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When the holiday season is just around the corner, there’s always a little bit more (okay, a LOT more) excitement than normal in the classroom air. It usually gets to the point where there’s no denying that the holidays are on everyone’s mind, including our students.
That’s the time when I like to tie in holiday-themed fun with our everyday activities. Special holiday activities are great, but tying a holiday theme into an academic activity is even better!
Thanksgiving is almost here, and I have the tur-KEY to tying in a little extra fun during your literacy instruction time!
Best of all – it’s FREE!
Turkey Feather Literacy Game
I created this game to practice two skill areas that I’m commonly working on with my kindergarteners in November: letter sounds and reading short a CVC words. Your students might be ready for one or the other, or even be beyond these skills, but a little extra practice is always helpful!
Materials Needed
Fortunately, this game uses materials that I usually have at my small group table already.
You’ll need:
- Dry-erase markers that match the colors shown on the spinner
- Transparent spinners (here’s what I use)
- A page protector or dry-erase pocket for each student (here’s a reasonably priced class pack)
- Turkey literacy game pieces (available in the free download at the end of this post)
Preparing the Game
Print enough turkey mats for each student to have one. You can choose the color or black and white version. Choose which version of the game you’re using and print the corresponding cards. Print a turkey spinner. Laminate the mats or place them in dry-erase pouches. Cut out the cards and the spinner.
How to Play the Letter Naming/Sound Version
Place the cards in a face-down pile. Students will take turns. On their turn, the student will draw a card, say the letter name and/or sound, and then spin the spinner. They will draw a turkey feather on their turkey using the color they spun.
You can decide when the game ends! You can play until all the cards are gone, until a player has a certain number of feathers on their turkey, or until a player has drawn a feather of each color.
How to Play the CVC Word Version
Place the cards in a face-down pile. Students will take turns. On their turn, the student will draw a card, read the word, and then spin the spinner. They will draw a turkey feather on their turkey using the color they spun.
Download for free!
I just know your students will love this game! You can get it sent straight to your inbox by entering your information below.
Where can I find more turkey activities?
Here are a few other turkey resources to help you out!
I hope you LOVE this activity! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me. Be sure to follow me on Facebook and Instagram for more ideas!
