Thanksgiving puts three generations at one table for hours. A game gives everyone something to do between the meal and the pie, and gets people who see each other once a year talking. Here are games to play from one phone and games that need only paper and pens.
They suit a full house with mixed ages, and most can be played at the table.
1. The wishbone pull
Players: 2Ages: 4 and upYou need: the wishbone from the turkey, dried
- Save the wishbone when the turkey is carved and let it dry, overnight if you can.
- Two people each hook a pinky around one end and make a silent wish.
- Both pull until the bone snaps.
- Whoever holds the longer piece gets their wish.
If more than two people want a turn, draw names from a bowl so nobody argues over who pulls.
2. Thankful alphabet
Players: 3 or moreAges: 5 and upYou need: nothing
- Sit in a circle. The first player names something they are thankful for that starts with A.
- The next player takes B, and so on through the alphabet.
- A player who is stuck for more than ten seconds can ask the table for help once.
- Try to reach Z before dessert is served.
Agree before you start that X can be any word with an X in it. Most tables need that rule.
3. I'm going to Thanksgiving dinner
Players: 3 or moreAges: 6 and upYou need: nothing
- The first player says "I'm going to Thanksgiving dinner and I'm bringing" and names one thing.
- The next player repeats the line and the first item, then adds one of their own.
- Keep going around the circle. The list grows by one item each turn.
- Anyone who forgets an item or gets the order wrong is out. The last player left wins.
Silly items are easier to remember than real ones. A live turkey in a hat sticks better than green beans.
4. Pin the feather on the turkey
Players: 3 or moreAges: 3 and upYou need: a turkey drawn on poster paper, paper feathers, tape and a blindfold
- Tape the turkey drawing to a wall at kid height and write each player's name on a paper feather.
- Blindfold the first player, turn them around three times and point them at the wall.
- They stick their feather where they think the tail is.
- After everyone has had a turn, the feather closest to the tail wins.
Skip the spinning for children under five and let them peek a little.
5. Pass the pumpkin
Players: 5 or moreAges: 4 and upYou need: a mini pumpkin and music
- Sit in a circle and start the music.
- Pass the pumpkin around the circle as fast as you can.
- When the music stops, whoever is holding the pumpkin is out.
- Play until one player is left.
With very young kids, nobody goes out. The player holding the pumpkin names one thing they are thankful for and the music starts again.
6. Turkey waddle relay
Players: 6 or more, in two teamsAges: 5 and upYou need: two balloons and room to run
- Split into two teams and line up behind a start line. Mark a turning point about 15 feet away.
- The first player on each team holds a balloon between their knees and waddles to the turning point and back.
- They hand the balloon to the next player, who does the same. A dropped balloon goes back between the knees where it fell.
- The first team to get every player back wins.
Play on grass or carpet, and keep a spare balloon for each team in case one pops.
7. Roll a turkey
Players: 2 or moreAges: 5 and upYou need: one die, plus paper and a pencil for each player
- Give each turkey part a number: 1 for the body, 2 for the head, 3 for the legs, 4 for the tail feathers, 5 for the beak and eyes, 6 for the wattle.
- Take turns rolling the die and drawing the part you rolled.
- You need the body before you can add anything else, and the head before the beak, eyes or wattle.
- The first player with a finished turkey wins.
Write the number key on a card in the middle of the table so nobody has to ask.
8. Pumpkin bowling
Players: 2 or moreAges: 4 and upYou need: a small round pumpkin and six to ten empty plastic bottles
- Stand the bottles in a triangle at the end of a hallway or on a flat patch of lawn.
- Mark a line about ten feet back.
- Each player gets two rolls per turn and scores one point for each bottle knocked down.
- Reset the bottles after each turn. The highest score after five turns wins.
Break the stem off first so the pumpkin rolls straight. If the bottles fall over too easily, put an inch of water in each.
9. Guess who's thankful
Players: 5 or moreAges: 7 and upYou need: slips of paper, pens and a bowl
- Everyone writes one thing they are thankful for on a slip, leaves their name off and drops it in the bowl.
- One person draws a slip and reads it aloud.
- The table guesses who wrote it. The writer stays quiet until the guessing ends.
- Score a point for each correct guess, or skip the scoring and read them all.
Ask for specific answers. "My family" could be anyone at the table, and "the neighbor who jump-started my car" could only be one person.
10. Thanksgiving charades
Players: 4 or moreAges: 6 and upYou need: slips of paper, a bowl and a timer
- Write Thanksgiving words and scenes on slips, such as carving the turkey or falling asleep on the couch, and fold them into the bowl.
- Split into two teams.
- One player draws a slip and acts it out without talking while their own team guesses.
- A correct guess inside one minute scores a point. Teams take turns, and the higher score after everyone has acted wins.
Let young kids act in pairs with an adult who can read the slip to them.
11. Backyard touch football
Players: 6 or moreAges: 8 and upYou need: a football and an open yard or park
- Mark two end zones with jackets or cones and split into even teams.
- The team with the ball gets four plays to score. A play ends when a defender touches the ball carrier with two hands.
- Defenders count to five out loud before they can rush the quarterback.
- Each touchdown is one point. Play to five, or until dinner is called.
Mix ages on both teams, and give the youngest player the ball on the first play of every drive.
12. Spoons
Players: 3 to 8Ages: 7 and upYou need: a deck of cards and one spoon fewer than the number of players
- Put the spoons in the middle of the table and deal four cards to each player.
- The dealer draws a card from the deck and passes one card face down to the left. Each player picks up the passed card and passes one on, always keeping four in hand.
- The first player to hold four of a kind grabs a spoon. Everyone else grabs one as soon as they notice.
- The player left without a spoon is out. Take away one spoon and deal again until one player is left.
Clear the glasses and the gravy off the table first. The grab gets rough.
13. Hide the turkey
Players: 3 or moreAges: 3 and upYou need: a small toy or paper turkey
- One player leaves the room while the others hide the turkey somewhere within easy reach.
- The seeker comes back and starts looking.
- The others call "warmer" when the seeker gets closer and "colder" when they move away.
- Once the turkey is found, the seeker picks who goes next.
With small kids, have the group gobble louder as the seeker gets close and quieter as they move away.
14. Who am I?
Players: 4 or moreAges: 7 and upYou need: sticky notes and a pen
- Each player writes a Thanksgiving food, character or object on a sticky note and sticks it on the forehead of the player to their left without showing them.
- Take turns asking the group one yes-or-no question about your own note, such as "Am I a dessert?"
- A yes earns another question. A no passes the turn.
- The first player to guess their own note wins, and the rest keep playing until everyone has theirs.
Stick to things everyone at the table knows: turkey, the wishbone, a parade balloon, the uncle asleep on the couch.
Open one, pick who's playing, and pass the phone around. Each has its own Thanksgiving list.
Updated November 2026.