Gobble, gobble! Jack and I had a lot of fun with this Flying Turkey STEM/STEAM activity-- releasing a balloon and hearing it make that swish, pffft sound is fun for kids and adults (I giggle every time at that pffft sound, haha), The anticipation of flight and a successful launch is exciting too! Below is how to build your own Flying Turkey.
You'll Need
Balloon
Turkey Print Out (I found mine in MS Word)
Tape
Makers, crayons, or colored pencils (optional)
Instructions
1) Color turkey print out (note this step is optional, and Jack who loves to color, choose not to this time).
2) Place tape on the back of turkey print out.
3) Inflate the balloon and pinch the end close.
4) While still pinching the end of the of the balloon, tape on the turkey print out.
5) Once turkey print out is securely attached to the inflated balloon, let go of the balloon and watch the turkey take flight!
While Jack and I enjoyed this activity, and I think it would make an excellent STEM/STEAM activity at Thanksgiving, I want to take a moment to acknowledge that Thanksgiving is not a fun holiday for everyone. Instead of inserting my own third party view on the topic, first party point of views on the topic are here, here, and here. We can use these first hand accounts to better understand and teach empathy to our children (and ourselves) about all that Thanksgiving encompasses.
While playing with our flying turkey, I asked Jack if real life turkeys can fly? He said yes, and while I was pretty sure that answer was correct, I wanted to learn a little more about this bird. What Jack and I learned were that turkeys raised on farms typically do not fly, but wild turkeys do. They fly up into trees to roost and rest. More information can be read here. Happy Turkey Day to all who celebrate! Gobble, gobble!