Thanksgiving is about more than just the feast—it’s about bringing everyone together for laughter and fun. Whether you’re hosting a crowd of kids, adults, or a mix of generations, these 50 Thanksgiving games will keep everyone entertained from arrival to dessert. From active outdoor challenges to cozy indoor activities, you’ll find creative ways to make this Turkey Day unforgettable.
1. Turkey Dart Board
This festive dart board game brings friendly competition to your Thanksgiving gathering without any safety concerns. The sticky darts and balls ensure everyone from grandkids to grandparents can join in safely, making it perfect for mixed-age groups.
Supplies Needed: Turkey dart board set with sticky darts and balls ($26)
How to Play: Players take turns throwing three darts each at the turkey board. Keep score throughout the day and declare a champion before dinner.
2. Turkey Football Toss
This no-sew fabric game combines Thanksgiving themes with backyard fun, keeping energetic guests outdoors while the kitchen crew works their magic. It’s ideal for burning off pre-dinner energy and works beautifully for ages 5 and up.
Supplies Needed: Fabric pieces, cardboard, scissors, craft supplies
How to Play: Players toss footballs or bean bags through the turkey target’s opening from their designated line. Award points based on successful tosses, with bonus points for longer distances.
3. Thanksgiving Party 5 Second Game
The Thanksgiving edition of this fast-paced party favorite will have everyone laughing as they scramble to name three autumn items under pressure. It’s perfect for 4-10 players aged 8 and up, with rounds lasting just 15-20 minutes.
Supplies Needed: Thanksgiving 5 Second Game cards and timer ($18)
How to Play: Draw a card and name three things in the category within five seconds, like “three Thanksgiving side dishes.” Keep the card if successful; if time runs out, play passes to the next person.
4. Thanksgiving Spelling Stone Game
This educational game disguised as fun keeps younger children engaged while adults finish meal prep. Kids ages 4-8 will enjoy the hands-on element of arranging painted stones to spell seasonal words.
Supplies Needed: Smooth stones, acrylic paint, paper, pens
How to Play: Draw a word card and race to arrange letter stones to spell it correctly. The first person to complete their word wins that round.
5. Thanksgiving Ring Toss Game
Nothing says family fun like trying to toss rings onto an inflatable turkey perched on your cousin’s head. This hilarious game works for all ages and guarantees photo-worthy moments for 2-8 players.
Supplies Needed: Inflatable turkey hat and toss rings set ($18)
How to Play: Each player tosses three rings toward the turkey hat, earning points for successful landings. Rotate who wears the hat each round.
6. Grateful Thanksgiving Dice Game
This simple dice game creates meaningful moments by prompting family members to share what they’re thankful for. It’s perfect for all ages during dinner or while waiting for the turkey to finish cooking.
Supplies Needed: Two dice, printed gratitude prompt cards
How to Play: Roll the dice and answer the gratitude prompt matching your roll, like “Name a person you’re grateful for.” Continue around the table until everyone has shared.
7. Our Family is So Weird Party Card Game
This hilarious party game gets everyone debating which family member best fits each quirky description. Perfect for ages 12 and up, it sparks conversations and reveals family dynamics in the funniest ways for 3-10 players.
Supplies Needed: Our Family is So Weird card game deck ($20)
How to Play: Read cards describing family traits like “most likely to embarrass everyone” and vote on who fits best. The person with the most votes gets the card, and the first to collect 7 wins.
8. Thanksgiving Heads Up
This zero-cost game keeps dinner conversation lively while testing everyone’s creativity and guessing skills. It’s ideal for 4-8 players and can be played right at the dinner table without any setup time.
Supplies Needed: Paper, pens, tape or headbands
How to Play: Tape a word to your forehead without seeing it, then others give clues to help you guess. Players can ask yes-or-no questions until someone guesses correctly.
9. Printable Thanksgiving Cootie Catcher
This nostalgic paper craft brings back childhood memories while entertaining younger guests with festive jokes. Kids ages 5-10 especially love the folding process and joke reveals, making it both craft and game.
Supplies Needed: Printed cootie catcher templates, scissors
How to Play: Choose numbers and icons while the cootie catcher opens and closes, then open a flap to reveal a Thanksgiving joke. Kids can make several to trade with family.
10. Turkey Leg Wrap Game
This fast-paced team challenge creates hilarious photo opportunities as pairs race to transform someone into a giant turkey leg. Best for ages 8 and up, it’s perfect for 6-12 players divided into teams.
