31 Thanksgiving Games For Families & Friends
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Thanksgiving isn’t just about turkey and pumpkin pie—it’s also about laughter, togetherness, and fun family traditions. These Thanksgiving games are the perfect way to bring everyone together before (or after) that delicious feast, if you’re hosting a big family gathering or a relaxed dinner with friends.
The hardest part of Thanksgiving games isn’t finding them. It’s finding ones that a five-year-old and Grandpa will both play without anyone sulking. Most lists throw fifty ideas at you and leave you to work out which ones suit your crowd.
Fun Thanksgiving Games For Family & Friends
Ready to keep the good times rolling after dinner? These party games for Thanksgiving Day are perfect for mixing generations, breaking the ice, and turning your gathering into something even more memorable. Let the games begin!
1. Turkey Waddle Race
How to Play:
Players race to the finish line while waddling like turkeys with a balloon between their knees. If the balloon drops, they must go back to the starting line! Works best with a decent run-up, so clear a hallway or use the yard. Balloons pop under pressure, so blow them up softly and have spares. Best for ages 5 and up. Younger kids will struggle to keep the balloon in place while moving.
What You Need:
- Balloons
- Starting and finish line markers
2. Thanksgiving Bingo
How to Play:
Hand out themed bingo cards and use Thanksgiving-related calling items (like pie, pilgrim, corn, etc.). First player to get five in a row wins!
What You Need:
- Printable Thanksgiving bingo cards
- Markers or candy to cover squares
3. Don’t Drop the Corn
How to Play:
Players walk a set course while balancing a plastic corn cob on a spoon. Drop it and you’re out! You could use real corn cobs if you wanted to as well. Plastic corn is lighter and harder to balance than real, so use real cobs if you want younger kids to actually finish the course. Set the course around furniture rather than in a straight line, and it gets a lot funnier.
What You Need:
- Plastic or fake corn
- Spoons
4. Pumpkin Ring Toss
How to Play:
Set up small pumpkins and take turns tossing rings to land over the stems. Assign point values for different distances. Mini pumpkins with short stems are almost impossible, so pick ones with a decent stalk when you’re buying. Three rings each, one point at close range and three from further back keeps it moving.
What You Need:
- Mini pumpkins
- Rings (plastic or rope)
5. Gratitude ABCs
How to Play:
Go around the table or circle and have each person name something they’re thankful for, starting with the next letter of the alphabet. Or have each person fill out a full A to Z of gratitude. This is a variation of our favourite road trip game, ABC race, where we pick a theme and find an answer for each letter of the alphabet.
What You Need:
- Optional: Thanksgiving Gratitude Game
6. Would You Rather
How to Play:
Get to know one another better with a game of Would You Rather, comparing two different things to see what each person prefers. A quick, easy and fun Thanksgiving game.
What You Need:
7. Thanksgiving Charades
How to Play:
Act out Thanksgiving-themed words or phrases without speaking while your team guesses. Think “stuffing the turkey” or “Black Friday sales.”
What You Need:
- Thanksgiving Charades prompts
- A timer
8. Pin the Beak on the Turkey
How to Play:
A Thanksgiving twist on the classic! Blindfolded players try to pin a beak closest to the turkey’s beak. Or try this free printable pin the beak on the turkey game instead.
What You Need:
- Poster of a turkey
- Paper beaks with tape or glue dots
- Blindfold
9. Thanksgiving Left Right Game
How to Play:
The left right game is a fun gift-passing game. You can play with a single gift, multiple gifts or have something for every player. Players sit in a circle and pass the gift every time the word left or right is said during a story, in that direction. At the end of the game, whoever is holding a gift gets to keep it.
What You Need:
10. Thankful Hot Potato
How to Play:
Pass an object around to music. When the music stops, the person holding the item shares something they’re thankful for. You can also make this a duel game, such as pass the parcel, but make it so they need to share an item of gratitude before they unwrap the prize layer.
What You Need:
- Small soft item (like a plush turkey or a ball)
- Music player
11. Pumpkin Pie Toss
How to Play:
Toss whipped cream pies at targets (or brave volunteers). The most accurate tosser wins! Do this one outside. Paper plates hold about a cup of whipped cream before they fold, and it goes everywhere. Have towels ready and let the kids have a free shot at an adult at the end, it’s the bit they’ll remember.
What You Need:
- Paper plates
- Whipped cream
- Plastic ponchos (optional!)
