Thanksgiving is more than just a feast; it’s a time for family, laughter, and creating lasting memories. To elevate your Thanksgiving celebration, incorporating fun games is a fantastic idea. Whether you’re gathering with immediate family, a large extended clan, or even a Friendsgiving group, having a selection of engaging Thanksgiving games ensures everyone, from grandparents to grandkids, has a blast.
Family joyfully engages in Thanksgiving games, enhancing their holiday celebration
For years, planning Thanksgiving entertainment has been a cherished tradition. Beyond the essential Thanksgiving dishes like sausage stuffing and festive punch, the highlight is always the games. The key to successful Thanksgiving games is versatility – activities that appeal to a wide range of ages and interests. This guide provides a treasure trove of Thanksgiving game ideas suitable for families, ensuring adults enjoy them just as much as the kids. And for those hosting teen or adult-centric gatherings, we’ve included options perfect for a Friendsgiving or grown-up celebration. Dive in and discover the ideal games to make your Thanksgiving unforgettable!
Engaging Thanksgiving Games for Families
These Thanksgiving game ideas are designed to be inclusive and enjoyable for all ages. From toddlers to grandparents, everyone can participate and have fun together. These games are not only entertaining but also foster family bonding and create shared holiday memories.
Exciting Thanksgiving Minute to Win It Games
Minute to win it games are perfect for keeping energy levels high and attention spans engaged during your Thanksgiving gathering. These quick, fun challenges can be played individually or in teams, adding a competitive yet lighthearted spirit to your celebration. For those new to the concept, minute to win it games are simple challenges that participants attempt to complete within one minute. They’re easy to set up, require minimal supplies, and guarantee maximum fun.
1 – Face the Pie: A Whipped Cream Letter Hunt
Supplies: Gummy letters (ABC), pie tins, and whipped cream (spray or real).
How to Play: Prepare pie tins by placing gummy letters spelling “P-I-E” (or another Thanksgiving-themed word) in each tin. Cover the letters generously with whipped cream and chill. Players race to eat through the whipped cream to find the letters, then unscramble them to form the secret word. Provide an extra pie tin for collecting found letters. The first to correctly unscramble and shout out the word wins!
A child enthusiastically participates in a pie eating Thanksgiving game, showcasing joyful holiday fun
2 – The Mayflower Cork Race: Navigate the Waters
Supplies: Under-bed storage container, small corks, fake flowers, and optional plastic straws.
How to Play: Fill a long under-bed storage container with water to create a “sea”. Give each player a cork “Mayflower” by inserting a fake flower into a small cork. Participants place their Mayflowers at one end of the container and must blow their cork boat to the opposite end of the water. Blowing can be done directly or using a straw. The first Mayflower to reach the other side wins the race!
3 – Shake Your Tail Feathers: Feather Frenzy
Supplies: Rectangular tissue boxes, pantyhose, and craft feathers.
How to Play: Prepare “turkey tails” by emptying tissue boxes and filling them with craft feathers. Attach pantyhose to each box, positioning the box in the middle of the pantyhose. Players tie the pantyhose around their waist, placing the feather-filled box on their backside. The challenge is to shake and move until all the feathers fall out of their box. First to empty their box wins this hilarious game!
4 – Feather Float Challenge: Keep it Airborne
Supplies: Lightweight feathers.
How to Play: Give each player a light feather. The objective is to keep the feather floating in the air for as long as possible by only blowing on it. For individual play, aim for a minute. In team or head-to-head games, the player who keeps their feather aloft the longest is the winner. This simple game is surprisingly engaging and fun for all ages.
Two boys playfully engaged in a feather blowing Thanksgiving family game, filled with laughter
5 – Football Flick: Score Big with Paper Footballs
Supplies: Paper footballs (or mini footballs), buckets or pots, masking tape, and markers.
How to Play: Set up a scoring zone by arranging buckets or baskets at varying distances. Assign point values with tape and markers: furthest bucket 7 points, middle 3 points, closest 1 point. Players flick paper footballs into the buckets within one minute to score points. Alternatively, teams can compete using different colored footballs, racing to reach 21 points first.
