Building Kinetic Sand Turkeys

Kinetic sand is a favorite in my classroom.  Actually my kids at home love it too!  There is something  about the feel of the kinetic sand that makes you want to squish it together and then let it fall between your fingers.  It’s a great example of sensory play for toddlers and preschoolers.  The kinetic sand turkeys that my preschoolers created were simple to set up and easy to clean up too!

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This kinetic sand activity is kind of a dump and play activity.  In my classroom, I have small cookie trays for individual play.  I scoop the kinetic sand on to each tray and divide up the accessories that we are playing with.

The turkeys required very simple supplies.  On each tray, I added the feathers, a handful of googly eyes, and the pipe cleaners.  I cut the pipe cleaners into smaller sections and even showed my preschoolers how to fold the pipe cleaners into a V shape to resemble a turkey’s beak.

My preschoolers loved making turkeys!  Some turkeys had 2 eyes, some had many more.  Some turkeys had legs, a body, and a head.  Some just had a head and lots of feathers.  Some had feathers and pipe cleaners for hair.

No matter how the turkeys ended up looking like at the end, the creative process was an important part of this sensory activity.  Learning, exploration, and encouraging thinking on your own plus a tactile sensory experience all happens during kinetic sand play.

Not to mention, it’s just super fun!

You must have Mr. Potato Head pieces laying around!