Thanksgiving Games: 30 Fun Games for Family, Kids and Adults

Every Thanksgiving has the same slow spots: the hour before the turkey is ready, the long wait at the table, and the food coma when everyone sinks into the couch. That’s exactly when bored kids get restless and grown-ups reach for their phones.

These 30 Thanksgiving games fix that. You’ll find easy Thanksgiving games for kids, funny Thanksgiving games for adults, table games, Friendsgiving games and active games for the backyard, each with the time it takes, what you need and how to play. Most need nothing more than paper, pens and a few things already in your kitchen.

Thanksgiving games list: find the right game fast

Looking for games to play on Thanksgiving that everyone can join? These Thanksgiving games for family gatherings, Thanksgiving party games and Thanksgiving table games are sorted by who they suit best.

Use this Thanksgiving games list to pick games for your crowd. Each one has a slot on the Turkey Day Game Clock below, so you can plan the whole day.

Thanksgiving game	Best for	Players	Time	Supplies
1. Gratitude Alphabet	Everyone	3+	5 min	None
2. Two Truths and a Turkey	Adults, teens	4+	10 min	None
3. Guest Fun Fact Match	Big groups	8+	10 min	Paper, pens
4. Thanksgiving Bingo	Everyone	4+	20 min	Paper, pens
5. Thanksgiving Would You Rather	Everyone	2+	10 min	None
6. Pin the Feather on the Turkey	Kids	3+	15 min	Paper, tape
7. Pumpkin Bowling	Kids	2+	15 min	Small pumpkin, rolls
8. Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt	Kids	2+	20 min	Paper list
9. Turkey Hunt	Little kids	2+	15 min	Paper turkeys
10. Guess the Kernels	Everyone	4+	All day	Jar, candy corn
11. Cranberry Toss	Kids, adults	2+	10 min	Cranberries, cups
12. Thanksgiving Trivia	Everyone	4+	15 min	None
13. Who Made This Dish?	Adults	6+	During dinner	Paper, pens
14. Homemade or Store-Bought?	Adults	4+	During dinner	None
15. The Gratitude Jar	Everyone	3+	15 min	Jar, paper
16. Thankful Block Tower	Families	2+	20 min	Block tower game, marker
17. Table Talk Questions	Everyone	2+	Any time	None
18. Thanksgiving Charades	Everyone	4+	20 min	Paper slips
19. Draw the Turkey	Everyone	4+	20 min	Paper, pens
20. Forehead Guess	Teens, adults	3+	15 min	Sticky notes
21. Survey Says	Big groups	6+	20 min	Phone for a quick poll
22. Pass the Pie	Kids	5+	10 min	Pie tin, music
23. Name Five	Everyone	3+	10 min	None
24. Story Chain	Everyone	3+	10 min	None
25. Turkey Bowl	Teens, adults	6+	45 min	Football, flags
26. Turkey Trot Relay	Kids	4+	15 min	Spoons, mini pumpkins
27. Feather Blow	Kids, adults	2+	10 min	Feathers, straws
28. Stack the Cups	Kids, adults	2+	10 min	Plastic cups
29. Cranberry Chopsticks	Adults	2+	5 min	Chopsticks, cranberries
30. Leftover Sandwich Showdown	Adults	4+	30 min	Leftovers

The Turkey Day Game Clock: what to play and when

The secret to great Thanksgiving family games is timing. Play quick icebreakers as guests arrive, quiet games while the food cooks, talk games at the table, easy couch games during the food coma and active games when everyone gets a second wind. We call this the Turkey Day Game Clock.

Time slot	Energy	Best Thanksgiving games
1. Arrival	Social	Gratitude Alphabet, Two Truths and a Turkey, Guest Fun Fact Match
2. Kitchen wait	Busy kids	Pumpkin Bowling, Scavenger Hunt, Pin the Feather on the Turkey
3. At the table	Seated	Who Made This Dish?, Thanksgiving Trivia, The Gratitude Jar
4. Food coma	Low	Thanksgiving Charades, Draw the Turkey, Name Five
5. Second wind	High	Turkey Bowl, Minute to Win It games, Turkey Trot Relay

Thanksgiving icebreaker games for when guests arrive

These quick games get cousins, in-laws and new friends talking before dinner, and they’re great Friendsgiving games too.

1. Gratitude Alphabet

• Best for: everyone, all ages | Time: 5 minutes | You need: nothing

1. Sit or stand in a circle.
2. The first player names something they’re thankful for that starts with A.
3. The next player repeats it and adds a B, and so on.
4. Anyone who forgets the list is out. Last player standing wins.

2. Two Truths and a Turkey

• Best for: adults and teens | Time: 10 minutes | You need: nothing

1. Each player shares two true facts about their year and one made-up “turkey.”
2. Everyone guesses which one is the turkey.
3. Fool the most people to win.

3. Guest Fun Fact Match

• Best for: big groups and Friendsgiving | Time: 10 minutes | You need: paper, pens, a bowl

1. As guests arrive, each writes one surprising fact about themselves on a slip of paper.
2. Fold the slips into a bowl.
3. Read them aloud during dinner and let everyone guess who wrote each one.