A group excitedly flicks footballs in a fun Thanksgiving family game competition, creating laughter and joy
6 – The Goblet Gobble: Ping Pong Chin Transfer
Supplies: Plastic goblets, orange ping pong balls.
How to Play: Place a goblet per player/team on a table at one end of the room and ping pong balls at the opposite end. Players must transfer three ping pong balls from the starting table to their goblet. The catch? They can only hold the ping pong ball between their chin and neck – no hands allowed! First to transfer all three balls wins.
7 – Please Pass the Corn: Candy Corn Relay
Supplies: Candy corn, popsicle sticks, shallow bowls or pie tins.
How to Play: This partner game requires teams of two. Each team gets two popsicle sticks, a bowl of candy corn, and an empty bowl. Players place popsicle sticks in their mouths. The first player uses their popsicle stick to pick up a candy corn and transfer it to their teammate’s popsicle stick (mouth-to-mouth transfer, no hands). The second teammate then transfers the candy corn to the empty bowl. The team with the most candy corn successfully transferred in one minute wins.
8 – Traffic Yam: Spoon Yam Race
Supplies: Raw yams (sweet potatoes), metal spoons, painter’s tape.
How to Play: Mark a start and finish line with painter’s tape. Each player gets a yam and a spoon. Players must use only their spoon to push their yam across the finish line and back to the start. The yams’ tendency to roll unpredictably makes this game hilariously chaotic, especially with multiple players. Defensive yam-pushing is allowed! First to cross the finish line and return wins.
A child uses a spoon to skillfully roll a yam in a Thanksgiving game, showcasing playful competition
9 – Reverse Traffic Yam: Yam Spoon Walk
Supplies: Raw yams, metal spoons, painter’s tape.
How to Play: Similar to Traffic Yam, but with a twist. Players place a yam on their spoon and walk across the room to a designated line and back, balancing the yam on the spoon (like an egg race). If the yam falls, they must return to the start. For added difficulty, have players walk backward! First to cross the line with their yam still on the spoon wins.
10 – Corn to Copia: Blindfolded Corn Toss
Supplies: Fake corn, empty cornucopia, blindfold.
How to Play: Teams of two are needed. One player is blindfolded and holds an empty cornucopia. Their teammate stands about ten feet away with a bucket of fake corn. The teammate with the corn must toss the corn, football-style, to their blindfolded partner, who tries to catch it in the cornucopia. Players can communicate verbally to guide their teammate. The team to catch three (or even one for an easier challenge) corns first wins.
A Thanksgiving party game featuring corn and a cornucopia, perfect for family fun
11 – Turkey Bowl: Ping Pong Turkey Toss
Supplies: Fishbowl, stuffed or plastic turkey, colored ping pong balls.
How to Play: Place a fishbowl containing a plastic or stuffed turkey in the center of the room. Set bowls of colored ping pong balls in four directions around the fishbowl. Players try to bounce ping pong balls into the turkey bowl. First player to successfully land a ball (or more for advanced play) into the bowl wins.
12 – A Bit Corny: Candy Corn Balance
Supplies: Popsicle sticks, candy corn.
How to Play: Players balance six candy corns on a popsicle stick held in their mouth. Starting with just the stick, players add candy corns one at a time. The first player to successfully balance all six candy corns on the stick wins this sweet challenge.
13 – Hut, Hut, Hoop: Toilet Paper Football Hike
Supplies: Toilet paper rolls, hoop.
How to Play: Place a hoop 15 feet away. Players bend over and hike toilet paper rolls through the hoop, football style. The goal is to get a set number of rolls through the hoop within one minute. This game combines football fun with silly toilet paper antics.
A collage showcasing a girl holding a hoop and hiking toilet paper rolls, illustrating the Hut, Hut, Hoop Thanksgiving game
14 – Linemen: Oreo Cookie Slide
Supplies: Oreo cookies, football tablecloth.
