I’ve observed the turkey teasing play a couple of times and never fail to be delighted by it. The turkey seems to enjoy it as much as the children.

A neighbor has a fine flock of sometimes-free-range poultry, including a very proud turkey. Mostly, he’s in their backyard, but he periodically leaps the fence and struts around the neighborhood, pretending he’s a peacock.

Three kids, ranging in age from 3-7, live in a second-story apartment with a balcony overlooking the poultry people’s yard.

The turkey teasing play is simple. From the balcony, the children do their best Turkey gobble imitations as loud as they can. The Turkey gobbles back.

The kids gobble again and maybe throw in an “Up here, turkey” or “Come get us featherhead.”

The turkey gobbles back.

The kids gleefully continue the turkey teasing with more gobbles and bird-based insults. My favorites were “You’re a bird-brain,” “Don’t be such a chicken,” and “Want to come over for Thanksgiving dinner?”

The turkey gobbles back.

Eventually, the bird or the kids get distracted or bored, and the play ends.

Gleeful Turkey Teasing Wrap-Up

This is, of course, loose parts play. Loose parts are, according to Simon Nicholson, author of The Theory Of Loose Parts, environmental variables with which one can interact. The turkey and his gobble are both loose parts the kids chose to interact with.

As for the turkey, I don’t know if he saw the kids as loose parts or if he thought he was hearing from a flirtatious lady turkey.

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