Activity
Make an Apple Turkey!
What could be more appropriate to get in the Thanksgiving spirit than a celebration of the turkey? Let the little ones partake in the turkey fun, without having to do any of the carving. They’ll enjoy making these little turkeys out of apples and no one gets hurt! This is a great activity to keep small hands out of the kitchen while preparing the big meal. All you need are a few apples, some toothpicks, marshmallows and raisins and you're all set! When they’re done, the kids will have made a fabulous table decoration everyone can look at and enjoy while they gobble up the real thing.
What You Need:
- Large, red apple
- Large and mini-sized marshmallows (one large, at least 20 small)
- Toothpicks (seven per apple should be enough, but have extras on hand in case they break!)
- Raisins (15–30)
- Candy corn (one)
What You Do:
- Place the apple on a flat surface and remove the stem as completely as possible.
- Carefully poke a toothpick into the apple on the outer rim behind where the stem was.
- Keep placing the toothpicks in this fashion until you have six of them fanning out behind the stem to represent the tail feathers (three clustered on one side and three on the other).
- Once the toothpicks are in place, slide a raisin onto the first one, then a mini marshmallow, then another raisin, in a pattern. Talk to the kids about patterns and see if they want to create a different one (raisin, raisin, marshmallow, etc.). Repeat it on all six toothpicks. Be sure the pattern ends with the mini marshmallow at the top so the tip of the toothpick is no longer exposed.
- Now, on to the face of the turkey! Place another toothpick in front of the six toothpicks on the opposite side of the stem. Gently press the large marshmallow onto the toothpick.
- Using scissors, snip tiny slits into the spots where the eyes will go. Press a raisin into each eye hole. (Parents may want to help the kids with the scissors, since you'll want to make a very small slit.)
- Using the pointy end of the candy corn, poke it into where the nose goes and you’ve got your turkey!
Make a whole family of turkeys, or one for each guest to take home. After a big heavy meal, they'll appreciate having something light and healthy to eat the next morning!