Thanksgiving Music Rhythm Turkey Craft Elementary Music Centers Activities

Add some Thanksgiving fun to your music classroom with this Thanksgiving Music Craft! In this hands-on activity, students will create their own turkey by composing 4 or 8 beat rhythms using the turkey’s feathers. With both color and black-and-white options for easy printing, this Thanksgiving music activity is perfect for music centers, a craft project, or even as part of your music sub plans.

This resource comes with ready-to-use templates that let students compose their own rhythm patterns using different note values. Each feather features one rhythm, and students will arrange them to build 4 or 8 beat rhythm compositions. Whether you’re teaching younger or older elementary music students, this activity is flexible and easy to adapt for different skill levels.

Included in this Thanksgiving Rhythm Craft:

• Craft Instructions
• Center/Station Instructions
• Recording Sheets
• Turkey Body Template (color and black/white)
• Rhythm Feather Templates (color and black/white)

Rhythms Included:

• Quarter Note
• Quarter Rest
• Eighth Notes
• Half Note
• Sixteenth Notes
• Eighth & Sixteenth Combinations

This Thanksgiving music craft is a fun and effective way to get your students composing and practicing rhythms. It’s hands-on, creative, and helps reinforce understanding of rhythm values in a way that doesn’t feel like just another worksheet.

The best part? It comes in color and black-and-white, so you can save on ink and choose what works best for your classroom. Whether you use it for a music center, as a whole-class craft, or for sub plans, this resource will save you prep time with everything ready to print and go.

This Thanksgiving music craft can also be used as a center activity for your music classroom. Instead of cutting and gluing the turkey pieces, you can laminate the rhythm feathers and turkey body for durability. Students can then manipulate the laminated feathers to create different rhythm combinations and place them on the turkey body.

Once they’re happy with their rhythm composition, they can write it down on the provided recording sheets. This setup makes it easy for students to explore and experiment with rhythms hands-on while allowing for repeated use throughout the season. It’s a great way to add an interactive and engaging element to your Thanksgiving music centers!

Ideas for Use:

• Music Centers: Set this turkey craft up as a station where students can work independently to create their rhythm turkeys. It’s a fun, low-prep way to reinforce rhythm concepts.
• Whole-Class Activity: Guide the class in making their turkeys together and talk about the different rhythm patterns as you go. It’s a great way to practice counting and clapping rhythms out loud.
• Small Group Work: Have students team up to create turkeys and perform their rhythm compositions for each other. It’s collaborative and adds a little extra excitement to your lesson.
• Independent Practice: Hand out the templates and let students create their rhythm turkeys on their own. They’ll love coloring and adding their own touch to the craft.
• Music Sub Plans: This activity is simple enough for a sub to manage and engaging enough to keep students busy. Just leave the templates and instructions, and you’re set!
• Bulletin Board Display: Once the turkeys are complete, hang them up to create a festive bulletin board that showcases students’ rhythm work and adds some Thanksgiving cheer to your classroom.

This Thanksgiving music activity is a fun way for students to practice composing and reading rhythms while working on a creative holiday project. Whether you’re using it as a music craft, for centers, or as part of your sub plans, this resource is a time-saving, engaging addition to any elementary music classroom!