Supplies Needed: Brown burlap fabric rolls, white chef hats, scissors, tape
How to Play: One teammate wraps the other in brown burlap from shoulders to ankles and tops them with a chef hat. The most convincing transformation when the one-minute timer expires wins.
11. Thanksgiving Word Search
This classic puzzle game offers quiet entertainment for mixed ages, from kids who need a break from high-energy games to adults seeking a calming activity. It works perfectly for 1-24 players and takes 15-30 minutes.
Supplies Needed: Printed Thanksgiving word search puzzles, pens
How to Play: Search the puzzle grid for hidden Thanksgiving words like “harvest” and “pilgrim.” Set a timer for competition, with prizes for whoever finds the most words.
12. Thanksgiving Mad-Libs
This printable activity combines gratitude sharing with the classic fill-in-the-blank game format. It’s wonderful for all ages and creates keepsake memories when you save the completed pages to read again next year.
Supplies Needed: Printed Thanksgiving Mad-Libs templates, pens
How to Play: Fill in blanks with requested words without seeing the full story, then read your completed Mad-Lib aloud. The unexpected combinations create hilarious Thanksgiving tales.
13. Family Tree
This engaging activity doubles as a game and genealogy lesson, challenging family members to see who knows their roots best. It’s perfect for multi-generational gatherings and takes 20-30 minutes with 3-15 players.
Supplies Needed: Blank family tree templates, pens, prizes
How to Play: Complete the family tree as quickly and accurately as possible. The first person to correctly fill in all blank branches wins a prize.
14. It’s Laugh O’Clock: Would You Rather? Thanksgiving Edition
This conversation-starting game gets everyone debating silly and serious Thanksgiving dilemmas. With 100 questions inside, it’s perfect for 2-10 players of all ages and keeps conversations flowing naturally.
Supplies Needed: Would You Rather Thanksgiving Edition book ($15)
How to Play: Take turns reading questions aloud like “Would you rather have turkey for every meal or never eat turkey again?” Everyone shares their choice and reasoning.
15. Sack Race
This timeless outdoor game gets everyone moving and works beautifully for ages 5 to 75. It’s ideal for 4-12 participants and can be played as individuals or relay teams on your lawn or in a nearby park.
Supplies Needed: Burlap sacks or large pillowcases
How to Play: Step into your sack, hold the top edges, and hop toward the finish line. The first person across wins, or organize relay teams for group competition.
16. Thanksgiving Selfie Scavenger Hunt
This modern twist on traditional scavenger hunts gets phone-loving teens and adults actively participating together. Perfect for 2-12 players, it takes 30-45 minutes and encourages creativity and movement.
Supplies Needed: Selfie scavenger hunt cards, smartphones
How to Play: Race to take selfies matching card descriptions like “someone wearing orange” or “holding something pumpkin-flavored.” Submit photos for point tallying—highest score wins.
17. Make-A-Turkey Stickers
This creative activity lets kids design ridiculous turkeys using silly accessories like top hats, bow ties, and oversized glasses. It’s perfect for ages 3-10 and keeps little hands busy for 20-30 minutes.
Supplies Needed: Turkey sticker sheets with accessories ($13)
How to Play: Create the silliest or most creative turkey using the accessory stickers provided. Display finished turkeys and let adults vote on categories like “Most Fashionable Turkey.”
18. Handprint Leaf Turkey
This simple craft activity keeps younger children happily occupied while providing a keepsake to take home. Kids ages 3-7 love the hands-on nature of tracing and decorating, making it perfect for 1-10 participants.
Supplies Needed: Paper, pencils, collected leaves, glue, markers
How to Play: Trace your hand on paper to create the turkey body, then glue collected leaves around it as feathers. Decorate with markers to add faces and details.
19. A DIY Escape Room Kit
Transform your home into an exciting escape room challenge that gets everyone working together. Perfect for ages 10 and up, this 30-45 minute adventure works best with 4-8 players split into teams.
Supplies Needed: DIY Escape Room Kit with printable clues ($30)
How to Play: Teams race against a timer to find and solve clues that reveal items on mom’s to-do list. The first team to discover everything before time runs out wins.
20. Thanksgiving Trivia Game Cards
Test your family’s knowledge of Thanksgiving history, traditions, and fun facts with these ready-made trivia cards. It’s ideal for all ages and works for 2-20 players in team or individual format.
