Family Games on Thanksgiving Day

The meal takes hours to cook and twenty minutes to eat, and the stretch in between is where a house full of relatives gets restless. A few easy family games on Thanksgiving day fill that gap without any setup. This page has 16 ideas that work for toddlers, big kids and grandparents at the same table, and a free printable pack with bingo, a scavenger hunt, charades cards and more. Pick two or three, not all sixteen.

How to choose a game for a mixed age table

A game that works on Thanksgiving has three things going for it. It takes under 20 minutes, it needs props you already own, and nobody has to read the rules twice. Eeshan would probably want anything with points, and Vihaan would probably want anything that lets him run. I would plan one calm game for before the meal and one loud game for after, so both moods are covered. Fun family games to play on thanksgiving day do not have to be fancy, just easy to explain.

If you are searching for family games to play on thanksgiving day, the table below sorts all 16 by age and time. Ages are a rough guide, and a grown up can always play on a younger child’s team.

Quiet family games on Thanksgiving day for the table

These six work while people are still sitting down, and they suit anyone who would rather not run around. Vihaan would probably be happiest here with a pencil and a free square on his bingo card.

1. Thanksgiving bingo

Each card has words like turkey, gravy and pie, and the caller reads them in any order. The first player with five in a row wins. The pack has four different cards and a call list.

2. Gratitude alphabet

Players take turns naming something they are thankful for, one letter at a time. Each answer earns a point. If nobody else at the table wrote the same thing, it earns two. It is a good way to hear what a quiet cousin is thinking.

3. Gratitude jar

Put a jar and some paper slips out in the morning, and let anyone drop in a note. You read them aloud just before dessert, which gives the afternoon a little shape. A child who cannot write yet can draw a picture instead.

4. Card games

Go fish suits younger kids, and crazy eights works from about age 5. Keep a deck near the couch so a game can start the moment someone is bored.

5. Would you rather

Read a question out loud and everyone picks A or B and explains why. The pack has 12 Thanksgiving questions, from pie versus mashed potatoes to being the cook or the dish washer. For more of these, try our fall would you rather questions for kids.

6. Mystery bag

Put a few safe items in a cloth bag, such as a spoon, a pinecone and a soft toy. Players feel inside without looking and guess what each one is. Skip anything small enough to fit in a toddler’s mouth.

Active games to burn off energy

Kids are usually sitting still before the meal and bouncing off the walls after it, so a short active game is worth planning, and the best family games on Thanksgiving day are the ones that let them run for ten minutes. Eeshan would probably volunteer to referee, which is a job I would let him have. Keep these away from the kitchen and the hot dishes, and if you want more ideas for a rainy afternoon, our rainy day activities for kids are a good backup.

7. Indoor scavenger hunt

Kids search the house for items like something orange, a spoon, a hat and a family photo, and check each one off. The first to finish shouts thankful. The pack has 16 items.

8. Turkey turkey goose

This is duck duck goose with a Thanksgiving name. Players sit in a circle while one walks around tapping heads and saying turkey, then picks one to say goose and chase. Use a soft rug and clear the floor first.

9. Pom pom spoon relay

Each player carries a pom pom on a spoon across the room and back. It is slower than a race and funnier too. Use big pom poms, not small ones.

10. Cornucopia toss

Put a basket on the floor and have kids toss soft items into it, like bean bags or rolled up socks. Move the basket back a step each round. It needs no setup at all.

11. Backyard flag football

If the weather is mild, a short game after dinner is a Thanksgiving classic. Use a soft foam ball, make the field small, and let the youngest players hold the flags for the older ones.

Guessing and drawing games

These are the games that get grandparents laughing. They need almost no space, and the whole group can join from the couch. I would let Eeshan act out the first word, even if he forgets he is not allowed to talk.

12. Charades

Cut out the cards and act out the word without speaking. The pack has 18 cards, such as carving the turkey, passing the potatoes and falling asleep on the couch. Split into two teams and keep score if you like.

13. Drawing game

Use the same cards, but draw the word on paper with no letters or numbers while teammates guess. Stick figures are fine. The worse the drawing, the better the game.

14. Two truths and a turkey

Each player says three things about themselves, and one is made up. Everyone else guesses the false one. This works best with older kids and adults who like surprises.

15. Guess the baby photo

Ask each relative for one baby picture ahead of time and stick them on a wall. Guests match each photo to the grown up. Little kids love seeing their parents as babies.

Games for toddlers and mixed ages

Toddlers can join in more than you might think, as long as the game is simple and the props are big. Vihaan would probably be at the right age for most of these, and he would likely want to do each one three times. Eeshan would probably help the little ones, which I would encourage.

16. Turkey feather match

Cut large paper feathers in a few colors and put matching colored paper on the floor. The toddler places each feather on the right color. It is a calm game with no winner, and it takes a few minutes. Our fall sensory bin is another good option for the youngest at the table.

For toddlers, I would also let them hold the bingo markers as a helper, or call out a word from the pack. They get to feel part of the game even if they cannot play it yet. A grown up can partner with a young child in bingo, scavenger hunt and charades so nobody feels left out.

How to use the free printable pack

The pack is a 6 page PDF made for home printing, and it covers the family games to play on thanksgiving day that need the most paper. Print it on plain paper, cut the charades cards on the dotted lines and you are done. If you want the pages to last, a quick pass through a laminator lets you reuse them next year.

Free download: Get the 6 page Thanksgiving family game pack as one PDF

Here is what is inside.

• Pages 1 and 2: four bingo cards and a call list
• Page 3: a 16 item scavenger hunt
• Page 4: 18 charades and drawing cards
• Page 5: 12 would you rather questions
• Page 6: a gratitude alphabet with a scoring line

I would print two copies of the bingo pages so a big group does not have to share. Use dry beans or a pencil for markers, and if you want a calmer way to end the meal, the Thanksgiving quotations make good place cards.

Safety tips for holiday games

Running games belong far from the kitchen. Hot dishes, open ovens and people carrying a full turkey do not mix with a game of tag. Pick a room or a yard away from where the food is, because games to play with family on thanksgiving day should not compete with the cooking, and tell kids the boundaries before the game starts.

Last, let anyone sit a game out. A shy child or a tired grandparent is not being rude, and the table is happier when nobody is pushed.

Frequently asked questions about family games on Thanksgiving

What are good family games to play on Thanksgiving day?

Bingo, a scavenger hunt, charades and a gratitude jar are easy choices because they need little setup and work for mixed ages. Add a running game if the kids are restless.

What are fun Thanksgiving games for toddlers?

Turkey feather match, a cornucopia toss with soft items, and turkey turkey goose with a grown up partner work well. Keep props large and avoid anything small enough to swallow.

How long should Thanksgiving games last?

Most games need 10 to 20 minutes. Pick two or three for the day rather than playing them all, and stop when interest fades.

What can we play at the table while waiting for dinner?

Bingo, the gratitude alphabet, would you rather and the mystery bag all work while people are still seated, and they need only a pencil or a bag.

Do I need to buy anything for these games?

No. The free printable pack covers bingo, a scavenger hunt, charades cards, would you rather and the gratitude alphabet. The other games use things like spoons, pom poms or a basket.

How do I keep a game fair when kids are different ages?

Pair a younger child with a grown up or an older sibling, and give small helper jobs like calling a word. That way everyone plays together without a clear winner and loser.

On the day, I plan to hand Eeshan the bingo caller sheet and let him run the first round. Then I will keep a deck of cards on the couch for whoever needs a break. The games are only there to fill the gap before the pie, so if the table is happy chatting, I will put them away.