22 Thanksgiving Games Ideas
Thanksgiving isn’t just about turkey, stuffing, and pie—it’s also about creating memories that stick like cranberry sauce on your favorite sweater.
Once the plates are cleared, the real fun begins. Games are the secret ingredient that turn an ordinary family gathering into a laugh-filled festival of togetherness.
1. Turkey Tag With Clothespins
This one is hilariously simple and guaranteed to bring out everyone’s competitive side. Hand out clothespins decorated with little turkey feathers. Each player clips a pin to their clothing. The goal? Steal as many pins as possible within a time limit.
At the end, the person with the most pins wins. Kids love the chase, and adults rediscover their inner child. Plus, no cleanup beyond a basket of clothespins.
2. Pumpkin Bowling
Swap out boring bowling pins with empty plastic bottles filled with a little sand for stability. The “bowling ball” is a small pumpkin. The uneven roll of the pumpkin adds chaos and laughter. This is one of those games where even a “strike” feels extra satisfying because it takes a mix of luck and skill.
3. Thanksgiving Charades
Charades always kills at parties, but put a Thanksgiving twist on it. Instead of generic prompts, make them holiday-themed: “carving a turkey,” “watching the parade,” “Grandma falling asleep on the couch.” The sillier the prompts, the better. Don’t underestimate how funny it is to watch Uncle Bob act out “cranberry sauce” without words.
4. Turkey Hunt Scavenger Game
Hide paper turkeys, feathers, or little Thanksgiving trinkets around the house or yard. Give everyone a list of what to find. Whoever collects the most within the time limit wins. To raise the stakes, hide one “golden turkey” worth bonus points.
5. Gratitude Hot Potato
This game mixes reflection with fun. Pass around a stuffed turkey or small pumpkin while music plays. When the music stops, the person holding it must share something they’re thankful for. It’s heartwarming without being sappy, and even the kids can join in with answers like “I’m thankful for pizza.”
6. Turkey Waddle Relay
Ever tried running with a balloon between your knees? That’s essentially this game. Players must waddle across the yard like turkeys without dropping the balloon. It’s goofy, competitive, and makes for the best family photos of the day.
7. Thanksgiving Pictionary
Draw Thanksgiving-themed items or situations on a big whiteboard or paper pad. Prompts could be “pumpkin pie,” “cornucopia,” or “turkey in the oven.” The worse the drawing skills, the more fun the game becomes.
8. Cornhole With a Fall Twist
Classic cornhole gets a seasonal upgrade by painting the boards with pumpkins, leaves, or turkeys. Bonus idea: replace bean bags with small fabric pumpkins filled with rice. Play in teams, keep score, and let the bragging rights last until Christmas.
9. Pilgrim Hat Ring Toss
Craft pilgrim hats out of black construction paper or use cones as stand-ins. Then use rings (or even glow sticks taped into circles) to toss around the hats. Set varying distances for kids and adults to level the playing field.
10. “Pin the Feather on the Turkey”
Think back to “Pin the Tail on the Donkey,” but replace it with a big turkey poster and colorful paper feathers. Blindfolded players try to stick their feather closest to the right spot. Kids love this one, but don’t be surprised if adults sneak in a round or two.
11. Thanksgiving Bingo
Design bingo cards with holiday-themed icons: turkey, mashed potatoes, football, pie, pilgrims, corn. Hand out candy corn as markers. Play until someone shouts “Bingo!”—or, if you want to stretch it, make it “Turkey!”
12. Leftover Taste Test Challenge
This one’s for after dinner. Blindfold participants and have them guess which Thanksgiving food they’re tasting. It’s fun, slightly risky (cold Brussels sprouts, anyone?), and surprisingly competitive.
13. Thanksgiving Trivia
Pull together trivia questions about the holiday’s history, famous parade moments, or food facts. Example: What year was the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade? (Answer: 1924). This game is both educational and hilarious when wrong guesses fly.
14. The Thankfulness Chain
This game doubles as a sentimental keepsake. Give everyone paper strips and markers. Each person writes down something they’re thankful for, then link the strips together to form a chain. By the end, you’ll have a giant gratitude garland to hang up.
15. Turkey Feather Balance
Set up a challenge where players must balance a feather on their hand or nose while walking across the room. First one to make it without dropping wins. Warning: uncontrollable giggles ahead.
16. Macy’s Parade Balloons
Inflate a balloon for each participant and give them a straw. The goal is to keep the balloon afloat with puffs of air, pretending it’s one of those giant parade floats. Simple, silly, and surprisingly exhausting.
17. The Pie Eating Contest
What’s Thanksgiving without pie? Stage a mini pie-eating contest, but here’s the twist—no hands allowed. Whoever cleans their plate first is crowned the champion. Kids will dive in, but don’t underestimate how competitive adults can get.
18. Turkey Drawing Contest
Pass out paper and crayons, then set a timer for everyone to draw their best turkey. To make it harder, try doing it blindfolded. The results are frame-worthy in a “what on earth is that?” kind of way.
19. Guess the Number of Candy Corn
Fill a jar with candy corn and let everyone guess how many are inside. The closest guess wins the jar. It’s simple, but the suspense keeps everyone engaged.
20. Family Football Game
For many families, Thanksgiving isn’t complete without a little backyard football. Split into teams and toss around a ball. Make it lighthearted or go all out with touch football. Either way, it’s a classic for a reason.
21. Thanksgiving Word Scramble
Write out scrambled Thanksgiving-related words on paper (like “YRTUEK” for “turkey”). The fastest person or team to unscramble them all wins. Bonus points if you add tough ones like “cornucopia.”
22. Gratitude Jar Guessing Game
Before dinner, everyone writes something they’re thankful for on a slip of paper and puts it into a jar. Later, someone reads them aloud, and everyone guesses who wrote each one. It sparks laughter, surprises, and even a few “I didn’t know that about you” moments.
Conclusion On 22 Thanksgiving Games Ideas
Thanksgiving is about food, sure, but it’s also about creating traditions that last longer than leftovers in the fridge. These 22 Thanksgiving game ideas give you options for every age group, from balloon-bouncing chaos to thoughtful gratitude jars. The real magic isn’t in winning or losing—it’s in the shared laughter, the little surprises, and those ridiculous moments that become stories retold for years. So once the dishes are done, pull out a game, and watch how quickly your living room transforms into the best part of the holiday.
