What is “process art?” Process art can look many different ways but the main idea is that it is more about the PROCESS of creating, than the final product itself. It’s open-ended and there really are no major guidelines. For this process art activity, since we are in the midst of all things turkeys and Thanksgiving, we decided to try painting with feathers!

Painting with feathers was such a fun, festive, and unique sensory experience for my little guy! We chose to paint with fall colors since we were going for a turkey vibe here in November, but you could totally swing this for spring too with a bird theme!

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I ordered these feathers off Amazon and we have gotten SO MUCH use from them. We have painted with them (obviously), used them for sensory play, lots of simple art projects, and more! To prep this activity, I used a little bit of masking tape to secure a piece of cardstock paper onto a baking sheet. This helps to keep the project contained, and the tape helps it to not move around as they paint.

Although "process art" is more about the process itself than the end product, I tend to save more of my kids’ art work than I should anyway because I think the "end product" of projects completed by toddlers are just so precious. All the fun is definitely in the process, though- especially for them. Kade loved "dipping" the feathers in the paint and watching what happened as he tapped or dragged them onto the paper. I loved the textured look that the feathers gave and the fall colors we used gave it the perfect festive touch.

This is the paint that we’ve been using for crafting lately and it has been great. Non-toxic is always the way to go with toddlers, because I looked away for a split second and Kade tasted a little bit of the paint. TOTALLY NORMAL. They’re curious. He OF COURSE didn't like it and it didn't happen again, but it always makes me feel less stressed with these little projects if I know I won't need the poison control number ready to go. ;)

I always love pairing a good themed book along with our activities, so I wanted to share a few of our favorite Thanksgiving books with you here! Check your local library for these titles, or click the links to check them out on Amazon!

This Little Turkey
Be Thankful, Pout Pout Fish
Turkey Tumble
’Twas the Night Before Thanksgiving
There Was an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Turkey
The Best Thanksgiving Ever
Bear Says Thanks
How to Catch a Turkey
Thankful

If you like this activity idea, be sure to check out our Feather Sensory Bin post, and this Turkey Feather Color Match activity. You might also enjoy these popular posts:
30+ Activities for 1-2 Year Olds
30+ Activities for 2-3 Year Olds

Lastly, if you are looking for some more quick, easy turkey fun this season, check out these turkey-themed printables from our fall activity book!