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Need a turkey shape for a Thanksgiving craft, coloring activity, bulletin board, or classroom project? This collection includes 34 free printable turkey templates with blank bodies, simple outlines, tail pieces, face pieces, colored designs, and creative craft options.

Choose a ready-to-use design, a blank turkey template children can decorate, or separate pieces for tracing and cutting. The collection gives parents and teachers several options without requiring them to draw a turkey from scratch.

34 Free Printable Turkey Templates for Crafts

These templates are useful for preschool, pre-K, kindergarten, elementary classrooms, homeschool lessons, Sunday school, and family crafting in November.

Quick answer: The free PDF includes 34 turkey template pages for kids to color, trace, cut, decorate, and use to create Thanksgiving crafts. Designs include bodies without tail pieces, basic outlines, buildable pieces, handprint and fingerprint art, patterns, paper-plate and paper-cup pieces, and face templates.

Free Turkey Templates

The best turkey template depends on the project you want to make. Some children want a complete picture they can color. Others need a blank body for decorating, a large outline for a decoration, or individual pieces they can trace onto construction paper.

This collection of free Thanksgiving printables includes:

• Simple colored designs
• Blank turkey body templates
• Large turkey outlines
• Cut and paste turkey pieces
• Handprint turkey craft pages
• Fingerprint art templates
• Turkey tail patterns
• Paper-plate and paper-cup craft pieces
• A pumpkin turkey design
• Turkey eyes, beaks, feet, heads, and other parts

Download and print the complete file, or select only the page you need for your activity.

Which Turkey Template Should You Choose?

For a Quick Coloring Activity

Choose a black-and-white turkey template or a basic outline. Children can use crayons, colored pencils, washable markers, dot markers, or watercolor paint.

For a Cut-and-Paste Craft

Choose a turkey body and separate tail or face pieces. Children can color and cut the parts before gluing them together.

For a complete guided assembly activity, use these five build-a-turkey templates. That set is specifically designed for children to color, cut, and assemble a paper turkey.

For a Classroom Display

Use a large turkey template or blank outline. Each student can decorate one Thanksgiving turkey, or the class can add individual tail pieces to a shared display.

For Preschool

Select a simple turkey template with a large body, thick outline, and only a few pieces. Adults can pre-cut small parts for children who are still developing scissor skills.

For Tracing

Print a basic turkey pattern on cardstock, cut it out, and use it as a reusable tracer. Children can trace the body or tail shapes onto construction paper, felt, craft foam, or paper bags.

Simple Colored Turkey Template

The colored turkey template is the quickest option in the collection. Print it for a low-prep table activity, Thanksgiving decoration, placemat, or classroom display.

Children can cut around the outside, glue it to white paper, or write their names and something they are thankful for on the page.

Blank Turkey Template

A blank turkey template gives children room to make the design their own. They can draw colorful details, add patterns, practice Thanksgiving writing, or cover the body with craft supplies.

Try decorating a blank turkey with:

• Torn construction-paper pieces
• Tissue-paper squares
• Crayons or markers
• Washable paint
• Dot stickers
• Pom-poms
• Googly eyes
• Paper or real leaves
• Names or gratitude words

For a writing template activity, ask children to add one thing they are thankful for to each tail section.

Turkey Body Template

The body pages are especially useful when children will create their own tail. Choose a design without attached pieces and add handprints, fingerprints, leaves, paper loops, painted clothespins, or separate feather templates behind it.

A free printable turkey template can also become a puppet, name tag, place card, paper-bag craft, or bulletin-board character.

Large Turkey Template

The larger turkey patterns work well for decorations, classroom displays, door signs, and collaborative art projects. Print the design at full size for one large Thanksgiving turkey per page.

If the printer preview cuts off part of the shape, choose Fit or Fit to Printable Area. To make it even larger, use the poster or tile setting in your PDF reader, if available. This spreads the picture across several sheets that you can trim and tape together.

Turkey Outline

A basic turkey outline is one of the most flexible designs in the printable PDF. Children can use it as a coloring page, cutting pattern, painting guide, or starting point for a mixed-media art project.

To make a reusable turkey craft template, print the shape on cardstock and laminate it before cutting. Teachers can place the tracer in an art center with colored paper and drawing supplies.

Turkey Feather Templates

Students can mix and match these shapes with the blank bodies. Children can color the turkey’s feathers in traditional fall shades or invent bright patterns of their own.

Use the pieces for:

• A thankful turkey craft
• Name and letter practice
• Number sequencing
• Color recognition
• Pattern-making practice
• A paper plate turkey
• Classroom or hallway decorations

You can also download this dedicated collection of free turkey feather templates for more tail-focused projects.

Handprint Turkey Craft Template

The handprint design turns a child’s hand shape into a colorful tail. Trace the child’s hand directly onto colored paper, or use the hand turkey template as a guide.

Add the child’s name and year to turn the finished craft into a Thanksgiving keepsake for parents or grandparents.

