Disguise a Turkey Ideas: Free Printables for an Easy Family Project

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Every November, the note comes home from school: Your turkey needs a disguise so he doesn’t end up on the Thanksgiving table! The disguise a turkey project is one of the most-loved fall assignments, and it’s just as fun at home or in a homeschool as it is in the classroom.

If you need easy ideas fast, you’re in the right spot. Below you’ll find free disguise-a-turkey printables for every kind of kid, from ninjas and mermaids to scientists and pirates. There’s also a blank template, simple step-by-step instructions, and tips for younger kids.

I’ve been a homeschool mom for many years, and this is one of the few “family projects” I actually look forward to. Kids get to be silly, there’s no right answer, and you can put together a good disguise with supplies you already have.

Check out our ever growing collection of Thanksgiving Crafts and printables.

What Is the Disguise a Turkey Project?

Disguise a Turkey is a Thanksgiving art and writing project. Teachers usually send it home in early November, and it’s due the week before Thanksgiving break. Some schools call it “Turkey in Disguise,” “Tom the Turkey,” or “Anything But a Turkey.” It’s the same idea under every name.

Most versions work like this:

• Your child gets a turkey outline on paper, usually one printed page.
• They decorate it so the turkey looks like something else: a firefighter, a pumpkin, a unicorn, a football player.
• Many teachers also ask for a sentence or short paragraph explaining the disguise.
• The finished turkeys go up on a hallway or bulletin board display.

Before you start, read the teacher’s note twice. Some classes allow 3D items and some want it kept flat, and many have a size limit. The rules decide what supplies you can use.

Free Disguise a Turkey Printables

Start with a printable. Every template below is free, and each one prints on standard 8.5 x 11 paper.

Blank Disguise a Turkey Template

• Disguise a Turkey Printable (Free Template): a blank turkey outline for kids who already know what they want to make. Grab this one if your school didn’t send a template home or your child lost theirs.
• Turkey in Disguise Coloring Pages: no cutting and no glue. Kids color the costume right onto the turkey, which is perfect for preschoolers or a quick classroom activity.

Themed Disguise a Turkey Printables (Cut and Paste)

Each of these includes costume pieces your child colors, cuts, and glues onto the turkey.

Jobs and hobbies

• Disguise a Turkey as a Scientist: lab coat, goggles, and a bubbling beaker.
• Disguise a Turkey as a Detective: trench coat, hat, and magnifying glass. This one works well for the writing piece because kids love explaining what “case” the turkey is solving.
• Disguise a Turkey as a Sports Star: for the kid who lives in a jersey.
• Disguise a Turkey as a Ballerina: tutu and ballet slippers. Add real tulle or a cupcake liner for texture.

Adventure and action

• Disguise a Turkey as a Ninja: the ninja mask is the easiest cut-and-paste piece in the set.
• Pirate Turkey in Disguise: hat, eye patch, sword, and boots. Add gold foil coins if your class allows 3D pieces.
• Disguise a Turkey as a Robot: square arms and control panels. Add aluminum foil and pipe cleaners for a metallic look.

Make-believe

• Disguise a Turkey as a Mermaid: a sparkly tail and seashells.
• Disguise a Turkey as a Unicorn: horn, mane, and all the rainbow.

Favorite characters

• Disguise a Turkey as a Minion: goggles and overalls. It’s instantly recognizable on a hallway wall.
• Disguise a Turkey as Harry Potter: glasses, scarf, and wand for your young wizard.

Easy Turkey Disguise Ideas

No printable for the idea your child has in mind? Use the blank template and try one of these. Most can be made with paper, markers, and a few things from the recycling bin.

Jobs: firefighter, police officer, doctor, nurse, chef, farmer, astronaut, construction worker, mail carrier, teacher, artist, veterinarian, lifeguard, pilot

Sports: football player, soccer player, cheerleader, baseball player, gymnast, hockey player, swimmer

Holidays: Santa, elf, snowman, reindeer, gingerbread man, leprechaun, pumpkin, Easter bunny, New Year’s party hat

Animals: cow, pig, penguin, owl, lion, dog, cat, bee, ladybug, dinosaur, shark, fox

Food: pizza slice, taco, ice cream cone, cupcake, pumpkin pie, hamburger, a pile of mashed potatoes (the turkey hides in the side dishes)

Make-believe: superhero, princess, knight, wizard, fairy, dragon, alien, ghost, vampire, mummy

Just plain silly: a crayon, a Christmas tree, a bag of chips, a rock star, a pumpkin patch, a scarecrow, “a tourist on vacation”

Idea to make it personal: Let your child disguise the turkey as someone in the family. A turkey dressed as Dad in his work uniform or Grandma in her gardening hat always gets a laugh from the teacher.

How to Do the Disguise a Turkey Family Project (Step by Step)

These instructions work for a paper turkey or a printable template, from kindergarten through about 4th grade.

1. Read the rules together. Check the due date, the size limit, whether 3D items are allowed, and whether there’s a writing part. Put the due date on the fridge.

2. Let your child pick the disguise. Ask what they’d want to dress up as for Halloween, or what they love right now. Their idea, not yours. More on that below.

3. Print on cardstock. Printer paper curls and tears once you add glue and pom-poms. Cardstock holds up to the bus ride.

4. Sketch or lay out before gluing. Set the costume pieces on the turkey loosely first. Once your child likes the layout, glue from the back layer to the front.

5. Use the right glue for the job. Glue sticks for paper on paper. Tacky glue for pom-poms, feathers, fabric, and buttons. Liquid school glue makes paper wrinkle, so use it sparingly.

6. Let it dry flat overnight. Lay it flat somewhere safe from siblings and pets. Don’t stack anything on top until the glue is fully dry.

