Disguise a Turkey as a Sports Star (Free Basketball Turkey Printable)

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This free turkey-in-disguise printable turns a plain turkey into a basketball star who’s too busy winning the big game to show up at Thanksgiving dinner.

The printable includes a turkey with feathers and a body, a basketball, a jersey, and uniform pieces, in both color and black-and-white versions. Your child colors, cuts, and glues, and the turkey is ready for tip-off.

A sports star turkey disguise is a great pick for kids who live in a jersey. It’s also one of the easiest to make personal. Your child can use their team colors, jersey number, and favorite sport.

Check out our growing collection of Turkey in Disguise Project Ideas. And for more fall fun, browse all 65+ Thanksgiving Crafts and Printables for Kids.

Disguise a Turkey as a Sports Star

Below you’ll find step-by-step instructions, ideas for team colors, how to switch the turkey to football, soccer, baseball, or another sport, a turkey trading card activity, and writing prompts for this school project.

What’s in the Free Sports Star Turkey Printable

• A turkey with feathers and a body
• A basketball
• A jersey and uniform pieces
• Clear cutting outlines
• A color version, ready to cut and glue
• A black-and-white version for kids who want to color their own

Use the color version when the turkey project is due tomorrow, and you need it done fast. Use the black-and-white version when the teacher wants to see your child’s own coloring, or when your child wants to use their own team colors or switch to a different sport.

Supplies for the Sports Star Turkey

• Sports Star Turkey printable (free download at the bottom of this post)
• White cardstock
• Crayons, markers, or colored pencils
• Safety scissors
• Glue stick

Optional extras if your teacher allows 3D pieces:

• A strip of fabric or ribbon for a headband or wristbands
• Number stickers or letter stickers for the jersey
• Orange construction paper for a 3D basketball
• A mini pom-pom for a tiny ball
• Glitter glue or star stickers for a champion look
• Gold foil for a trophy or medal
• Tacky glue for anything heavier than paper

How to Disguise a Turkey as a Sports Star

1. Print the template at 100% or “actual size” on your printer so the uniform fits the turkey. Use cardstock if the turkey will hang on a bulletin board.
2. Choose your version. Use the color pages for a quick craft, or the black-and-white pages as a coloring worksheet.
3. Color the turkey and feathers. Try coloring the feathers in team colors so the whole turkey matches the uniform.
4. Color the jersey and uniform. Add a jersey number and a team name with a marker.
5. Cut out the turkey and every piece.
6. Lay everything out before gluing so your child can check the fit.
7. Glue from back to front: jersey and uniform first, then shoes, then the basketball in the turkey’s wing.
8. Add finishing touches like a headband, sweatbands, or a gold medal.
9. Let it dry flat for an hour, or overnight if you used tacky glue.

Team Colors and Jersey Ideas

The jersey is where kids make this fun turkey disguise their own:

• Use the colors of your child’s own team, school, or rec league.
• Put your child’s own jersey number on the front and back.
• Invent a turkey team name, like the Gobblers, Drumsticks, Wishbones, or Feather Force.
• Add stripes down the sides of the shorts with a marker.
• Draw a team logo on the front: a turkey foot, a pumpkin, or a leaf.
• Color the shoes to match, then add laces with a fine-tip marker.

A turkey in disguise in your child’s actual team colors always gets a big reaction on the bulletin board.

Switch Sports: Football, Soccer, Baseball, and More

The printable starts as a basketball player, but it’s easy to turn your turkey into almost any athlete. Start with the black and white version, color the jersey for the new sport, and swap out the ball:

• Football: Turn it into a football player by drawing or cutting a brown football and adding white laces. Color a football helmet on the turkey’s head, create a football uniform, and draw eye black under the eyes. This football turkey is perfect for Thanksgiving, since football and turkey go together.
• Soccer: Make a soccer player by cutting a white circle and adding black pentagon patches. Draw shin guards on the legs and color long socks. Kids who love Messi, Ronaldo, or other soccer stars can use their favorite player’s team colors for inspiration.
• Baseball: Create a baseball player by cutting a small white ball with red stitches and adding a baseball cap and a brown glove.
• Hockey: Draw a hockey stick and a black puck, and color a helmet.
• Volleyball: Cut a white ball with curved lines and add knee pads.
• Tennis: Cut a yellow-green ball and draw a racket.
• Cheerleader: Add paper pom-poms, a bow, and a megaphone.
• Gymnast: Color the jersey like a sparkly leotard and add a gold medal.
• Runner: Add a race-number bib and a finish-line ribbon.
• Golf: Draw a golf club, a white ball, and a visor.

Every sibling can pick a different sport and use the same printable, making this a fun Thanksgiving family project.

Make a Turkey Trading Card

Kids love this one. After the craft is done, have your child make a sports trading card for their player turkey on an index card:

• Front: draw the turkey in its uniform, or glue on a small photo of the finished craft.
• Name: the turkey’s player name, like “Tommy Two-Feathers.”
• Team: the turkey team name.
• Position: point guard, quarterback, goalie, or pitcher.
• Height: “2 feet tall, 3 with feathers.”
• Stats: “Gobbles per game: 12. Farmers escaped: 4. Thanksgiving dinners avoided: 1.”
• Fun fact: “Has never been caught by a farmer.”

Older kids can make up stats and practice adding or averaging them for a quick math tie-in.

Sports Star Turkey Writing Prompts

• “My turkey is disguised as a sports star because ___.”
• “The farmer thought I was the star player, not the Thanksgiving turkey!”
• “My turkey’s best move on the court is ___.”
• “After winning the championship, my turkey would celebrate by ___.”
• Older kids can create a mini sports report about the turkey’s Thanksgiving game, including a catchy headline, final score, and a comment from the coach.

These prompts can turn the craft into a simple disguise-a-turkey project that combines creativity with writing practice.

Sports Star Turkey for Preschool and Kindergarten

• Let younger children use the color version so they can spend more time practicing cutting and gluing skills.
• Pre-cut the basketball and small uniform pieces.
• Let them add one personal touch, like their favorite number on the jersey.
• A glue stick keeps assembly simple and less messy than liquid glue.
• Split the Thanksgiving project into two short sessions: color one day, cut and glue the next.

Tips for the Best Sports Star Turkey

• Print on cardstock so the pieces don’t curl under glue.
• Keep extras light so the turkey stays on the bulletin board.
• Write your child’s name on the back before you start gluing.
• Carry it to school in a file folder so the pieces don’t get crushed.
• Skip food items like cereal or candy. They crumble, attract bugs, and classmates may have food allergies.

These simple ideas and inspiration can help kids disguise the turkey while still giving them plenty of room to make the design their own.

Download the Free Sports Star Turkey Printable

The instant download includes a color version and a black-and-white version. Print it at 100% scale on cardstock for the sturdiest turkey.

More Turkey in Disguise Printables

Looking for another turkey-in-disguise printable? See every idea in our Turkey in Disguise Project Ideas roundup, or try one of these:

• Disguise a Turkey as a Ninja: another action-packed pick
• Pirate Turkey in Disguise
• Disguise a Turkey as a Detective
• Disguise a Turkey as a Robot
• Disguise a Turkey as a Scientist
• Disguise a Turkey as a Unicorn
• Disguise a Turkey as a Ballerina: perfect for dancers
• Blank Disguise a Turkey Printable: a plain turkey template for any disguise
• Turkey in Disguise Coloring Pages

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