Easy Salt Paint Turkey Fine Motor Activity for Kids

Salt painting is not only a fun craft, but it also is a wonderful fine motor activity for kids just learning how to write and hold a pencil. The trick to making this activity work is to use coarse salt, cardstock paper, and to use gentle, controlled movements. Don’t be surprised if your kiddos make a mess while doing this activity at first. Over time, they will come to understand how tiny touches are the way to color their salt without making a mess. This activity also makes a wonderful exercise for teaching children how to use gentle touches as well as a fun Thanksgiving craft.

vertical image of a colorful salt painting turkey on a piece of yellow construction paper.

supplies for a turkey salt painting are on a white counter.

photo showing an outline of a turkey made with glue on a piece of construction paper.

close up image of salt being poured onto a glue turkey outline for a craft.

a paintbrush with orange watercolor on the tip is painting the feet of a turkey made with salt and glue.

overhead photo of a turkey salt painting on yellow construction paper.

Recommended Grade Level:

Preschool

Kindergarten

Supply List
Coordinating Activities

Turkey Salt Painting Supplies:

Paper
Glue
Salt
Food Coloring
Pipette

thanksgiving themed turkey crafts for preschoolers

Salt painting is all about precision, which makes it a wonderful fine motor activity for little ones. Without proper control, the activity turns into a giant mess (and for this reason, I don’t recommend doing it with kids that are younger than 4, or kids who are really, really careful).

turkey salt painting for kids process art 1

We’ve tried this activity with sugar, but it doesn’t have the same results, so you definitely need salt.

Make the outline of your turkey onto card stock paper with the white glue. If you use regular construction paper, the water will tend to run too much, making it harder to create crisp, colored lines.

Cover the entire turkey in salt, like you would for glitter. Shake off any excess.

Dip the paintbrush into water and blend with watercolor to soften. Saturate the brush with watercolor. Gently touch the paintbrush to the salt. The color will spread like magic!

Let the turkeys dry completely before allowing kids to take them home. Typically, it takes about 24 hours for this project to dry.

You don’t have to be limited to turkeys, you can also make leaves, pumpkins, apples, and other fun fall themes!