Quick Thanksgiving Games for Families
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Get ready for a Thanksgiving full of laughter and fun! While the turkey’s in the oven, bring the family together with quick and easy games that’ll have everyone smiling and enjoying the fun. Ready to kick off the celebration and make memories while you wait for the feast? Read on for the directions.
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With family games, it’s all about keeping the focus on fun rather than fierce competition- especially on a holiday! Play until everyone’s had a chance to get the hang of it, or divide into teams so everyone can cheer each other on. The goal is for everyone to enjoy themselves and keep the holiday spirit light-hearted and full of laughter!
Carve the Turkey
Get ready to aim for turkey triumph!
Supplies
- Big pile of cards per person (we recommend at least a deck or a good stack from a game like Skip-Bo)
- Plastic cups with our free printable turkey
- Table
How to Play
Setup: Tape a printed turkey to each plastic cup, positioning it so the turkey’s feet are near the cup’s rim- making it look like a tiny, festive turkey standing on the table.
Hand each player a stack of cards and have them line up behind their turkey cups. For the best gameplay, we recommend only 2 players at a time as we found three was too many with the table space we had.
At the word "Gobble!", players race to knock their turkey cup off the far end of table by throwing cards at it.
Rules to note:
Only one card can be thrown at a time.
If a turkey cup falls off the table’s side, it goes back to the starting position.
If players run out of cards, they can gather up cards from the table but must leave some for others.
Keep playing in tournament rounds until there’s one ultimate winner!
Goalpost Squeeze
Get ready for some laughs, skillful flicks, and friendly competition with this fun twist on tabletop football!
Supplies
10 plastic cups
Table
Paper footballs- any size you like. Check out this quick tutorial if you need to learn how to make one.
How to Play
Setup: Make two goal posts using 5 cups each. See the photo below for an example but feel free to get creative. Start with the goalposts as far apart as possible. The goalposts should be about halfway down the table from where the players will flick the ball.
Players take turns flicking their paper football through the goalposts. It should be easy at first, giving everyone a chance to warm up.
After each successful round (everyone flicks their football through the goalposts), move the goalposts closer together by at least one cup’s width on each side.
In the first round, each player gets 3 attempts to make it through the goalposts. After that, only one attempt per turn.
Players who miss are out, and the last player standing wins!
Note:
When the goalposts touch, stack cups to bring the top closer together for an extra challenge.
For a twist, try moving the goalposts further down the table each round instead!
Toe up doughnut
Prepare for some serious giggles as everyone wiggles and munches!
Supplies
One doughnut per person (or another food with a hole in it)
Ribbon, string, or yarn to hang the donuts and attach to toes
Weighted chairs or something sturdy to hang the string
How to Play
Setup: Stretch a ribbon or string between two weighted chairs (people sitting on the chairs works well to keep them stable). Invite contestants to lie down on the floor with their heads under the string. Thread a ribbon through each doughnut, loop it over the string above, and tie it loosely around the contestant’s toe (make sure it’s not too tight- no one needs to lose circulation!). The doughnut should hang high above the contestant’s head.
On "Go!" each player tries to be the first to eat their doughnut off the string.
Players must keep their backs flat on the floor, though they can lift their heads to reach. Moving their legs helps the doughnut get closer to their mouths.
The doughnut must come completely off the string for a win.
Tips:
We tried both sitting and lying down versions, and the floor version was the winner. It’s safer and lets players move around more.
We found the toe to be the most entertaining body part to attach the string to, however, ankles work well too.
Porcupine Potato
Ready for a super simple and fast game?
Supplies
Potatoes (be sure they are all similar in firmness)
Plenty of plastic straws
Timer
How to Play
Setup: Give each player one potato and place a pile of straws in the center for everyone to grab from.
On "Go!" each player races to stick as many straws as possible into their potato within one minute.
When the timer runs out, the player with the most straws in their potato wins!
Pro Tip: There’s a secret to getting the straws to go in more easily! Cover one end of the straw with your finger to add pressure, then push the other end into the potato. You can share the trick or let players discover it for themselves for extra laughs!
Pssttt… Love potatoes as much as we do? Check out our latest hooded sweatshirt- tweens love it!
Turkey Shoot Out
Get ready for some competitive fun as everyone aims for the highest-scoring turkey.
