42 Thanksgiving Games to Play Before, During, and After Dinner
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Though Thanksgiving is mainly about the food and the decor (and expressing gratitude, of course), it's one of those events that lasts a long time, so giving your guests something fun to do is paramount. Plus, if you're hosting, the last thing you need is people coming in and out of the kitchen asking you for activity ideas. Enter Thanksgiving games that are for just adults, just kids, or everyone. We've put together a cheat sheet with more than 30 fun Thanksgiving family games to make this year's holiday your most entertaining and stress-free yet.
From a cheeky word game kids may want to sit out to an on-theme piñata filled with tasty treats they definitely won't want to miss, there are a lot of festive Thanksgiving games to consider ahead. The best part? You can make more than a few of these yourself with materials you probably already have. Others you can swipe on Amazon for less than $15. Plenty of these games don't require any materials or advance planning at all.
Make the holiday one to remember with plenty of laughter. Whether you set up child-friendly games on the kids' table or family festivities on the lawn, this Thanksgiving will be a blast for everyone—even you! Don't wait until the week of to decide which games you'll bring to the party, though. Go ahead and start ordering and planning now to save yourself some time and energy on Turkey Day.
Kick Off Flag Football
Bring the joy and competitive spirit home (in an injury-free way) with a more tame version of football: flag football. Arguably the ultimate Thanksgiving game, this is fun for all ages and a great way to work up an appetite prior to sitting down for dinner.
Swap Stories
If you host Thanksgiving with the same group of people every year, the same old stories can grow old fast. Offer up new bits of information with a little help from relationship therapist Esther Perel. Her game, Where Should We Begin: A Game of Stories, is a great way to delve deeper into your favorite people's personal histories.
Plan a Turkey Trot
While running on Thanksgiving morning isn't for every family, turn it into a friendly competition by offering up the best seat at the table, a guaranteed turkey leg, or dibs on the best corner slice of stuffing.
Host Your Own Game Show
Family trivia, Thanksgiving trivia, and even unrelated general trivia knowledge can all be turned into a hilarious game to play either pre- or post-dinner.
Play Cards
Whether you're playing solitaire because you're the first one done at the dinner table or gambling away the last slice of pie, a deck of cards holds infinite possibilities.
Try Thanksgiving-Themed Bingo
Perfect for observant little ones to play, this bingo card set allows you to flag your favorite (and maybe not so favorite) parts of Thanksgiving day including a fire, pilgrim hat, whole turkey, and more.
Ask Would You Rather...?
Have your Thanksgiving guests get deep in thought and choose between a number of holiday-themed would you rather questions. This set created by The House That Lars Built goes a bit deeper than the traditional apple vs. pumpkin pie questions.
Get Wordy
If your group includes any impressive wordsmiths, Scrabble is a great way to pass the time before everyone sits down at the table. This is no ordinary Scrabble board, though. It's a luxury edition complete with a burl-finished wood cabinet, a die-cast metal plaque drawer pull, gold foil stamping, and a raised letter tile grid.
Go on a Scavenger Hunt
If the kids need something to do while the adults put the finishing touches on dinner, send them on a scavenger hunt in the neighborhood. Of course, don't send them too far, but a few blocks is close enough.
Host a Floral Arranging Contest
Skip store-bought centerpieces this year. Instead, head to your local flower market (where florals are often significantly cheaper than at florist shops) and get as many flowers as you can. Lay them flat across the longest surface in your house (like the kitchen island) and have your guests arrange them into bouquets. The most beautiful, of course, wins! That said, be sure to put all of them on the dining table.
Solve a Puzzle
Snag a puzzle with a pretty picture, like this 500-piece beauty, and have anyone who's not working on dinner get down to business. In our experience, even people who say they don't like puzzles can't resist for long.
Color the Tablecloth
Don't risk ruining a good tablecloth on the kids' table. Instead, cover it with kraft paper and set it with jars of crayons. Not only will this give the little ones something to do as they nosh, but it ll help keep them seated and engaged.
Play the Thankful Game
This classic game never gets old. Once everyone is seated, go around the table and have everyone share what makes them feel grateful. Expect to see a few sentimental tears.
Keep It Classic
Monopoly is a game that gets heated fast and lasts at least 90 minutes, so if you need to keep your guests occupied while you do some last-minute stirring, chopping, or basting, this is a good find.
Start Thinking
Scattergories is another classic board game worth considering. But instead of buying the actual game, make a Thanksgiving-themed version yourself (with The Crafting Chicks' help). See the full tutorial.
Test Your Creativity
Invite a few of your craftiest family members and friends to Thanksgiving dinner and, while the turkey finishes roasting, invite everyone to make their own food-inspired hat. May the most delicious-looking one win! Peep The House That Lars Built for some inspiration.
Give Thanks
Remember pickup sticks? Yes, the oldie but goodie is still around! Order a set and assign each color to a specific element—a food, a person, or a thing, among other options—and every time someone grabs a stick, they have to say something they're grateful for.
