step first, then disguise your own drawing.
How to print
Click Download PDF on any page and print it at 100% on US Letter or A4 paper. Use regular printer paper for crayons and pencils, or cardstock for markers and paint. Every page here is free for home, classroom and party use, so feel free to print as many copies as you need.
Frequently asked questions
What is the disguise a turkey project?
A November classroom tradition: the turkey wants to hide before Thanksgiving dinner, so each child takes a paper turkey home and disguises it as something else. In class the children show their turkeys and explain why nobody will find them.
What can I use to disguise the turkey?
Anything at home: crayons and markers, paint, scraps of fabric or wrapping paper, yarn for hair, cotton balls for a beard or snow, buttons, pom-poms, googly eyes, real feathers. The costume cut-out page is there for families who have no craft supplies: color, cut and glue.
Which template should I send home?
The full turkey template for most classes. Choose the body without feathers when you want children to make the tail themselves from paper, leaves or handprints. Send the letter to parents with either one.
What are good disguise ideas?
A superhero, a pumpkin, a scarecrow, an astronaut, a football player, a mermaid, a unicorn, a pizza, a snowman, a firefighter, a ballerina or a dinosaur. The letter to parents lists twelve of them.
Can I print these for my whole class?
Yes. Every sheet is a free PDF without sign-up, for home, homeschool and classroom use, and you can print as many copies as your class needs. Please do not sell them or upload the files to another website; linking to this page is always fine.