4. Thanksgiving Bingo

• Best for: everyone | Time: 20 minutes | You need: paper and pens

1. Each player draws a 4-by-4 grid.
2. Fill the squares with Thanksgiving words you might hear today, like “gravy,” “football,” “nap” or “more pie.”
3. Cross off squares as you hear them during the day.
4. First to complete a row shouts “Gobble!” and wins.

Make it better: older kids can make the cards for the younger ones.

5. Thanksgiving Would You Rather

• Best for: everyone | Time: 10 minutes | You need: nothing

1. Take turns asking Thanksgiving questions like “Would you rather eat only pie or only stuffing for a year?”
2. Everyone answers and explains why.

Find hundreds more prompts in our would you rather questions and 21 questions game guides.

Thanksgiving games for kids (while the food cooks)

The kitchen wait is the longest stretch of the day. These Thanksgiving games for kids keep little hands busy and out of the kitchen.

6. Pin the Feather on the Turkey

• Best for: kids ages 3 to 10 | Time: 15 minutes | You need: paper, markers, tape, a scarf

1. Draw a big turkey with no tail feathers and tape it to a wall.
2. Give each child a paper feather with their name on it.
3. Blindfold, spin gently three times and let them stick the feather on.
4. Closest to the tail wins.

7. Pumpkin Bowling

• Best for: kids ages 4 and up | Time: 15 minutes | You need: a small pumpkin and 6 to 10 empty paper towel or toilet paper rolls

1. Set the rolls up like bowling pins in a hallway.
2. Take turns rolling a small pumpkin at the pins.
3. Count the pins knocked down. Two rolls per turn, 5 rounds.

8. Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt

• Best for: kids ages 5 and up | Time: 20 minutes | You need: a written list for each team

1. Write a list of 10 fall things to find: a red leaf, a pinecone, something orange, a feather, a spoon and so on.
2. Split kids into teams.
3. First team to find everything and bring it back wins.

9. Turkey Hunt

• Best for: little kids ages 2 to 6 | Time: 15 minutes | You need: 10 to 20 paper turkeys

1. Cut out paper turkeys and hide them around one room.
2. Let kids hunt until every turkey is found.
3. The child with the most turkeys picks the first dessert.

10. Guess the Kernels

• Best for: everyone | Time: all day | You need: a clear jar, candy corn or dried corn kernels

1. Fill a jar and count what goes in.
2. Guests write their guess and name on a card when they arrive.
3. Announce the closest guess at dessert.

11. Cranberry Toss

• Best for: kids and adults | Time: 10 minutes | You need: a bag of fresh cranberries, 3 cups

1. Line up three cups at different distances.
2. Players toss cranberries into the cups: 1, 2 and 3 points.
3. Highest score after 10 tosses wins.

Thanksgiving games to play at the table

These table games work while everyone is seated and turn dinner into the best part of the day.

12. Thanksgiving Trivia

• Best for: everyone | Time: 15 minutes | You need: nothing

1. Read the Thanksgiving trivia questions below aloud.
2. Play in teams or shout answers.
3. Give a point for each right answer.

Thanksgiving trivia question	Answer
In what year was the harvest feast often called the first Thanksgiving?	1621
About how many days did that 1621 feast last?	Three days
Which president made Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863?	Abraham Lincoln
What year was the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade?	1924
Which two NFL teams traditionally host games on Thanksgiving?	Detroit Lions and Dallas Cowboys
What is a male turkey called?	A tom (or gobbler)
What is a baby turkey called?	A poult
Can wild turkeys fly?	Yes, in short bursts
Where do cranberries grow?	In bogs and marshes
When do Canadians celebrate Thanksgiving?	The second Monday of October

Want the full story of how Thanksgiving became a fixed national holiday? Read the National Archives feature on Thanksgiving.

13. Who Made This Dish?

• Best for: adults and big families | Time: during dinner | You need: paper and pens

1. Every cook keeps their dish a secret.
2. Guests guess who made each dish on a slip of paper.
3. Reveal the cooks at dessert. Most right guesses wins.

14. Homemade or Store-Bought?

• Best for: adults | Time: during dinner | You need: nothing

1. The host secretly serves one store-bought item.
2. Guests vote on which dish is the impostor.
3. Reveal the answer with pie.

15. The Gratitude Jar

• Best for: everyone | Time: 15 minutes | You need: a jar, paper slips

1. Each guest writes one thing they’re thankful for, without their name.
2. Pass the jar around during dessert.
3. Read each slip aloud and guess who wrote it.

16. Thankful Block Tower

• Best for: families | Time: 20 minutes | You need: a wooden block tower game and a marker

1. Write a question on each block, like “What made you laugh this year?”
2. Play the stacking game as usual.
3. Answer the question on every block you pull.