How to Play: Players stand at one end of a table covered with a football tablecloth. They slide Oreo cookies, attempting to land them on the lines of the tablecloth, mimicking football linemen on the line of scrimmage. The first player to land an Oreo “lineman” on each line, or the player with the most linemen on lines within a minute, wins.
The Floor Thanksgiving Edition: Picture Guessing Game
Inspired by the popular game show “The Floor,” this Thanksgiving version is a visual guessing game that’s engaging for all ages. Players go head-to-head, identifying Thanksgiving-themed images – foods, movies, and more. Pre-made slideshows are readily available for download, simplifying setup.
A collage of images showing people playing a floor-inspired Thanksgiving game, highlighting interactive family fun
Thanksgiving Price is Right: Guess the Feast Costs
Test your knowledge of grocery prices with a Thanksgiving twist on “The Price is Right.” Players guess the cost of common Thanksgiving dinner ingredients. This game is both entertaining and insightful, perfect for pre-dinner fun or post-feast relaxation.
Thanksgiving Wishes Game: Family Opinion Match
This interactive game is perfect for around-the-table play. Someone reads an “I wish…” statement with four multiple-choice options. Everyone selects their favorite choice and tries to match the majority answer to score points. This game sparks conversation and reveals fun family preferences. Printable versions are readily available for easy play.
Colored and white pieces of paper alongside scissors, setting the scene for a creative Thanksgiving wishbone game
Pumpkin Roll Game: Target Pumpkin Fun
Combine fall decor with game fun! Players roll a pumpkin, attempting to land it within a taped game board to win prizes. Simple to set up and adaptable for any fall-themed gathering, Pumpkin Roll is a crowd-pleaser.
Turkey Hunt: Thanksgiving Hide-and-Seek
Turn your Thanksgiving celebration into an ongoing scavenger hunt with Turkey Hunt. Hide a toy turkey, and throughout the day, family members search for it. The finder wins a prize and then re-hides the turkey for the hunt to continue. This game provides entertainment throughout the entire Thanksgiving day. Printable turkey hunt game materials are available for structured play or a more traditional Thanksgiving scavenger hunt approach.
A ceramic turkey being held by a woman, symbolizing the start of a Thanksgiving turkey hunt game
Thanksgiving Family Feud: Holiday Edition
Bring the excitement of the game show “Family Feud” to your Thanksgiving gathering. Use Thanksgiving-themed questions to test family knowledge and spark friendly competition. This game is a fantastic way to engage everyone, and question sets are readily available online.
Thanksgiving Bingo: Festive Card Fun
A holiday-themed twist on a classic game, Thanksgiving Bingo uses bingo cards filled with Thanksgiving-related images or words. Printable Thanksgiving bingo cards make setup easy and provide hours of entertainment for all ages.
A Thanksgiving bingo card with festive markers, ready for a fun family game
Thanksgiving Outburst: Category Word Yell-Out
Outburst is a fast-paced word association game that’s perfect for lively groups. Players shout out words related to Thanksgiving categories like desserts or football teams. Printable Thanksgiving Outburst cards are available for convenient gameplay.
Thanksgiving Pictionary: Draw the Holiday
Unleash your inner artist with Thanksgiving Pictionary. Teams guess Thanksgiving-related words based on drawings. Simple to play with just paper and pens, Pictionary is a classic party game that’s always a hit. Thanksgiving-themed word lists are easy to find online.
Thanksgiving Pictionary words and themed items, illustrating a creative and fun family game
Gratitude Punch Game: Pop for Thanks
Combine a punch game with a gratitude theme. Fill punch cups with gratitude questions and Thanksgiving treats. Players punch through the paper covering to reveal a question and a snack. This game encourages reflection and thankfulness while providing a fun, interactive element.
Gratitude Skittles Game: Color-Coded Thanks
For a simpler gratitude activity, try the Skittles Gratitude Game. Using a bag of Skittles and a printable question guide, players pick a Skittle and answer a gratitude question corresponding to the Skittle’s color. This game is a sweet and meaningful way to express thankfulness.
