50 Thanksgiving Games for Kids and Families That Beat Waiting for the Turkey (2026)
Updated: Nov 3
Looking for Thanksgiving games for kids and families? Here are 50 easy, low-prep games to play before, during and after dinner on Thursday, November 26, 2026, from Thanksgiving bingo and turkey toss to gratitude games and backyard relay races.
The hour before Thanksgiving dinner can feel like the longest hour of the year, especially for kids. Keep a few of these games in your back pocket and the waiting turns into some of the best family moments of the day, with plenty of laughs for grandparents, cousins and toddlers alike.
Key Takeaways
How many games: 50 Thanksgiving games for kids, teens and grown-ups
Best before dinner: Thanksgiving bingo, turkey hunt and pin the feather on the turkey
Best for burning energy: Turkey trot race, pumpkin bowling and the obstacle course
Best at the table: Thankful hot potato, gratitude alphabet and table topics
Thanksgiving 2026: Thursday, November 26
Easy Indoor Thanksgiving Games for Kids
These low-prep games are perfect for the hour before dinner, when the kitchen is busy and the kids are restless. Most need nothing more than paper, tape or a few things you already have at home.
1. Thanksgiving Bingo
Best for: Ages 3 and up; any group size
Print Thanksgiving bingo boards with turkeys, pies, leaves and pumpkins, and use candy corn or dried beans as markers. It's an easy way for every age to play together while dinner finishes.
Parent Tip: Grab ready-made boards from our free Thanksgiving printables so you don't have to draw them yourself.
2. Turkey Hunt
Best for: Ages 3–10; 2 or more players
Hide small paper or plastic turkeys around the house and send everyone searching. The player who finds the most turkeys wins a small prize.
Parent Tip: Number the turkeys so you know when all of them have been found, and keep a few easy ones at toddler eye level.
3. Thanksgiving Pictionary
Best for: Ages 6 and up; teams
Write Thanksgiving words on slips of paper, such as pumpkin pie, Pilgrim hat or parade balloon. Players draw while their team races to guess before the timer runs out.
Parent Tip: Pair little kids with a grown-up teammate who can whisper the word and help with the drawing.
4. Pin the Feather on the Turkey
Best for: Ages 3–8; 2 or more players
Draw a big featherless turkey on poster board and tape it to the wall. Blindfolded players try to stick their paper feather in the right spot, and the closest feather wins.
Parent Tip: Write each player's name on their feather before they start so there's no debate about who won.
5. Turkey Toss
Best for: Ages 4 and up; 2 or more players
Tape a target on the floor with point zones, then toss bean bags, rolled-up socks or mini pumpkins at it. Highest score after three rounds wins.
Parent Tip: Move the throwing line closer for younger kids so everyone has a fair shot.
6. Thanksgiving Mystery Bag
Best for: Ages 4 and up; any group size
Fill paper bags with harvest items like acorns, cranberries, corn kernels and small gourds. Players reach in without peeking and guess each item by touch alone.
Parent Tip: Skip anything sharp or squishy, and keep small items away from toddlers who still put things in their mouths.
7. Thanksgiving I Spy
Best for: Ages 3–8; any group size
Hide turkeys, leaves, pies and pumpkins (or pictures of them) around a room and hand out checklists. The first player to spot everything on the list wins.
Parent Tip: Use picture checklists for pre-readers so they can play on their own.
8. Stack the Candy Corn
Best for: Ages 5 and up; 2 or more players
Each player gets 60 seconds to build the tallest candy corn tower they can. Wobbly towers are half the fun.
Parent Tip: Use a cookie sheet as the building surface so pieces don't scatter across the floor.
9. Thanksgiving Memory Match
Best for: Ages 3 and up; 2–6 players
Lay pairs of Thanksgiving picture cards face down and take turns flipping two at a time. Find a match and you keep it.
Parent Tip: Start with just 8 pairs for little ones, then add more cards as they get the hang of it.
10. Roll a Turkey
Best for: Ages 4 and up; 2–6 players
Each number on a die stands for a turkey part, like the body, head, beak or feathers. Players roll and draw the matching part, and the first to finish a whole turkey wins.
Parent Tip: Make a simple key on a sheet of paper so younger kids know what each number means.
11. Turkey Says
Best for: Ages 3–7; 3 or more players
Play Simon Says with a Thanksgiving twist. "Turkey says flap your wings" means do it, but if the turkey didn't say it, don't move.
Parent Tip: Use holiday actions like stirring gravy, rolling dough and waddling to keep it festive.