12. Turkey Says
How to Play:
Same rules as Simon Says, except it’s Turkey Says. Anyone who does the action without hearing “Turkey says” first is out. Give it Thanksgiving commands so it isn’t just the usual: gobble like a turkey, mash the potatoes, carve the bird, pass the gravy, waddle on the spot. Best with kids under 8, and it’s the easiest game on this list to start with zero setup.
What You Need:
- A game leader
- A list of silly commands
13. Thanksgiving Trivia
How to Play:
Test your knowledge with trivia questions about Thanksgiving history, food, and traditions. Play as individuals or team up for your own family Thanksgiving trivia night.
What You Need:
- Printable trivia questions
- Answer sheets or buzzers
14. Leaf Hunt
How to Play:
Hide paper leaves around your home or yard. Players race to find as many as they can in a time limit. Cut leaves from coloured paper and make a few gold ones worth five points each so it isn’t just whoever runs fastest. Ten minutes and about 30 leaves is enough for a group of six.
What You Need:
- Paper leaves
- Basket or bag for collecting
15. Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt
How to Play:
Have a list of Thanksgiving-themed scavenger hunt items to find and see if guests can find them all. You could offer a prize to anyone who finds every item or to the first person to finish.
What You Need:
16. Turkey Bowling
How to Play:
Roll a small pumpkin to knock down “turkeys” made from soda bottles decorated with feathers and faces. Fill the bottles with an inch of water or rice so they don’t blow over on their own. Six bottles in a triangle, two rolls each. If you don’t have a small pumpkin, a butternut works and rolls straighter.
What You Need:
- Small pumpkin
- Empty soda bottles
- Turkey decorations
17. Pilgrim Hat Stack
How to Play:
Players race to stack cookies or treats into the tallest “pilgrim hat” tower before time runs out. Oreos stack about eight high before they go over. Give everyone 60 seconds and the same number of cookies, and let them eat the tower afterwards.
What You Need:
- Oreo cookies or chocolate-covered marshmallows
- Timer
18. Roll A Turkey Dice Game
How to Play:
Thanksgiving roll a turkey is a cute game to play with any age and works with small groups. You can play with coloured markers or use coloured candies instead, like Skittles or M&Ms. The first person who can fill their turkey with all the different colours is the winner.
What You Need:
- Printable roll-a-turkey game
- Coloured markers or candies
19. Thanksgiving Pictionary
How to Play:
Draw clues like mashed potatoes, family dinner, or parade floats. The first team to guess wins the round. Keep the prompts to things that are actually drawable. Turkey, pie, corn, football and pilgrim hat all work. Anything abstract like “gratitude” will stall the round. 60 seconds a turn, and teams of three or four are better than pairs.
What You Need:
- Whiteboard or large paper
- Markers
- List of Thanksgiving prompts (or use my free charades clues)
20. Gratitude Dice Game
How to Play:
Take turns rolling the paper gratitude dice and answering the prompt that it lands on. This is a cute game that can be fun when looking for family games for Thanksgiving dinner.
What You Need:
21. Pin the Feather on the Turkey
How to Play:
A Thanksgiving twist on the classic party game and one you can create using scraps and things you might already have! Blindfolded players try to pin a tail feather closest to the turkey’s bottom.
What You Need:
- Paper
- Feathers
- Decorations
- Tape or glue dots
22. Thanksgiving Photo Scavenger Hunt
How to Play:
As much as the goal is to keep everyone off their phones on Thanksgiving, this photo scavenger hunt can be a fun challenge to get everyone snapping some photo memories of the holiday season.
What You Need:
- Printable Thanksgiving photo scavenger hunt
- Phone or camera
23. Saran Wrap Game
How to Play:
The plastic wrap ball game or saran wrap ball game is especially popular at Christmas time, but you can add a seasonal twist for any occasion. Wrap small prizes and treats in a full roll of plastic wrap, wrapping it tightly so that the layers are firm and hard to remove.
During gameplay, one player starts with the dice, while another player starts with the ball. The player with the ball starts unwrapping layer by layer (no tearing) while the other player rolls the 2 dice.
Any prizes that fall out during unwrapping now belong to that player. As soon as they roll doubles, the ball and dice pass left and the cycle continues until all layers are unwrapped.
To make it even more fun, add Thanksgiving-themed challenge cards to some of the layers where players who get a card must stop and complete the challenge before unwrapping further. Challenges can include things such as “Name 3 things you are grateful for” or “Impersonate a turkey”.