17. Table Talk Questions

• Best for: everyone | Time: any time | You need: nothing

1. Go around the table with one question at a time.
2. Try: “What’s your favorite Thanksgiving memory?” or “What’s one thing you learned this year?”
3. No one has to answer, but everyone gets a turn.

Thanksgiving games for adults and the food coma

After dinner, nobody wants to move. These Thanksgiving games for adults and teens work from the couch, and they’re perfect Friendsgiving games, too.

18. Thanksgiving Charades

• Best for: everyone | Time: 20 minutes | You need: paper slips, a bowl

1. Write Thanksgiving words on slips: carving the turkey, watching football, the parade, napping, pie.
2. Split into two teams.
3. Act out a slip with no talking. Your team has one minute to guess.

19. Draw the Turkey

• Best for: everyone | Time: 20 minutes | You need: paper and pens

1. Write Thanksgiving words on slips.
2. One player draws the word while their team guesses.
3. No letters or numbers allowed. One minute per round.

Looking for drawing prompts? Try our easy Thanksgiving drawings and turkey drawing guides.

20. Forehead Guess

• Best for: teens and adults | Time: 15 minutes | You need: sticky notes, a pen

1. Write a Thanksgiving word on a sticky note and stick it on a player’s forehead.
2. They ask yes-or-no questions to figure out their word.
3. Fewest questions wins.

21. Survey Says

• Best for: big groups | Time: 20 minutes | You need: a phone or paper for a quick poll

1. Before dinner, poll guests with questions like “Name a Thanksgiving side dish.”
2. Split into two teams.
3. Teams guess the most popular answers to win points.

22. Pass the Pie

• Best for: kids ages 3 to 8 | Time: 10 minutes | You need: an empty pie tin, music

1. Sit in a circle and pass the pie tin while music plays.
2. When the music stops, whoever holds the tin is out.
3. Last player in wins.

23. Name Five

• Best for: everyone | Time: 10 minutes | You need: nothing

1. Pick a category, like Thanksgiving foods or fall colors.
2. The player on the hot seat must name five in 10 seconds.
3. Make it, and you get a point.

24. Story Chain

• Best for: everyone | Time: 10 minutes | You need: nothing

1. Start a story with “One Thanksgiving, the turkey escaped…”
2. Each player adds one sentence.
3. Keep going until the story ends or someone laughs too hard to continue.

Active Thanksgiving games and Minute to Win It games

When the second wind hits, take the fun outside or clear some floor space.

25. Turkey Bowl

• Best for: teens and adults | Time: 45 minutes | You need: a football, flags or cloth strips

1. Split into two teams in the backyard or a park.
2. Play flag football: pull a flag instead of tackling.
3. First to three touchdowns wins the Turkey Bowl.

26. Turkey Trot Relay

• Best for: kids | Time: 15 minutes | You need: spoons, mini pumpkins or small potatoes

1. Split into two teams in a line.
2. Each player carries a mini pumpkin on a spoon to a marker and back.
3. Drop it and you start again. First team done wins.

27. Feather Blow

• Best for: kids and adults | Time: 10 minutes | You need: craft feathers, straws

1. Each player gets a feather and a straw.
2. Blow the feather across the table to the finish line.
3. No hands allowed.

28. Stack the Cups

• Best for: kids and adults | Time: 10 minutes | You need: plastic cups

1. Give each player 15 to 20 cups.
2. Build a pyramid and take it back down in under a minute.
3. Fastest time wins.

29. Cranberry Chopsticks

• Best for: adults and older kids | Time: 5 minutes | You need: chopsticks, fresh cranberries, two bowls

1. Put 10 cranberries in a bowl.
2. Move them to the second bowl with chopsticks.
3. Fastest player wins.

30. Leftover Sandwich Showdown

• Best for: adults, the day after | Time: 30 minutes | You need: leftovers, bread

1. Everyone builds a sandwich from Thanksgiving leftovers.
2. Give each sandwich a name.
3. Taste, vote and crown a winner.

How to pick Thanksgiving games for your group

• Mixed ages: choose games with no reading, like charades, pumpkin bowling and Pass the Pie.
• Big groups: the best Thanksgiving games for large groups are team games like Survey Says, Thanksgiving trivia and the Turkey Bowl.
• Small apartments: stick to table games and paper games like Thanksgiving bingo.
• Friendsgiving: Two Truths and a Turkey, Guest Fun Fact Match and the Leftover Sandwich Showdown are favorites.
• Safety: keep cranberries, small candy and chopstick games away from children under 4, who can choke on small pieces.

Thanksgiving games FAQ

Make this the most fun Thanksgiving yet

Pick five games, one for each slot on the Turkey Day Game Clock, and set out a basket of supplies the night before. Then set the scene with our Thanksgiving table decor ideas.

Still bored after the pie? Try our games to play when bored, a round of never have I ever questions or truth or dare questions, or plan the rest of the season with our fall bucket list and things to do when bored during the holidays. Got kids home for the long weekend? See our things to do when bored for kids.

Planning ahead for December? Our Christmas games guide has 40 more party games for family, kids and adults.