12. Gobble Freeze Dance
Best for: Ages 2–8; any group size
Play fun music while everyone dances their best turkey moves. When the music stops, freeze. Anyone who wobbles has to gobble.
Parent Tip: This is a perfect way to burn off energy indoors if it's too dark or chilly to play outside.
Active Thanksgiving Games to Burn Off Energy
Southern California's mild November weather makes it easy to take the fun outside. These games get kids moving before the big meal or help everyone shake off the food coma afterward.
13. Turkey Trot Race
Best for: Ages 3 and up; any group size
Hold a backyard or park race where everyone wears a paper turkey hat or feather boa. Award silly ribbons for the fastest, slowest and best gobble.
Parent Tip: Want to make it official? Our guide to what's open on Thanksgiving Day lists real turkey trots around Los Angeles.
14. Pumpkin Bowling
Best for: Ages 3 and up; 2 or more players
Set up empty water bottles or paper towel rolls as pins and roll a small pumpkin to knock them down. Keep score just like regular bowling.
Parent Tip: Use round mini pumpkins with short stems. They roll straighter and won't break as easily.
15. Feather Relay Race
Best for: Ages 4 and up; 2 teams
Teams race to carry a feather on a spoon to the finish line and back. Drop it and you start over.
Parent Tip: Indoors, play this on carpet so dropped feathers don't drift across a slippery floor.
16. Turkey Tag
Best for: Ages 4 and up; 4 or more players
The player who's "it" wears a turkey hat. Whoever gets tagged becomes the new turkey and puts on the hat.
Parent Tip: Set clear boundaries, like the edge of the lawn, so nobody runs toward the street or the busy kitchen.
17. Feed the Turkey
Best for: Ages 2–7; any group size
Draw a big turkey on a cardboard box and cut out a hole for its mouth. Kids toss bean bags or balls to "feed" the hungry turkey.
Parent Tip: Let toddlers stand right next to the box. Older kids can step back for a harder challenge.
18. Turkey Waddle Race
Best for: Ages 4 and up; 2 or more players
Players squeeze a ball between their knees and waddle to the finish line like a turkey. Drop the ball and go back to the start.
Parent Tip: Use a soft playground ball or balloon so nobody gets hurt if they tumble.
19. Leaf Blower Race
Best for: Ages 4 and up; 2 or more players
Players blow a leaf or a crumpled paper leaf across a table using only a straw. First one to the far edge wins.
Parent Tip: Give each player their own straw, and wipe the table between rounds.
20. Pumpkin Rolling Contest
Best for: Ages 4 and up; 2 or more players
Line up at one end of the yard and roll mini pumpkins toward a finish line. First pumpkin across without cracking wins.
Parent Tip: Play this on grass rather than concrete to keep the pumpkins in one piece.
21. Outdoor Leaf Hunt
Best for: Ages 3 and up; any group size
Head outside and collect as many different leaves as you can find in 10 minutes. The most unique collection wins.
Parent Tip: Bring the leaves inside afterward for leaf rubbings or a gratitude garland from our Thanksgiving crafts list.
22. Thanksgiving Obstacle Course
Best for: Ages 3 and up; any group size
Set up a course with pillows to hop over, a blanket tunnel, a turkey toss and a pumpkin carry. Time each player and cheer them across the finish.
Parent Tip: Let the kids design the course themselves. They'll stay busy for ages just building it.
23. Cranberry Spoon Race
Best for: Ages 4 and up; 2 teams
Racers balance a fresh cranberry on a spoon and dash to the finish line and back. It's the Thanksgiving version of the classic egg-and-spoon race.
Parent Tip: Fresh cranberries bounce, so expect lots of laughs (and keep a bowl of extras nearby).
24. Football Toss Challenge
Best for: Ages 5 and up; 2 or more players
Hang a hula hoop from a tree or hold it up, and take turns throwing a football through it from farther and farther away.
Parent Tip: A soft foam football makes this safer for little hands and nearby windows.
25. Pass the Pie Plate Relay
Best for: Ages 5 and up; 2 teams
Racers balance a paper plate on their head and walk to the finish line and back. If it falls, freeze, put it back and keep going.
Parent Tip: Add a pinecone or a mini pumpkin on the plate for older kids who want a harder challenge.
26. Parade Balloon Keep-Up
Best for: Ages 2 and up; any group size
Blow up a few balloons and see how long the group can keep them in the air, just like giant parade balloons. If one touches the floor, start the count over.
Parent Tip: Pop leftover balloons and pick up the pieces afterward, since they're a choking hazard for babies and toddlers.
