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Fun Facts about Turkeys & a Turkey Craft Round Up


Have you been following our fun fact posts? It is November so we are moving on to Thanksgiving. So let's talk turkey!! Below the fun facts are a round-up of turkey crafts and activities. Ready for these fun facts?

Fun Facts

  1.  Turkeys were named after the country. North Americans sent Meleagris gallopavo to Europe where they got confused with African guinea fowl that Turkish traders brought to Europe. They called them turkeys and the name became to exclusively mean the turkey as we know it.
  2. A Wild Turkey
    A Wild Turkey By JANGA NAVYA (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons

  3.  Benjamin Franklin stated that turkeys are a more respectable bird than bald eagles.
  4.       Domestic turkeys (raised on farms) usually weigh about twice as much as wild turkeys.
  5. 20120522-DSC00187 (7258035716)
    Domestic Turkey By Andrew Filer from Seattle (ex-Minneapolis) (20120522-DSC00187) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

  6.  Most domestic turkeys cannot fly since they are so heavy! Wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo) can fly up to 55mph.
  7.  Wild turkeys are the largest game bird found in this part of the world. They live in woods in America and like to eat acorns, seeds, small insects and wild berries. Wild turkeys usually sleep on low branches of trees.
  8.  Turkeys almost went extinct by the early 20th century due to hunting and habitat destruction. Their numbers went down to 30,000. Their numbers have come back to the point of being a nuisance in some parts of the country.
    Two turkeys and their poults - panoramio
    Two Turkeys and Their Poults Corey Coyle [CC BY 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
    The last wild turkey in Massachusetts was killed in 1851 on Mount Tom.  In 1972 and 1973 the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife live trapped turkeys in New York and released them in Massachusetts.
  9. The male turkeys are called Tom Turkeys or Gobblers and puff up their bodies and spread their tail feathers to try to befriend as many females as possible.
  10.  Baby turkeys are called poults and cannot fly for the first two weeks of their lives. However they can walk, run and get their own food right away.
  11. Baby turkey in FL
    Poult in Florida By Kristie Gianopulos from Tampa, USA (Baby turkey) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

  12.  Vision and hearing are a wild turkeys most important senses. They help them communicate and detect possible threats.
  13.  Only male turkeys gobble. Weather plays a role in the gobbling activity. Winds between 3 mph to 6 mph seems to bring the highest as do temperatures between 60 to 69 degrees Fahrenheit. Female turkeys have distinct noises that sound like chirps and clucks.
  14. Turkeys ingest small stones that go into the part of their stomachs called gizzards. They do this to help with digestion since like all birds they do not have teeth. They have two stomachs—one that softens the food with gastric juices and the gizzard.  
  15.  Male and female turkeys have different feces. A male’s is j shaped and straighter than a female’s. A hen’s looks more like a spiral.

My Turkey Crafts




Turkey Crafts and Activities from Fellow Kid Blogger Network Members


Here is a sample of some of the amazing turkey crafts, snacks, and activities out there. I tried to pick just one from each blog and share a variety of ideas but there are many more out there!!

1) From Simple Fun for Kids: Handprint Turkey
2) From Look We're Learning: Coffee Filter Turkeys
3) From Meaningful Momma: Gobbling Turkey
4) From Mommy's Bundle: Turkey Placecards
5) From Stay at Home Educator: Sponge Painted Thanksgiving Turkey Hats
6) From The Best Ideas for Kids: Turkey Handprint Craft with Poem
7) From Where Imagination Grows: Toilet Paper Roll Turkeys
8) From Natural Beach Living: Turkey Salt Painting
9) From The Kennedy Adventures: Turkey Cupcakes
10) From Mama By Fire: No-Bake Turkey Cookies
11) From Fireflies and Mud Pies: Easy Turkey Sugar Cookies
12) From Wondermom Wannabe: Pudding Cup Turkeys
13) From Planning Playtime: Cute Turkey Craft
14) From Crayons and Cravings: Turkey Suckers
15) From Preschool Tool Box: Textured Sensory Turkey Pre-Writing Activity 
16) From Jinxy Kids: Turkey Juice Box Craft

17) From Makeovers and Motherhoods: Thanksgiving Gobbler Bags (oops! this one didn't make it into either collage)



1) From Red Ted Art: Egg Carton Turkey
2) From Artsy Fartsy Mama: Turkey Treat Bags
3) From Scribble Doodle and Draw: T is for Turkey
4) From Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds: Colorful Turkey Craft
5) From Encouraging Moms at Home: Free Turkey Coloring Page
6) From Mama Smiles: 5 Adorable Turkey Crafts
7) From Really, Are You Serious?: Thankful Turkey Centerpiece
8) From Artsy Fartsy Mama: Turkey Shirt
9) From The Seasoned Mom: Turkey Bowling
10) From Buggy and Buddy: Fine Motor Turkey Craft
11) From Lalymom: Turkey Placemat Printable
12) From Real Life at Home: 3D Turkey Cutout Downloadable Project
13) From School Time Snippets: Colorful Turkey Patterns
14) From Teach Beside Me: Turkey Felt Board Feather Matching
17) From Preschool Tool Box: Textured Sensory Turkey Pre-Writing Activity (oops this one is pictured twice!)


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