20 Thanksgiving Games for the Whole Family

The quick guide

• At the table: would you rather, thankful jar, gratitude alphabet, this or that.
• For kids: turkey hunt, charades, leaf pile relay.
• For the competitive: trivia, pie-eating contest, turkey bowling, board game tournament.

The games

1. 1. Thanksgiving charades

   Players: 4+, in two teams · You need: a phone

   Act out 'carving the turkey', 'the kids' table' or 'a food coma' while your team guesses. Easy enough for kids, and watching grandpa act out Black Friday shopping is worth it alone.

   Thanksgiving charades generator with timer →

2. 2. Thanksgiving trivia

   Players: any, in teams · You need: paper and pens

   Questions about the Mayflower, the parade, turkeys and football. Play a round while the turkey rests and another round with dessert.

   Thanksgiving trivia questions and answers →

3. 3. Thanksgiving would you rather

   Players: any · You need: nothing

   Perfect for the table: 'Would you rather do all the cooking or all the dishes?' Go around and have everyone answer with a reason.

   Thanksgiving would you rather questions →

4. 4. Thankful jar

   Players: any · You need: a jar, slips of paper

   As guests arrive, they write something they're thankful for (anonymously) and drop it in the jar. At dessert, take turns reading them out and guessing who wrote each one.

5. 5. Thanksgiving Pictionary

   Players: 4+ · You need: paper or a whiteboard

   Draw turkeys, pilgrim hats, pumpkin pies and parade balloons. Pick the Thanksgiving category in the Pictionary generator and keep score by team.

   Pictionary word generator (Thanksgiving category) →

6. 6. Turkey hunt

   Players: any, great for kids · You need: paper turkeys

   Cut out paper turkeys and hide them around the house or yard. Kids hunt for them before dinner. Write a small prize or a joke on the back of each one.

7. 7. Pie-eating contest

   Players: 4+ · You need: small pies or tarts, napkins

   Hands behind backs, face in the pie. First to finish wins. Use mini pies so nobody spoils their appetite, and put down a tablecloth you don't love.

1. 1. Left right Thanksgiving story

   Players: 6+, in a circle · You need: a small prize, a story with 'left' and 'right' in it

   Read a Thanksgiving story out loud and pass the prize left or right every time you hear the word. Whoever ends up holding it keeps it.

2. 2. Family football toss

   Players: any · You need: a football, a target (a tire or a box)

   Before the game comes on, set up a target in the yard and take turns throwing. Move the target back each round. Last player standing gets first pick of the leftovers.

3. 3. Never have I ever (family edition)

   Players: 4+ · You need: nothing

   Use the clean category so it's safe for grandparents and kids. Hold up ten fingers and lower one for each thing you have done.

   Clean never have I ever questions →

4. 4. Gratitude alphabet

   Players: any · You need: nothing

   Go around the table and name something you're thankful for, in alphabetical order. A for apple pie, B for brothers, and so on. Anyone who freezes for more than five seconds is out.

5. 5. Turkey bowling

   Players: any · You need: a frozen turkey (or a ball), plastic bottles

   Set up ten plastic bottles as pins and roll a frozen turkey (bagged) or a ball at them. Messy, ridiculous and a family favorite in a lot of driveways.

6. 6. Who's most likely to (family edition)

   Players: 4+ · You need: nothing

   'Who is most likely to fall asleep on the couch after a big meal?' Count to three and point. Use the family category.

   Most likely to questions →

7. 7. Pumpkin pie taste test

   Players: any · You need: two or three pies

   Serve slices of store-bought and homemade pies without labels. Everyone votes on which is which and which is best.

8. 8. Thanksgiving hot seat

   Players: 4+ · You need: a chair

   One person answers rapid-fire questions for two minutes: best Thanksgiving memory, favorite side, worst cooking disaster.

   Hot seat questions →

9. 9. Leaf pile relay

   Players: 6+, in teams · You need: rakes, leaves, a yard

   Teams race to rake the biggest pile in three minutes. Winners get to jump in first.

10. 10. Thanksgiving this or that

    Players: any · You need: nothing

    Pumpkin pie or apple pie? Parade or football? Stuffing or mac and cheese? Fast picks for the time between the meal and the dessert.

    This or that questions →

11. 11. Family trivia: how well do you know grandma?

    Players: any · You need: paper

    Before dinner, ask an older relative ten questions about their life (first job, first car, where they met). Then quiz the family. Everyone learns something.

12. 12. Board game tournament

    Players: any · You need: a few board or card games

    Set up two or three tables with different games and rotate every 20 minutes. Use the team generator to mix up families and generations.

    Random team generator →

13. 13. Wishbone showdown

    Players: 2 · You need: the turkey's wishbone, dried

    The classic. Two people each grab one end and pull; whoever gets the bigger piece makes a wish. Let the wishbone dry for a day or two first, or it will just bend.