27. Paper Plate Pie Toss
Best for: Ages 4 and up; 2 or more players
Decorate paper plates like pies, then fling them like flying discs into a laundry basket. Each pie in the basket earns a point.
Parent Tip: Let kids decorate their "pies" before the game. It doubles as a craft.
Thanksgiving Table and Gratitude Games
These games keep the conversation going at the table and help kids put words to what they're thankful for. They're quiet enough for dinner and meaningful enough for the grown-ups, too.
28. Gratitude Jar Game
Best for: All ages; any group size
Everyone writes something they're thankful for on a slip of paper and drops it in a jar. During dinner, take turns reading them aloud and guessing who wrote each one.
Parent Tip: Pre-readers can draw a picture instead, and a grown-up can help label it.
29. Thankful Hot Potato
Best for: Ages 3 and up; any group size
Pass a small pumpkin around the table while music plays. When the music stops, the person holding the pumpkin shares something they're thankful for.
Parent Tip: Keep the music short so everyone gets several turns.
30. Gratitude Alphabet
Best for: Ages 5 and up; any group size
Go around the table naming something you're thankful for that starts with each letter of the alphabet, from apple pie to zoo trips.
Parent Tip: Let the group help when someone gets stuck on a tricky letter like Q or X.
31. Guess the Gratitude
Best for: Ages 6 and up; 4 or more players
Each person secretly writes down one thing they're grateful for. Read them aloud one at a time while everyone guesses who wrote it.
Parent Tip: Encourage specific answers, like "Grandma's pancakes," which make guessing more fun.
32. Thanksgiving Table Topics
Best for: Ages 5 and up; any group size
Write fun questions on cards, such as "What's your favorite family tradition?" or "If you were a pie, what flavor would you be?" Take turns drawing a card and answering.
Parent Tip: Mix silly and thoughtful questions so the conversation stays light.
33. Gratitude Story Chain
Best for: Ages 5 and up; any group size
One person starts a story with a single sentence about Thanksgiving, and each person adds one more sentence. The story always has to include something someone is thankful for.
Parent Tip: Write the story down as you go. It makes a sweet keepsake to read again next year.
34. Two Truths and a Turkey
Best for: Ages 7 and up; any group size
Each player shares two true facts about themselves and one made-up "turkey." Everyone else guesses which one is the turkey.
Parent Tip: This is a great icebreaker when cousins or new friends are joining the table.
35. Thanksgiving Would You Rather
Best for: Ages 5 and up; any group size
Ask silly questions like "Would you rather eat pie for every meal or never eat pie again?" Everyone answers and explains why.
Parent Tip: Let kids write their own questions ahead of time. Their ideas are usually the funniest.
36. Turkey Rhyme Time
Best for: Ages 4 and up; any group size
Pick a Thanksgiving word like "feast" or "pie" and go around the table naming rhyming words. If you can't think of one, you're out.
Parent Tip: Give little kids a one-letter hint to keep them in the game.
37. Thanksgiving Song Challenge
Best for: Ages 6 and up; teams
Teams rewrite a favorite song with Thanksgiving lyrics and perform it for the table. Everyone votes for the funniest version.
Parent Tip: Choose songs every generation knows, like "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star" or "Happy Birthday."
38. Turkey Gobble-Off
Best for: All ages; any group size
Everyone does their best turkey gobble, and the table votes for the most convincing (or most ridiculous) one.
Parent Tip: Give grandparents a turn. The kids will love hearing them gobble.
Brainy Thanksgiving Trivia, Word and Puzzle Games
Got kids who love a challenge? These thinking games are great for older kids, tweens and grown-ups, and many work as quiet activities after dinner.
39. Thanksgiving History Quiz
Best for: Ages 7 and up; teams
Ask questions about the 1621 harvest celebration, the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag people who shared that first feast. Split into teams for friendly competition.
Parent Tip: Look up the answers together afterward. It's a natural way to talk about the holiday's history.
40. Turkey Fun Facts Challenge
Best for: Ages 6 and up; any group size
Ask turkey trivia like "Can wild turkeys fly?" (yes, short distances) or "What's a baby turkey called?" (a poult). Award a feather for every right answer.
Parent Tip: Let kids research a few questions ahead of time and quiz the grown-ups.
41. Thanksgiving Word Search
Best for: Ages 6 and up; individual
Hand out word searches filled with words like cranberry, harvest, gravy and gratitude. The first to find every word wins.
Parent Tip: You'll find a printable word search in our free Thanksgiving printables.
42. Words From THANKSGIVING
Best for: Ages 7 and up; individual or teams
Set a timer and see who can make the most words using only the letters in THANKSGIVING. Longer words earn bonus points.