Fingerprint Turkey Art Template

This fingerprint page is a fun, easy art activity for younger children. Place small amounts of washable paint on a tray, let children press a fingertip into the paint, and add colorful prints around the bird.

Supervise the activity, use washable nontoxic paint, and have children wash their hands when finished.

Paper-Plate and Paper-Cup Turkey Templates

Several pieces in this free turkey template collection can be paired with a paper plate or paper cup. Use the eyes, beak, wings, feet, and colorful tail pieces to transform the base into an adorable turkey.

For a paper turkey craft using a plate, paint or color the base and glue the decorative pieces and face parts in place. For a paper-cup version, turn the cup upside down, attach the face to the front, and arrange the tail across the back.

Pumpkin Turkey Template

Turn a paper pumpkin or pumpkin cutout into a silly Thanksgiving turkey with the included face and turkey hat pieces. Children can color the pumpkin orange or experiment with white, green, yellow, or patterned designs.

This option works well as a fall craft or pumpkin-to-Thanksgiving transition activity in late October or early November.

Turkey Eyes, Beak, Feet, and Face Templates

The separate parts help children create a face on a plate, cup, bag, pumpkin, pine cone, or original drawing. The collection includes pieces such as eyes, beaks, heads, feet, tail shapes, and the turkey’s snood.

Print the page on white cardstock and color the pieces, or use the shapes as patterns for colored construction paper.

Supplies Needed

You only need a few basic supplies:

• Turkey template
• Printer
• White printer paper
• Crayons, colored pencils, or washable markers
• Child-safe scissors
• Glue stick

Optional supplies include colored paper, washable paint, dot markers, pom-poms, googly eyes, tissue paper, paper plates, paper cups, craft sticks, and a laminator.

How to Print the Turkey Templates

1. Download the PDF file using the form or button near the bottom of this post.
2. Open the file in a document reader.
3. Load US Letter paper into the printer.
4. Select the page or pages you want instead of printing all 34 designs.
5. Use the Fit option if any part of the design falls outside the printing area.
6. Make a single sample copy first before preparing a full classroom set.

Standard printer paper works well for coloring activities and basic projects. Heavier paper is more durable for tracing patterns, puppets, decorations, and craft templates children will handle repeatedly.

How to Make an Easy Paper Turkey Craft

1. Select a turkey body, outline, or set of pieces.
2. Prepare a copy of your selected design.
3. Color the body, tail, and face pieces.
4. Cut out turkey parts with child-safe scissors.
5. Arrange the pieces before gluing them in place.
6. Add a name, Thanksgiving message, or words of gratitude.
7. Display the finished turkey on a wall, refrigerator, door, or bulletin board.

Young children may need help cutting small eyes, feet, or beaks. Pre-cutting those pieces lets preschoolers focus on coloring, arranging, and gluing while building fine motor skills.

Easy Turkey Craft Ideas for Kids

Thankful Turkey

Write one person, place, memory, or blessing on each tail section. Add the pieces throughout November for a free thankful turkey activity.

Name Turkey

Write one letter of the child’s name on each tail piece, then arrange the letters in order. This simple game combines name practice with a seasonal craft.

Pattern Turkey

Create repeating color patterns across the tail, such as red-yellow-red-yellow or orange-green-brown-orange-green-brown.

Turkey Puppet

Glue a completed turkey to sturdy paper, cut it out, and attach a large craft stick to the back.

Paper-Bag Turkey

Use a blank body or separate face parts to decorate the flap of a brown paper lunch bag.

Turkey Coloring Page

Print a complete outline and use it as a turkey coloring page. Add a background with leaves, pumpkins, a barn, or a Thanksgiving table.

More Fun Thanksgiving Activities

These free templates can also inspire other Thanksgiving activities. Use a basic body for a disguise-a-turkey or disguise-the-turkey project, turn the pieces into a seasonal craft, or pair the pages with a Thanksgiving color-by-number activity.

The printable Thanksgiving designs also work well alongside other easy crafts and craft ideas that celebrate the spirit of fall.

Learning Skills Practiced

Turkey crafts can support more than seasonal fun. Depending on the design, children may practice:

• Fine motor control
• Scissor skills
• Hand-eye coordination
• Shape and color recognition
• Patterning and sequencing
• Following directions
• Creative decision-making
• Writing and gratitude reflection

The best craft for young children matches their current abilities. A large outline is ideal for beginning colorers, while older children may enjoy tracing, cutting, layering, and building more detailed designs.

Download the Free Turkey Template

Download all 34 designs and choose the Thanksgiving turkey template that fits your project. You may use these pages for personal projects, homeschool activities, or one classroom, according to the usage terms below.

You may not sell these materials, alter them for resale, upload them to another website, or redistribute them as digital files.

More Thanksgiving Activities for Kids

• Build a turkey printable
• Turkey feather templates
• Turkey hat craft
• Thanksgiving color-by-number pages
• Gratitude box activity
• Thanksgiving crafts and printables

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