Supplies Needed: Thanksgiving trivia card pack
How to Play: Ask questions from the cards and award points for correct answers. Keep score throughout and crown a Thanksgiving trivia champion at the end.
21. Thanksgiving Party Scratch Off Cards
Add excitement to your gathering by awarding these scratch-off cards as prizes throughout the day. Perfect for all ages, they work beautifully with 5-24 participants during a 2-3 hour event.
Supplies Needed: Thanksgiving scratch-off cards pack ($14)
How to Play: Players scratch off their cards at designated times to see if they won the grand prize. Build anticipation by announcing the final winner before dessert.
22. Thanksgiving Charades
This classic party game gets everyone acting out turkey-related scenarios and holiday traditions. It’s perfect for mixed ages with 4-12 players and guarantees tons of laughs during 30-minute rounds.
Supplies Needed: Thanksgiving charades card deck ($24)
How to Play: Players take turns drawing cards and silently acting out Thanksgiving-themed words or phrases while their team guesses. Set a timer for each turn and keep score.
23. Thanksgiving I Spy
This observational game keeps younger children engaged and sharpens their attention to detail. Kids ages 3-8 especially enjoy the colorful illustrations, and it works for 1-6 players over 15-20 minutes.
Supplies Needed: Thanksgiving I Spy game cards ($13)
How to Play: Search the busy Thanksgiving scene for items like pumpkin pie slices, Pilgrims’ hats, and autumn leaves. The first player to find all items on their card wins.
24. Printable Thanksgiving Taboo
Challenge your guests to describe Thanksgiving words without using obvious keywords in this fast-paced guessing game. Perfect for ages 10 and up, it accommodates 4-12 players in team format.
Supplies Needed: Printed Thanksgiving Taboo cards ($3 digital download)
How to Play: Describe the word on your card without saying the forbidden words listed below it while your team guesses. Set a timer and alternate teams each round.
25. Pumpkin Tic-Tac-Toe
This fall-inspired twist on the classic game uses mini pumpkins instead of X’s and O’s. It’s perfect for ages 4 and up and works beautifully for 2 players with quick 5-minute rounds.
Supplies Needed: Nine squares of cardboard or fabric, mini pumpkins in two colors
How to Play: Players alternate placing their colored pumpkins on squares, trying to get three in a row horizontally, vertically, or diagonally. Play multiple rounds to determine a champion.
26. Thanksgiving Feud Quiz
Bring the excitement of a TV game show to your Thanksgiving with this Family Feud-style trivia game. It’s ideal for ages 8 and up with 4-16 players divided into competing teams.
Supplies Needed: Thanksgiving Feud game pack ($14)
How to Play: Teams guess the most popular survey answers to Thanksgiving questions, earning points for each correct response. The team with the most points after all rounds wins.
27. Thanksgiving Word Scramble Game
Put your brain to work unscrambling jumbled Thanksgiving vocabulary in this portable puzzle game. Perfect for all ages, it works for 1-25 players and takes 15-20 minutes to complete.
Supplies Needed: Thanksgiving word scramble cards, pens
How to Play: Unscramble the mixed-up letters to reveal Thanksgiving words like “stuffing” or “gratitude.” The player who correctly solves the most words wins.
28. Friendsgiving: A Thanksgiving Game for Adults
This adult-oriented game combines creativity with hilarious guessing as players write responses to prompts then try to match answers to people. Best for ages 16 and up with 4-10 players.
Supplies Needed: Friendsgiving party game box
How to Play: Everyone writes silly responses to Thanksgiving-themed prompts, then takes turns reading responses aloud while others guess who wrote what. Score points for correct guesses.
29. Thankful Jar
This meaningful craft-meets-game encourages reflection and creates a lasting keepsake for future Thanksgivings. It’s perfect for all ages and works with any group size over a 30-minute session.
Supplies Needed: Mason jar, decorating supplies, paper strips, pens
How to Play: Everyone writes what they’re thankful for on paper strips and adds them to the jar throughout the day. Read them aloud before dessert and save the jar to open next year.
30. Count-and-Clip Turkey Feathers
This educational activity helps young children practice counting while staying entertained. Kids ages 3-6 love the hands-on element, making it ideal for 1-4 players over 15-20 minutes.
Supplies Needed: Printed turkey templates with numbered feathers, clothespins
How to Play: Kids count the feathers on their turkey card and clip the clothespin with the matching number onto the correct feather. Move through multiple cards to practice different numbers.