7. Write the “why.” Help your child finish the sentence: “My turkey is disguised as ___ because ___.” Younger kids can dictate while you write.

8. Put their name on the back. Thirty turkeys on one bulletin board all look alike from the back.

9. Take a picture before it leaves the house. Some projects come home crumpled, and some never come home at all.

Disguise a Turkey for Kindergarten and Preschool

Little hands need a simpler version. What works best for ages 3 to 6:

• Choose a cut-and-paste printable instead of building from scratch. The ninja and unicorn have the fewest pieces.
• Pre-cut the tricky pieces. You do the cutting, and your child does the coloring, placing, and gluing. That’s still their project.
• Stick to big textures: cotton balls, large pom-poms, tissue paper squares, and stickers. Skip anything small enough to be a choking hazard for younger siblings.
• Use glue dots or a glue stick. They’re less messy and less waiting.
• Try the coloring page version if your preschooler just wants to color. It still counts.
• Break it into two short sessions. Twenty minutes of coloring one day and twenty minutes of gluing the next beats one long, tearful evening.

My Best Tip: Keep a Craft Supply Closet Stocked

The single biggest thing that makes school projects easier at our house is a stocked craft closet. When the note comes home, you’re not driving to the store at 8 p.m. You open a door.

Here’s what I’d keep on hand for disguising a turkey season:

• Paper: white cardstock, construction paper, tissue paper, scrapbook paper scraps
• Adhesives: glue sticks, tacky glue, glue dots, clear tape, double-sided tape
• Texture: pom-poms, googly eyes, pipe cleaners, craft feathers, cotton balls, felt and fabric scraps, buttons, yarn, ribbon
• Color: crayons, washable markers, colored pencils, a few paint sticks (no drying time)
• Tools: kid scissors, a sharp pair for grown-ups, a hole punch, a ruler
• Recycle bin finds: aluminum foil, cupcake liners, cereal box cardboard, bottle caps, old magazines, paper bags

How to Catch a TurkeyTurkey in Disguise!: Turkey Project IncludedTurkey in Disguise: A Fun Thanksgiving Coloring & Activity Book for Kids to Dress Up and Disguise Their Turkeys

 

Keep a gallon zip bag labeled “turkey” in the closet with the leftover pieces. Next year’s project is half done.

Disguise a Turkey: Mistakes Parents Make

We’ve all done at least one of these. Here’s how to skip them.

1. Doing it for your child. It’s tempting when you can see exactly how it should look. Teachers can always tell, and the point is your child’s imagination. A lopsided turkey with a story behind it beats a perfect one they didn’t touch.

2. Starting the night before. Glue needs overnight drying time. Give yourself at least three evenings: pick the idea, build it, then dry and write.

3. Ignoring the teacher’s rules. A gorgeous 3D turkey gets awkward when the class rule is “keep it flat.” Check size, 3D, and any “no food” rules first.

4. Using food as decoration. Cereal, pasta, candy, and popcorn look cute at home. At school, they crumble, attract bugs, and can be a real problem for classmates with food allergies. Use craft supplies instead.

5. Printing on thin paper. Printer paper warps with glue and tears in a backpack. Use cardstock, or glue the finished paper turkey onto a cereal box panel for backing.

6. Going too heavy. Big buttons, rocks, and thick layers of glue make the turkey fall off the bulletin board. Keep it light enough to hang from one pushpin.

7. Picking an idea too big for their age. A five-year-old and a robot with 40 tiny foil squares is a recipe for tears. Match the idea to how long your child can sit.

8. Forgetting the writing part. Many teachers grade the sentence as much as the art. Don’t let it be an afterthought at bedtime.

9. Getting it to school crushed. Slide it into a file folder, a pizza box, or between two pieces of cardboard for the trip.

More Tips to Make It Fun (and Easier)

• Make it a family night. Put on a Thanksgiving movie, set out the supplies, and have everyone disguise a turkey, not just the one with homework. Siblings love having their own.
• Look at the “why” first. Kids come up with better disguises when they start with the joke: “He’s a firefighter, so the farmer thinks he’s on duty.”
• Give a choice of three. An open-ended “What do you want to make?” can freeze some kids. Offer three ideas from the list above and let them pick.
• Use the paint sticks for big areas. They color like crayon, look like paint, and dry instantly.
• Save every turkey. Date the back and keep them in a folder. Flipping through a few years of turkeys is a sweet Thanksgiving tradition all by itself.

Disguise a Turkey Writing Prompts

If your teacher asks for a written piece, these sentence starters help:

• “My turkey is disguised as ___ because ___.”
• “Nobody will find my turkey because ___.”
• “The farmer walked right past my turkey. He thought it was a ___!”
• “If you see a ___ on Thanksgiving, look closely. It might be a turkey!”
• Older kids: write a short story from the turkey’s point of view about how it escaped.

Books to Read Before You Start

A turkey book is a fun way to kick off the project and get ideas flowing.

• How to Catch a Turkey
• Turkey in Disguise!: Turkey Project Included
• Turkey in Disguise: A Fun Thanksgiving Coloring & Activity Book for Kids

More Turkey Crafts for Thanksgiving

Once the school project is done, keep the fun going with these:

• 5 Free Build-a-Turkey Printable Templates
• 34 Free Printable Turkey Templates for Crafts
• Easy Turkey Puppet Paper Bag Craft
• Turkey Clothespin Craft
• 65+ Thanksgiving Crafts and Printables for Kids

The best turkey disguises aren’t the fanciest ones. They’re the ones where you can hear your child’s voice in the idea. Grab the free blank template, stock that supply closet, and give yourself three evenings instead of one.

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