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15 Fun Thanksgiving Games for the Entire Family

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These fun Thanksgiving games will add an extra dose of enjoyment to your holiday feast and you’ll be making lifelong memories while you have fun.

A family gathers around a dining table with a cooked turkey while enjoying fun Thanksgiving games.

Thanksgiving, more than any other time of year, is an opportunity for friends and family to stop the hectic pace of their lifestyle and slow down to enjoy being together. It’s also a great time to show others how much you care about them by making blessing bags.

Thanksgiving is a time of deep tradition where family members often split up and do their own thing once the meal is done — like watch the football game, wash the dishes, play on their phones, etc.

However, this holiday is also a time to create lasting memories that your kids carry with them for a lifetime and hopefully will recreate for their own families as they grow up. So, this year, why not create a new tradition and play some fun Thanksgiving games?

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Indoor Thanksgiving Games

Indoor games are great because they are so versatile. Most can be played outdoors on the patio if you want to enjoy fresh air, and they’re always great options when the weather forces your entertainment inside.

A family gathers around a dining table with a cooked turkey while enjoying fun Thanksgiving games.

Where’s Mr. Turkey?

This game is a variation of the classic “Hot/Cold” game. Instead of saying “You’re hot/cold/warm” the kids gobble.

One player is the farmer and the other players are the helpers. The farmer leaves the room while the helpers hide a small toy turkey. The farmer must find the turkey.

For clues, the helpers gobble more rapidly when the farmer is close to finding the turkey. When the farmer is not close they gobble less.

Thanksgiving Mad Libs

A classic family activity you can always count on to be fun for all ages is a silly game of Mad Libs. These Gobble Gobble Mad Libs are the perfect version for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving Bingo

Bingo is always a great family game since even young children can play. There are plenty of Thanksgiving Bingo cards you can choose from so you can keep with the holiday theme.

If you enjoy watching the Thanksgiving Parade, download these free Thanksgiving Parade Bingo Cards from FamilyEducation.com so you can all play while you watch the parade.

Thanksgiving Charades

Another game that’s fun for all ages is charades. This Thanksgiving version is a fun way to celebrate all of the wonderful Thanksgiving traditional foods, characters, and events.

Thanksgiving Pictionary

You can use the charades cards from above to play Pictionary too. Instead of acting out each item, draw them instead to get your teammates to guess the word.

Thanksgiving Would You Rather Questions

Have fun with this list of Thanksgiving Would You Rather Questions to ask your family for a memorable family-bonding event. You’ll learn more about your friends and family members likes and dislikes and you might even be surprised by some of their answers.

Photo Fun

A really fun Thanksgiving activity is to commemorate the day with fun photos. Pull out your cameras or phones and snap away.

If you want, you can set up a photo station somewhere in your home and let your guests choose from some Thanksgiving props.

Or challenge each guest to get a photo with every guest, one at a time, and see who can complete the game first.

Equally fun is pulling out old photo albums and sharing memories from previous years.

Thanksgiving Gratitude Game

These Thanksgiving Gratitude Activities are perfect for kids and families. It’s a fun and meaningful way to reflect on what you’re thankful for while enjoying quality time together.

Outdoor Thanksgiving Games

Depending on where you live, the weather at Thanksgiving may be ideal for getting outside for some fun. Try one of these fun outdoor Thanksgiving games to burn off some of those calories.

A family of six delights in an autumn forest, tossing colorful leaves in the air while enjoying fun Thanksgiving games.

Thanksgiving Nature Walk

Let’s face it, nothing is better than walking off a big meal. To make the activity a fun event, turn it into a scavenger hunt.

You can write out a list of items you could expect to find on a nature walk like:

  • a red leaf
  • a brown leaf
  • an orange leaf
  • a pine cone
  • an acorn
  • a dried weed or pod
  • a seed
  • a piece of bark
  • dried berries

Or print off this Fall Scavenger Hunt and try to check off all the items as a family.

Turkey Bowl

A turkey bowl is a family football game that’s a Thanksgiving tradition for many families. It’s a fun, friendly, and competitive way to celebrate the holiday.

One family that was featured on the news has even been playing turkey bowl every year for 47 years and were chosen to play their game in Green Bay.

Turkey Trot Game

If you have younger children who might be too small for a game of touch football, try this Turkey Trot game.

Use a stuffed animal (ideally, a turkey) for each team. You can also use footballs or even crumpled paper bags.

Divide everyone into teams of two. Have each pair stand back to back and link their elbows together.

Place one “turkey” between each pair’s backs. Teams must reach the finish line without unlinking their elbows or dropping their turkey. The first team to reach the finish line wins.

Turkey Tag

One person is designated as the “turkey” and wears a fun item like a feathered hat or scarf. The Turkey has a safe zone but must keep moving.

Everyone else tries to tag the “turkey,” and the first person to do so becomes the new turkey. You can either set a time limit for the game or play until everyone is ready to do something else.

Pumpkin Bowling

Set up plastic bottles or toilet paper rolls as pins. You can even paint the plastic bottles orange or brown and decorate them like turkeys.

Use a small pumpkin as the “bowling ball.” Each person gets a turn to knock down as many “pins” as possible.

Depending on how long you want to play, you can keep score like a regular bowling game or for a quicker version, the first person/team to get 3 strikes (knocks all the pins down) wins.

Turkey Trot Relay Race

Set up a short racecourse and have players race back and forth in teams, each player carrying a small item like a pinecone or small pumpkin.

You can even make it silly by having everyone walk like a turkey as they race back in forth.

Sack Races

Use potato sacks or pillowcases to hop to the finish line. Make it Thanksgiving-themed by having participants hold a “turkey feather” ( you can use a feather duster or a leafy branch) as they race.

Whatever you decide to do, be assured, you are creating lasting memories and lots of fun!

Family of six posing among fallen autumn leaves, laughing after a round of fun Thanksgiving games.

Additional Thanksgiving Fun

Keep the Thanksgiving fun going strong with some of these other fun printables and activities.

  • Printable Thanksgiving Riddles – These funny printable Thanksgiving riddles are perfect for kids! Sneak them into their lunchboxes the week leading up to Thanksgiving or use them as place cards at the dinner table.
  • Gratitude Journal For Kids – Nurture gratitude in young hearts with this free printable Gratitude Journal for Kids. Simple daily prompts help children appreciate life’s little blessings. Start a journey of gratitude with your kids today!
  • Thanksgiving Placemats – Make Thanksgiving creative and fun with these Thanksgiving Printable Placemats. The kids can use their minds while waiting for dinner.
  • Turkey Donuts – Create sweet memories with the kids by making these cute and delicious Turkey Donuts! These festive treats are fun and easy to make. Perfect for Thanksgiving or any family celebration.
  • Rolo Pretzel Turkeys – These Rolo Pretzel Turkeys are the perfect combination of sweet and salty, making them an instant hit for any fall gathering or Thanksgiving celebration.

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