31. Thanksgiving Bean Bag Toss
This turkey-themed version of cornhole provides active entertainment for all ages. It’s perfect for 2-8 players and can be enjoyed indoors or outdoors during 20-30 minute sessions.
Supplies Needed: Turkey bean bag toss board, three bean bags ($13)
How to Play: Toss bean bags at the turkey board, aiming for the highest-scoring holes. Players alternate throws, and the first to reach a predetermined score wins.
32. Thanksgiving Bingo
This seasonal twist on classic bingo replaces numbers with Thanksgiving symbols and vocabulary. It accommodates up to 24 players of all ages and takes 20-30 minutes per round.
Supplies Needed: Thanksgiving bingo cards ($7), markers or chips
How to Play: The caller announces Thanksgiving items randomly while players mark matching squares on their cards. The first to complete a line or full card yells “Bingo!” and wins.
33. Color the Placemat
This creative pre-meal activity doubles as table decoration and entertainment for younger guests. Kids ages 3-10 enjoy personalizing their space, and it works for any group size.
Supplies Needed: Printed Thanksgiving coloring placemats, crayons or markers
How to Play: Kids color their placemats featuring turkeys, pumpkins, and autumn scenes while waiting for dinner. These become personalized table decorations and can be taken home as keepsakes.
34. Turkey, Taters, & Terror Murder Mystery Game
Transform your Thanksgiving dinner into an interactive murder mystery experience where guests become characters solving a crime. Perfect for ages 16 and up with 6-8 players over 2-3 hours.
Supplies Needed: Murder mystery game kit ($40) with character guides and clues
How to Play: Follow the game guide as characters interact, discover clues, and work to identify the murderer among you. The player who correctly solves the mystery wins.
35. Thanksgiving Jigsaw Puzzle
This relaxing side activity provides entertainment during conversation lulls and accommodates drop-in participation. Perfect for all ages, it works beautifully as an ongoing activity throughout your 4-6 hour gathering.
Supplies Needed: Thanksgiving-themed jigsaw puzzle ($17), side table
How to Play: Guests work on the puzzle whenever they have free time, adding pieces between conversations or while waiting for dinner. The goal is completing it before dessert arrives.
36. Photo Scavenger Hunt
This gratitude-focused scavenger hunt gets everyone moving around snapping photos of meaningful items. It’s ideal for ages 8 and up with 2-12 players over 30-45 minutes.
Supplies Needed: Printed gratitude scavenger hunt lists, smartphones
How to Play: Race to photograph everything on your list within the time limit. Teams submit photos for judging, and the most creative or complete collection wins.
37. Questions Game
This simple icebreaker sparks meaningful conversations without requiring any materials or preparation time. Perfect for all ages, it works with any group size during dinner or gathering time.
Supplies Needed: Printed Thanksgiving question cards
How to Play: Take turns drawing and answering questions like “What do you say ‘No, thank you!’ to at the Thanksgiving table?” Everyone shares their responses, creating natural conversation flow.
38. Fall Bucket List
This creative planning activity gets kids excited about the holiday break while encouraging goal-setting. Perfect for ages 5-15, it works for any number of children over 20-30 minutes.
Supplies Needed: Printed fall bucket list templates, crayons or markers
How to Play: Kids check off activities they want to do during Thanksgiving break, like “jump in leaf piles” or “bake apple pie.” Families work together to complete as many items as possible.
39. Thanksgiving Countdown
This advent calendar-style craft builds excitement for Thanksgiving while teaching young children about time concepts. Kids ages 3-8 love the daily ritual over the weeks leading to Turkey Day.
Supplies Needed: Felt, fabric pockets, turkey cutout, thread, backing board
How to Play: Each day, move the felt turkey from one pocket to the next as you count down. Fill pockets with small treats, gratitude prompts, or Thanksgiving facts to discover.
40. Pin the Hat on the Turkey
This Thanksgiving spin on the birthday party classic brings blindfolded fun to your gathering. It’s perfect for ages 4 and up with 3-12 players taking 15-20 minutes total.
Supplies Needed: Pin the Hat on the Turkey game set ($6)
How to Play: Blindfolded players spin around three times, then try to place the pilgrim hat on the turkey’s head. The person who gets closest to the correct spot wins.