Supplies
At least 15 plastic cups
Our free printable paper turkeys (same printable as the first game)
Paper footballs
Table
How to Play
Setup: Build three towers of cups with one of the turkeys in each tower. The higher the points, the tricker it should be. Towers should be varying lengths away from the players.
Each player gets five tries to knock down as many turkeys as possible by flicking their paper football at the towers.
Players must knock down the x2 turkey first in order to activate it. For example, if the 20 point turkey is knocked over before the x2 turkey, it’s still only 20 points. If it’s knocked over after the x2 turkey then it’s worth 40 points.
At the end of the round, the player with the highest score wins!
Potato Jousting
Prepare for lots of laughter and some impressive balancing skills in this unique, spud-tastic challenge!
Supplies
One potato per person
One large spoon per person (soup spoon size works well)
One additional “jousting” utensil per person (see suggestions below)
Wide open space
How to Play
Setup: Invite each contestant to decorate their potato. They can transform it into a “turkey,” a “race car,” or anything they like. If you plan on peeling the potato later, markers work well. We find it’s also more fun if you name them. Next, choose an open area, like a living room or yard, and announce the boundaries of the “arena.” Contestants should stand in a circle, evenly spaced, with their potato balanced on their large spoon.
On the word “Gobble,” players try to knock each other’s potatoes off their spoons by using their jousting utensil.
You can only target another player’s potato or spoon—no arms, legs, or body parts. Players may use their chosen utensil for blocking, but potatoes cannot be raised above head level.
If a player’s potato falls, they’re out and must leave the arena. Players stepping outside the boundary receive a warning; three warnings lead to elimination. No pushing others out of the arena.
The last player with their potato still on their spoon wins.
Tips
Traditionally, people use another spoon to block. For a fun twist, use random jousting tools from the kitchen instead such as a hand held strainer, spaghetti server, or a Nessie ladle. There is a chance of items getting broken depending on your group so choose wisely.
For a traditional option, try playing bracket-style, with two contestants jousting at a time until one champion emerges.
Bring back memories of this game when you gift your family these potatoes and Jesus waterbottle stickers. They make great stocking stuffers or use it as a prize on the day!
Turkey Dust
Supplies
- Flour
- 1 Candy corn or candy pumpkin
- 1-cup measuring cup or Thanksgiving-themed mold
- Plate
- Mixing spoon or butter knife
- Table
How to Play
Setup: Pack the flour tightly into the measuring cup or mold. Place the plate on top, flip it over, and carefully lift the cup to leave a mound of flour on the plate. Place a candy corn on top of the flour mound.
Each player takes turns “cutting” a small section of the flour mound with a butter knife or mixing spoon, moving it carefully to the side. Players can only cut up to half of the mound at once.
The game continues until someone causes the candy corn to fall off the flour mound.
If the candy corn falls on your turn, you must fish it out of the flour using only your teeth!
Fun Variations:
Surprise Candy Hunt: Hide a few extra candy corns in the flour mound. If a player uncovers one during their turn, they get to eat it. This can make the cutting more difficult.
Quarter Variation: You can also use a quarter instead of candy if you don’t want to buy any. However, do not put it in your mouth. Instead, knock it off the plate with your nose. You will have a giant mess but it is fun to watch.
Harvest Tool: For a challenge, use a mixing spoon instead of a butter knife.
Thanksgiving Activity Sheet
Make Thanksgiving easy and fun by rolling out our 6-foot Thanksgiving activity sheet! It’s a hit with all ages, creating the perfect spot for everyone to gather, color, and chat. Lay it on the kids' table for added charm, and enjoy a mix of activities- maze adventures, dot-to-dots, and a giant word twist everyone will love.
Short on space? No worries! We also have printable activity placemats that bring the same fun to smaller spaces.
Harvest Handful
Supplies
A lot of spoons (metal spoons work best)
How to Play
Start with three spoons and place them on the back of your dominant hand.
Toss all the spoons into the air, then try to catch them with the same hand.
If you catch them all, add one more spoon and try again.
Continue adding spoons until you drop some or run out of spoons!
The challenge gets trickier as you increase the number of spoons- balancing them on the back of your hand is the hardest part! Our personal record is 22 spoons. How many can you handle?
Tip: At first, multiple people can go together but eventually, one person will need all the spoons so you will need to take turns.
If you had a blast with these games, wait until you try our Christmas Reindeer Games!
