Thankful Turkey Jar

This Thanksgiving project was designed for my 8-year-old son, who is deafblind and a braille user to do alongside his younger brother Finn and my boyfriend’s daughter. This project uses a jar that we decorated to look like a pretend turkey. Inside the jar we wrote things in braille and print that we are thankful for and attached the words onto popsicle sticks.

I looked for ideas on Pinterest and used this site for inspiration: https://rhythmsofplay.com/turkey-leaf-lanterns/

Objectives:

To explore a variety of tactile materials
To generate a list of things one is thankful for and write them as independently as possible (on braillerwriter, with pencil, drawing, tactile symbols, etc.)

supplies for the project including leaves, modge-podge glue, glue dots, and ribbon — *Supplies for the project including leaves, modge-podge glue, glue dots, and ribbon*

Materials

Glass mason jar
Leaves
Mod Podge
Fun textured ribbon
Sponge paint brushes
Tissue paper
Googly eyes
Orange and brown construction paper (pre-cut into the shape of beaks and the turkey body)

Procedure

turkey shapes cut out of brown construction paper — *Turkey shapes cut out of brown construction paper*

Popsicle sticks
Braille label paper and brailler
Sharpie marker
Organizer tray to organize the materials for the child

plastic trays containing the supplies needed for the project — *Plastic trays containing the supplies needed for the project*

Procedure

Create a sample model for the students to explore ahead of time. Introduce each of the materials, explaining what they’ll be used for and allowing children to ask questions.
Together use Mod Podge to apply the tissue paper onto the jar using the foam brushes.

With help, add the leaf onto the front of the jar using Modge Podge and the foam brush.
Put the jar aside and allow it to dry.
Begin to write things that you are thankful for onto the braille label paper.

Liam writing with his brailler — *Liam uses his brailler to make a list of what he is thankful for.*

things that Liam is thankful for on braille paper, family members are listed — *Lst of what Liam is thankful for: Mom, Nate, Grandma, Papa, Leslee, Shawn, Joe, Finn, Liam, Uncle Billy, Alyx, school*

Cut out the labels and place them on the sticks together.

a flat wood stick labeled mom in braille and print text — *A flat wooden stick labeled “Mom” in braille and print text*

Go back to the jar (hopefully a little dry now) and add the body of the turkey, googly eyes and the beak.
Add textured ribbon onto the top of the jar.
Place the sticks into the “Turkey Jar”.