What You Need:
- Plastic cling wrap
- Small prizes
- Dice
- Optional Thanksgiving challenge cards
24. Thanksgiving Pass The Pumpkin
How to Play:
Pass the Pumpkin is a fun gift-passing game where there is one gift and players must follow the prompts from the poem to pass the gift. The player holding the gift at the end is the winner.
What You Need:
25. Thanksgiving Find Someone Who Guest Bingo
How to Play:
If you are hosting a Thanksgiving party with coworkers or friends who do not know each other well, this is the perfect Thanksgiving icebreaker game!
Create a bingo board of Thanksgiving-related & general traits. Players mingle and try to find someone matching each trait to tick off the square.
Players can only use each person for one square on their board. First to get a full row calls out bingo. You can also have a special prize for a full board completion.
What You Need:
26. Name That Side Dish
How to Play:
Blindfold one player and give them a small taste of each side dish on the table. They have to name it. Sounds easy until you realise stuffing and mashed potato feel roughly the same when you can’t see them. Give a point per correct answer and run it between the main and dessert while everyone’s still at the table.
What You Need:
- Small spoonfuls of each side dish
- Blindfold
- Water to reset between tastes
Thanksgiving Minute to Win It Games
If you want something fast between courses, Minute to Win It games are the easiest win. One minute, one player at a time, everyone else watching and heckling.
- Cranberry Chopsticks. Move cranberries from one bowl to another using chopsticks. Most moved in 60 seconds wins. Harder than it sounds and the cranberries roll.
- Stack the Pumpkins. Stack five mini pumpkins on top of each other and keep them standing for three seconds. Lumpy ones make it much harder.
- Pie Face Cookie. Put a biscuit on your forehead and get it into your mouth using only your face. No hands.
- Feather Float. Keep a feather in the air for a full minute using nothing but your breath. Small kids are surprisingly good at this one.
- Corn Cob Roll. Roll a corn cob across the table with your nose to a finish line. Works better on a tablecloth than bare wood.
Thanksgiving Party Game Bundle
Want to make it simple? I know I do, so I have created a huge printable Thanksgiving game bundle that you can instantly download, print and play! It has 30 different Thanksgiving games, including many of the ones mentioned above, plus a few bonus Thanksgiving activities for the kids and a couple of adult Thanksgiving games too!
There is also a Friendsgiving version if you’re hosting dinner with friends or colleagues instead of family.
Friendsgiving Games
A Friendsgiving is a different room to a family Thanksgiving. Half the people might not know each other, there are usually no kids, and the games need to work while everyone’s standing around with a drink rather than sitting at a set table.
- Find Someone Who Bingo. The best icebreaker on this list. Everyone gets a board of traits and has to find a person who matches each square. Nobody can be used twice, so people have to actually mingle. Printable version here.
- Two Truths and a Turkey. Everyone shares two true things about themselves and one made up. The group votes on which is the turkey.
- Guess Who Brought It. Works if it’s a potluck. Everyone writes down who they think brought each dish. More points for the ones nobody can pick.
- Would You Rather. Fast, needs no setup, and works standing up. Free printable questions here.
- The Saran Wrap Game. Can be even better with adults than kids because the prizes can be things people actually want. Put a scratchie or a mini bottle in the middle.
If you’re hosting, the Friendsgiving Party Game Bundle has over 30 printable games made for exactly this, with none of the family-only ones that don’t land with a group of friends.
Which Games Suit Which Group?
Here are some suggestions about which games are best for your Thanksgiving or Friendsgiving group:
- Sitting at the table: Gratitude ABCs, Would You Rather, Thanksgiving Trivia, Thankful Hot Potato, Gratitude Dice
- Up and moving: Turkey Waddle Race, Don’t Drop the Corn, Pumpkin Ring Toss, Turkey Bowling, Pumpkin Pie Toss
- Little kids: Turkey Says, Pin the Feather on the Turkey, Roll a Turkey, Leaf Hunt
- Teens and adults only: Thanksgiving Pictionary, Saran Wrap Game, Find Someone Who Bingo
- Friendsgiving and icebreakers: Find Someone Who Bingo, Would You Rather, Two Truths and a Turkey
There are enough fun and silly games to play on Thanksgiving with family and friends that will keep you going long after dinner is wrapped up! Which one will you play first?
More Thanksgiving ideas
- Thanksgiving charades
- Thanksgiving would you rather questions
- Turkey-themed treats
- Thanksgiving dessert recipes
Gratitude activities for kids
Games for the rest of the year
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