Fun Thanksgiving Party Games for the Whole Family

Planning your Thanksgiving party games has just been made easier.

Thanksgiving is that time of year when we reflect on our blessings, cherish our families, and celebrate the abundance and freedoms we so gratefully enjoy. Of course, it is also a day inundated with food, fellowship, and football, and a holiday that should overflow with laughter and entertainment.

Since Thanksgiving is about spending time with family and friends, it is important to choose activities that allow young and old, children and adults, to play together, share together, and have fun together.

Whether your Thanksgiving is a huge family affair, or a small gathering of close friends, there are some perfect Thanksgiving party games that are sure to banish the boredom and raise the excitement level of your celebration.

Add to the fun of your family Thanksgiving this year, by including some of these fun Thanksgiving party games.

Gobble! Gobble!

Thanksgiving Trivia

This is a fun and exciting way to test your guest's knowledge of Thanksgiving history, interesting turkey facts, or even football. Everyone could fend for themselves, or you could raise the level of competition by forming teams and offering a prize as incentive.

Thanksgiving Party Games Pack: over 30 printables for Fall Harvest and Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Party Game and Trivia Pack:
Over 30 Printables for Fall Harvest and Thanksgiving

Popcorn/Pumpkin Seed Relay

This Thanksgiving party game requires some space so push aside the furniture or play outside if the weather permits.

Fill two large bowls with popcorn or pumpkin seeds and place them at one end of the room.
Put two empty bowls at the opposite end of the room.
Divide your guests into teams and compete to see which group is the fastest at transferring all the popcorn or seeds from one bowl to the other using only a tablespoon.

The trick is to move quickly without dropping a single piece, and any player who does so must return to the beginning and run their leg of the relay again.

Scavenger Hunt

This is a great way to get your guests moving, especially after consuming unreasonably huge portions of turkey and pumpkin pie.

Ask everyone to gather in one room while you hide various Thanksgiving objects around the house.
Hand out lists of the hidden items, or to make the hunt more difficult, simply give clues and see if your family and friends can guess which objects they are supposed to find.

To make this game extra exciting, try playing it outside and hide the items in bushes, sheds, and even piles of leaves.

Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt Riddles and Clues

Pumpkin Race

This game is best played outside, although it will also work quite well in a large room or hallway. Guests can compete individually or they can be divided into teams.

Gather at the starting line, turn pumpkins on their sides and race to see who will be the first to roll their way across the finish line.

Thanksgiving Bowling

This variation of the traditional game is sure to create some good natured competition, accompanied by bouts of hilarity.

Fill large plastic pop bottles with sand or stones and set them up as bowling pins.
Use small pumpkins, acorn squash, or even round gourds and see how many points your guests can accumulate by rolling their vegetables down the "alley".

Apple Pass

This Thanksgiving party game is a great way to challenge dexterity, creativity, and comicality.

Divide guests into teams and have each team form a line.
An apple must be passed from one person to the next without using hands.
Feet, knees, elbows, even mouths are allowed, but NO hands.

The first team to successfully pass the apple from beginning to end, is crowned the winner.

Traditional Native American Games

Since the first Thanksgiving was birthed from a shared feast between the colonists and the Indians, why not include some traditional Native American games in your Thanksgiving activities.

a. Hoop Sticks - Find narrow sticks about twelve inches long, or purchase pieces of dowel from a lumber store. Cut yarn, string, or twine into 18 inch lengths and tie a piece to each dowel. Form a loop at the end of each string and have guests compete at catching the loops with the ends of the sticks.

b. Follow My Leader - choose a leader, put on some fun music, and have guests copy the creative and dance moves of the impromptu chief.

Corn Husking Race

Guests can compete as individuals or work as part of a team to see who can husk the most cobs of corn in an assigned period of time. What better way to create some fun competition and get help with dinner preparation?

Thanksgiving Joke and Riddle Telling Contest

You may wish to inform your guests of this Thanksgiving party game ahead of time so they have the opportunity to dig up some funny jokes or create some challenging riddles.

Set up a 'stage' area and let everyone have a turn tickling funny bones and teasing minds. You can even let family and friends vote to elect the 'greatest stand up comedian'.

Football

Of course, one of the most indelible traditions of Thanksgiving is football, so why not gather the troops together and have a game of your own? This is a great outdoor activity and will help work up an appetite worthy of a Thanksgiving feast.

FREE Football Squares Game

Football Squares Game

Football Predictions Game

Predictions Game

Printable Thanksgiving Games

There are several options for printable Thanksgiving party games such as Thanksgiving Bingo, Sudoku, Word Search, Thanksgiving Right Left Game, or Scrabble. These make great competitive games but can also be made available for your guests to try at their convenience.

No Thanksgiving feast is complete without some exciting activities and fun games to keep guests entertained. While the turkey, stuffing, and sweet potato pie fills their tummies, let the laughter, cheers, and victory shouts of carefully chosen Thanksgiving party games fill your home.