A Gratitude game board with Skittles, inviting reflection and thankfulness during Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Charades: Act Out the Holiday
Thanksgiving Charades is another classic game with a festive theme. Players act out Thanksgiving-related words or phrases for their team to guess. Charades is always a crowd-pleaser and can be easily adapted for all ages. For a twist, try reverse charades for even more laughs.
Thanksgiving Would You Rather: Hilarious Holiday Choices
Spark funny debates with Thanksgiving Would You Rather questions. Pose humorous scenarios and have players choose their preference. To make it a game, have players try to guess the majority opinion. This game is a great conversation starter and guarantees laughter.
Thanksgiving Would You Rather questions displayed on a tablet, ready for engaging and humorous family interaction
Thanksgiving Dice Game: Roll and Compliment
This gratitude-focused dice game is a simple and heartwarming activity. Players roll a die and then say something nice about the person indicated by the die roll. It’s an easy way to spread positivity and appreciation during Thanksgiving.
Cup Football Game: Tabletop Touchdown
For football fans, the Cup Football Game is a quick and fun tabletop activity. Using plastic cups, players flick a “football” (can be made of paper or small objects) and try to score through the cup goalposts. This game is perfect for playing between actual football game watching.
A man throwing a football at yellow and brown cups on a table, illustrating the Cup Football Thanksgiving game
Pick a Play Game: Football Prediction Fun
Another football-themed game for Thanksgiving Day. Players get cards representing football plays (long, run, short) and predict what play the team will make. Correct predictions keep players in the game, adding an element of football strategy to your gathering.
17 Thanksgiving Games in One Bundle!
For ultimate convenience, consider a Thanksgiving Games Bundle that includes a wide variety of games in one package. This is a great option for easy access to a full suite of Thanksgiving entertainment.
Engaging Thanksgiving Games for Adults
While many of the family games are also suitable for adults, these options are geared towards teen and adult gatherings, offering a bit more challenge and sophistication. Perfect for Friendsgiving or adult-only Thanksgiving celebrations.
Thanksgiving Trivia: Test Your Holiday Knowledge
Thanksgiving Trivia is a fun way to test everyone’s knowledge of Thanksgiving history, traditions, and facts. With a range of questions from easy to challenging, it’s suitable for all trivia skill levels. Prepare your own trivia questions or find pre-made sets online.
Thanksgiving Word Game: Danger Word Challenge
The Thanksgiving Word Game, also known as “Danger Word,” is a team-based guessing game with a twist. Players describe a Thanksgiving-related word to their teammates without using a set of “danger words.” This game is engaging, strategic, and sure to bring laughs.
Thanksgiving danger word cards cut out and in a pile, ready for a challenging word game
Thanksgiving Scattergories: Category Creativity
Thanksgiving Scattergories challenges players to come up with unique words related to Thanksgiving-themed categories, starting with a specific letter. This game encourages creativity and quick thinking, and printable Thanksgiving Scattergories boards are readily available.
Thanksgiving Matching Game: Ingredient Challenge
The Thanksgiving Matching Game offers a unique twist on traditional matching games. Instead of matching pictures, players match ingredients to popular Thanksgiving dishes. This game can be surprisingly challenging, even for seasoned cooks, and is a fun way to test culinary knowledge.
Printed Thanksgiving matching game with fall confetti, creating a festive and challenging activity
Fun Thanksgiving Games Just for Kids
Looking for Thanksgiving activities specifically designed for younger children? These games are tailored to be age-appropriate and engaging for kids, ensuring they have a fun and memorable holiday too. Explore a wide range of Thanksgiving kids’ activities to keep the little ones entertained.
Explore More Thanksgiving Printables
For even more Thanksgiving activity ideas and printable games, discover a wealth of Thanksgiving printables online. From decorations to games and crafts, printable resources can simplify your Thanksgiving planning and add extra festive fun.