Guess How Many
This is as much for the kids as it is for the adults. Just fill a big clear jar (it could also be a bowl or vase) with candy and have everyone write their estimate on a piece of paper. After dinner, read everyone's guesses and announce the winner, which is the person whose guess came closest to the actual number.
Use Your Intellect
Both checkers and chess require some serious thought, so if you're in the mood to exercise your brain before it starts to tire after the first bite of heavenly food, play both games on this stylish two-in-one board.
Test Your Football Knowledge
Some family Thanksgiving traditions revolve around watching the big game. If your clan is a football family, go ahead and print this football-themed bingo card and use small candies as the pieces.
Play a Drinking Game
For all guests 21 and over, get the party going with a simple drinking game. Whether you want to use beer, wine, or a festive ginger apple Moscow mule, the adults will have plenty of fun taking a sip whenever someone says "turkey" (or any other seasonal word of your choosing).
Get Destructive
Does anything feel more high-stakes than a game of Jenga? Set it up on the coffee table and invite anyone who wants to build (or destroy) to play. Even toddlers can get in on the fun.
Toss Some Apples
Set up a few crates on one side of the lawn and have your competitors stand on the other. Give each person the same number of apples and have them toss them into the crates. Whoever gets the most apples into the crates wins.
Break Out the Deck
There are tons (at least 10) games you can play with one deck of cards, so imagine how many you can play with two! These sets are decorated with photos by famed artist Gray Malin.
Get Uncomfortable
For a less-traditional card game, this one is always a hit! It's based on the New York Times best-seller The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook, and it comes in adult and family-friendly versions.
Be Sweet
We can't think of a fruit that feels more appropriate for Thanksgiving than apples, so if you want to stay on theme when it comes to the food, buy a barrel and ask your guests to turn them into candied confections like these.
Embrace the Great Outdoors
If you want a no-screens Thanksgiving, take the football game into your own hands. Assign everyone to a team and head outside to play a little touch football at home.
Predict the Future
A party game that requires nothing other than a box of cards? Yes, please. The more players, the better, so if you have at least 10 guests, this is a great game to break out.
Try a Ladder Toss
Whether you decide to make the ladders yourself or buy them (link below), take the party outside for a festive few rounds of ladder toss.
Bob for Apples
If you're running low on time and don't want to spend hours setting this game up, just fill a few mixing bowls with water and plop in a few apples. Have the kids try to pull them all out using nothing more than their teeth. Whoever gets all the apples out first wins.
Ready, Set, Go!
Decorate burlap potato sacks with Thanksgiving-themed motifs to put a festive spin on the classic sack race. Use paint, or sew a pattern on.
Host a Bake-Off
Invite your guests to bring a homemade treat, and make sure everyone tries a bite of, well, everything. After the tasting is finished, ask everyone to vote on the best dessert. Not only do your guests get a delicious end to a festive night, but you don't have to get stuck baking more than one dessert.
Hit Hard
If the kids would rather indulge in candy than pie, hang an on-theme piñata and let them go at it.
Make a (Fake) Turkey
This kit comes with an adorable knit turkey, paper feathers, and a built-in game. To participate, each person writes down something they're thankful for on a feather and adds it to the turkey. Whether you play this throughout the month or on Thanksgiving itself, it gets everyone thinking about gratitude. Even better, it's a game that gives back. For each Turkey on the Table sold, 10 meals will be provided to people in need via a partnership with Feeding America.
Stuff a Turkey
The goal of this game is to throw as many things (stuffing, popcorn, paper wads, etc.) into the turkey before time runs out. If you want to add an extra layer of difficulty, try doing it all blindfolded. Get the tutorial at Kid Friendly Things.
Revitalize Tic-Tac-Toe
Tic-tac-toe is a fun, quick game that anyone who has a short attention span will enjoy. This version is a fun take on the classic game with campfire and marshmallow themed pieces.
Roll a Turkey
All you need to make this game work is the printable cards, M&Ms, and a pair of dice. Each color M&M coordinates with a number on the card, and kids (or adults) take turns rolling both dice to find out which colors they get. Each time they get a new color, they decide where to place it on their turkey until they fill up all the spots; the first one to fill their card wins. Oh, and if you roll doubles, you get to eat one.
Hunt Away
Embark on an Easter egg hunt, but use miniature pumpkins and squash instead. Trust us, the kids will love it.
Test Your Skills
Would you believe us if we said even the least crafty people can make this ring toss game themselves? All you need are a few pieces of wood and some rope. Et voilá: a DIY ring toss to keep your guests busy before and after dinner.
Start Spying
Keep kids entertained with these Thanksgiving-themed printable search games. The pack comes with different levels (easy, medium, and hard), so younger and older kids can play while the adults have a glass of after-dinner wine.
Keep Score
If the family can't get together without playing a rousing game of Bunco, you need these themed Bunco scorecards for Thanksgiving. They'll give your usual game a festive makeover, and you can download and print them in minutes.
Practice Your Aim
Is it just us or do butternut squashes kind of look like bowling pins? Paint a few however you'd like (we're partial to these silly faces) and play a quick game of DIY lawn bowling.
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