41. Thanksgiving Pictionary
This drawing and guessing game uses holiday-themed words to create artistic chaos and laughter. Perfect for ages 6 and up, it accommodates 4-12 players in 30-minute rounds.
Supplies Needed: Paper, markers, Thanksgiving word cards, timer
How to Play: Players draw Thanksgiving items while teammates guess what they’re sketching before time runs out. Teams alternate turns, earning points for correct guesses.
42. Feed the Turkey
This simple tossing game helps young children practice counting and hand-eye coordination. Kids ages 3-6 enjoy the silly turkey target, making it perfect for 2-6 players.
Supplies Needed: Brown paper bag, construction paper, googly eyes, glue, acorns or balls
How to Play: Stand back and toss acorns or balls into the turkey’s mouth opening. Count how many “bites” the turkey eats, and the player who feeds it most wins.
43. Mini Macy’s Day Parade
This creative balloon activity lets kids host their own parade just like the famous TV event. Perfect for ages 4-10, it works with 3-10 children over 20-30 minutes.
Supplies Needed: Balloons in various shapes, string, parade music
How to Play: Kids march around the house or yard holding their balloon “floats” while parade music plays. Siblings can take turns being announcers describing each float.
44. Pumpkin Chuck
This DIY tossing game uses toilet paper rolls wrapped in orange felt to create pumpkin projectiles. It’s perfect for ages 5 and up with 2-8 players over 20-minute sessions.
Supplies Needed: Toilet paper rolls, orange felt, scissors, glue, laundry basket
How to Play: Stand behind a marked line and toss pumpkins into the basket from various distances. Award points based on difficulty, and the highest score wins.
45. Pumpkin Patch Stomp
This high-energy game gets everyone moving after the big meal to burn off calories. Perfect for ages 4 and up, it works with 4-15 players and takes 15-20 minutes.
Supplies Needed: Orange balloons, green markers for stems, open space
How to Play: Race to stomp and pop as many pumpkin balloons as possible within the time limit. The player who pops the most wins.
46. Muggle Quidditch
This Harry Potter-inspired backyard game brings magical fun to your Thanksgiving gathering. Perfect for ages 8 and up, it accommodates 6-14 players over 30-45 minute matches.
Supplies Needed: Pool noodles, small balls, hula hoops, golden snitch (yellow ball)
How to Play: Teams score by throwing balls through hoops while “riding” pool noodle broomsticks. The player who finds the hidden golden snitch ends the game and earns bonus points.
47. Candy Cornucopia Guessing Game
This estimation game combines craft-making with a sweet guessing challenge. Perfect for all ages, it works with any group size and takes 30 minutes plus guessing time.
Supplies Needed: Paper, markers, tape, candy, ribbon
How to Play: Display the filled cornucopias and have everyone write down their guess for how many candies are inside. The closest guess wins the candy.
48. Stuff The Turkey
This basketball-style tossing game uses a decorated paper bag and balls of paper as stuffing. Perfect for ages 4-12, it entertains 2-8 players for 15-20 minutes.
Supplies Needed: Large paper bag, construction paper, markers, crumpled paper balls
How to Play: Toss paper ball “stuffing” into the turkey’s opening from behind a marked line. Players get five tosses each, and whoever makes the most baskets wins.
49. Turkey Bowling
These adorable turkey pins made from plastic cups bring bowling fun indoors on a rainy Thanksgiving. Perfect for ages 3 and up, it works for 2-8 players over 20-30 minutes.
Supplies Needed: Plastic cups, construction paper, googly eyes, glue, small ball or mini pumpkin
How to Play: Roll your ball or mini pumpkin down the “lane” to knock down as many turkey pins as possible. Keep score over multiple frames like regular bowling.
50. Thanksgiving Scattergories
This fast-paced category game challenges players to think quickly and creatively with Thanksgiving themes. Perfect for ages 10 and up, it accommodates 2-8 players in 30-minute rounds.
Supplies Needed: Paper, pens, timer, letter die or list
How to Play: Roll the letter die, start the timer, and write down answers for each category starting with that letter. When time expires, compare answers—unique responses earn points while duplicates get nothing.
Conclusion
Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to bring everyone together for fun beyond the feast. These 50 games offer something for every age and interest, from quiet crafts for little ones to competitive challenges for adults. Whether you’re hosting an intimate family dinner or a large gathering, these activities will create lasting memories and new traditions. Pick a few favorites, keep the energy high, and watch as your Thanksgiving becomes the most entertaining celebration yet!