Parent Tip: Let younger kids play on a team with a grown-up, who can write while they spell.
43. Thanksgiving Charades
Best for: Ages 5 and up; teams
Act out Thanksgiving activities like carving the turkey, watching the parade or falling asleep on the couch. No talking allowed.
Parent Tip: Have a second set of picture cards ready for kids who can't read yet.
44. Thanksgiving Scattergories
Best for: Ages 8 and up; any group size
Pick a letter and fill in Thanksgiving categories, such as a food, a fall color and something you're thankful for. Unique answers score points.
Parent Tip: Use a one-minute sand timer to keep the pace quick and fun.
45. Guess How Many Candy Corns
Best for: All ages; any group size
Fill a clear jar with candy corn or cranberries and have everyone write down a guess. The closest guess takes home the jar.
Parent Tip: Count the candy before you fill the jar so you don't have to count it again at the table.
46. Thanksgiving Silly Stories
Best for: Ages 6 and up; any group size
Write a short Thanksgiving story with blanks for nouns, verbs and silly adjectives. Ask players for words without telling them the story, then read the hilarious results aloud.
Parent Tip: Kids who are learning parts of speech get sneaky grammar practice without even noticing.
47. Thanksgiving Board Game Remix
Best for: Ages 6 and up; 2–6 players
Give a family board game a holiday twist by renaming spaces or pieces with Thanksgiving foods and traditions.
Parent Tip: Let kids make the new labels with sticky notes so the original game stays intact.
48. Family Photographer Challenge
Best for: Ages 6 and up; any group size
Kids borrow a phone or camera and take a creative photo with every guest. Everyone votes on the best shot after dessert.
Parent Tip: Make a quick photo collage afterward and share it with the family group chat.
49. Cookie Decorating Contest
Best for: Ages 3 and up; any group size
Set out plain sugar cookies, frosting and sprinkles, and let everyone decorate a Thanksgiving-themed cookie. Award prizes for most creative, silliest and most delicious-looking.
Parent Tip: Put down parchment paper and use squeeze bottles for frosting to keep the cleanup quick.
50. Mini Pie Eating Contest
Best for: Ages 5 and up; any group size
Give each player a mini pie and see who can finish first with their hands behind their back.
Parent Tip: Use small, soft pies, and have a grown-up nearby. Remind kids to take small bites and slow down if needed.
Tips for Planning Thanksgiving Games With Kids
Mix calm and active games: Alternate a running game with a table game so kids don't get too wound up right before dinner.
Prep a game basket: Gather tape, paper, markers, bean bags, mini pumpkins and a timer the night before.
Use tiny prizes: Stickers, candy corn and "first slice of pie" coupons work just as well as store-bought prizes.
Include every age: Pair little kids with teens or grandparents so everyone can play together.
Want even more fun for the big day? Keep the giggles going with our Thanksgiving jokes for kids, or let the kids get creative with our Thanksgiving crafts.
Takeaway
Thanksgiving games turn the long wait for dinner into one of the best parts of the day. With 50 ideas, from bingo and turkey toss to gratitude games and backyard relays, you have something for toddlers, teens and grandparents alike.
Pick a few favorites, prep a simple game basket the night before, and let the kids help run the show. Happy Thanksgiving from all of us at FUN WITH KIDS IN LA®!
Frequently Asked Questions
What are fun Thanksgiving games for kids?
Kids love active, simple games like turkey hunt, pin the feather on the turkey, pumpkin bowling and the turkey waddle race. Thanksgiving bingo and memory match are great quieter options. Most need only paper, tape and a few things you already have at home.
What Thanksgiving games can the whole family play together?
Thankful hot potato, Thanksgiving charades, Pictionary, the gratitude alphabet and two truths and a turkey work for every age. Pair little kids with older teammates so toddlers, teens and grandparents can all join in at the same time.
What are good Thanksgiving games to play at the dinner table?
Try table topics cards, the gratitude jar game, Thanksgiving would you rather or turkey rhyme time. They keep conversation flowing, don't need any running around and help kids share what they're thankful for while everyone eats.
What are easy Thanksgiving games for toddlers?
Toddlers love feed the turkey, Gobble Freeze Dance, Thanksgiving I Spy with picture checklists and parade balloon keep-up. Keep games short, skip anything with small pieces they could swallow, and let them play next to an older sibling or grown-up.
When is Thanksgiving 2026?
Thanksgiving 2026 is Thursday, November 26, 2026. The holiday always falls on the fourth Thursday of November, and many Los Angeles schools give students the whole week or the Wednesday through Friday off.
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