Oatmeal Creme Pie Turkeys: A Fun and Easy Thanksgiving Snack for Kids
Thanksgiving is all about gratitude, family, and food thatโs shaped like turkeys. These Oatmeal Creme Pie Turkeys are the ultimate mashup of sweet treat and silly craft, and theyโre almost too cute to eat. (Almost). With just a few snips of construction paper and a smear of glue, tasty snack cakes magically transform into fun little turkeys. Whether wrangling a classroom of students whose minds are on fall break or trying to keep little hands busy while the grown-ups cook, this goofy snack craft is guaranteed to bring giggly, happy kids to any Thanksgiving celebration.
Why Oatmeal Creme Pie Turkeys Make the Perfect Thanksgiving Activity for Kids
With so much going on already, Thanksgiving crafts and snacks shouldnโt be complicated or time-consuming. Oatmeal creme pie turkeys come together quickly with materials most people already have on hand: a box of Little Debbieยฎ oatmeal creme pies, a few pieces of construction paper, glue, and some artificial fall leaves from the dollar store or craft aisle. Kids get to practice fine motor skills like cutting, gluing, and drawing, and theyโll love having a sweet treat to show off (and eventually devour) when theyโre done.
Plus, unlike complex baking recipes, this Thanksgiving snack for kids requires no oven, no stovetop, and no cleanup beyond paper scraps and a bit of glue. It’s the kind of project thatโs easy to set up for a group and satisfying for all ages. Even toddlers can do it, with a little help.
Necessary Supplies
To make these oatmeal creme pie turkeys, gather the following materials:
- Unopened oatmeal creme pies (one for each turkey)
- Construction paper in white, orange, and red
- Scissors
- Glue stick or white school glue
- Black marker
- Fake fall leaves
Optional: googly eyes, stickers, glitter glue, or anything else to jazz up the turkeys.
How to Make Oatmeal Creme Pie Turkeys
Follow these simple steps to make an easy Thanksgiving snack for kids.
Step 1: Create the Turkey Face
Start by cutting two small white circles out of construction paper to serve as the eyes. These should be about the size of a dime. To skip the extra cutting, sub in googly eyes for a bit of fun.
Next, cut a small orange triangle for the beak and a red wattle (the little flap that hangs beside the beak) in a rounded, droplet shape. If doing this project with younger kids, consider prepping the shapes ahead of time so they can just assemble them.
Use a black marker to draw pupils on the white circles. Protip: drawing the pupils somewhat off-center helps avoid the โ1000-yard stareโ look.
Step 2: Assemble the Face
Glue the eyes near the top center of the oatmeal creme pie wrapper. Then glue the beak to the red wattle, with the wattle in back so that it peeks out beside the beak. Glue these slightly below the eyes. Get creative here. Give each turkey a different expression or angle the eyes to make it look curious, sleepy, or silly.
Step 3: Add the Feathers
To finish the turkey, take a fake fall leaf and glue it to the back of the oatmeal creme pie so it fans out behind the face like feathers.
An Fun and Delicious Thanksgiving Craft for Kids
This Thanksgiving activity for kids is more than just a cute snack. It also offers great opportunities for kids to practice important skills:
- Fine motor practice: Cutting out paper shapes and carefully applying glue helps strengthen small muscles in the hands.
- Creative expression: Kids can experiment with eye shapes, leaf arrangements, or silly face combinations to make each turkey unique.
- Following directions: With just a few easy-to-follow steps, kids build confidence as they successfully complete each part of the craft.
- Sensory fun: With the textures of smooth paper, fabric leaves, and the crinkly wrapper of the oatmeal pie, this Thanksgiving activity for kids engages multiple senses, especially taste.
A Fun Thanksgiving Classroom Party Snack Everyone Will Love
If hosting a classroom party or a playdate, Oatmeal Creme Pie Turkeys are a great go-to Thanksgiving classroom party snack. They can be prepped in advance, easily packed into goodie bags, or made as a group project. They’re also allergy-friendly for many kids (though always double-check the ingredients), and they make a charming little centerpiece for a kidsโ Thanksgiving table.
Variations of this Thanksgiving Snack for Kids
After mastering this Thanksgiving classroom party snack, try one of these fun spins:
- Pumpkin Pie Turkeys: Swap the oatmeal creme pies for pumpkin-flavored snack cakes or cookies.
- Mini Version: Use mini oatmeal pies and tiny paper pieces to create bite-sized turkeys.
- Personalized Turkeys: Write things each child is thankful for on the feathers to create a gratitude-themed version.
Make This Thanksgiving Craft for Kids a New Holiday Tradition
Thereโs something special about a craft that ends with a snack, and these Oatmeal Creme Pie Turkeys are just the kind of simple joy worth repeating year after year. Whether the kids make one at the Thanksgiving classroom party or you turn it into a quiet family moment before the holiday hustle, this easy project is a sweet way to slow down and share a laugh. With minimal supplies, these silly little turkeys might just become the familyโs new favorite tradition, right up there with mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie. So gather up some glue, grab a box of oatmeal pies, and let the gobbling fun begin.
