Thanksgiving Games for the Whole Family: A Game for Every Part of the Day

The parade’s on. The bird’s in the oven. And somebody’s already asking, “So… what do we DO until dinner?”

Here’s your answer: the best Thanksgiving games for the whole family are the ones that fit the moment. Big, silly games while the appetizers are out. The Gratitude Bowl at the table. And easy, sit-down games once everyone’s stuffed.

Pick one for each part of the day and you’re DONE. No three-hour prep. No crying into the gravy boat.

This year, Thanksgiving is at my house. My niece just moved closer, so she’s coming with her little girl, who’s 2. That means my game plan has to work for a toddler AND Grandma. Challenge accepted.

When Should You Play Each Thanksgiving Game?

Here’s my rule: big energy BEFORE the meal, laid-back AFTER.

Put out snacks or appetizers and run the active games while everyone’s buzzing. After dinner, people are stuffed. Nobody wants to chase a turkey with three helpings of stuffing in them. So save the easy, couch-friendly games for later.

Here’s the whole lineup at a glance.

If you’re on your phone, put your finger on the table below and swipe to see all of it.

🦃 Game	⏰ Best time	👪 Ages	🧰 Prep
Thanksgiving Parade Bingo	Parade morning or after dinner	All ages	Print the cards
Thanksgiving Minute to Win It	Before dinner	All ages	Household stuff
Nerf Turkey Target Practice	Before dinner	Ages 3 to adult	Cups, paper turkeys, foam blasters
Chase the Turkey	Before dinner	All ages	A T-shirt, tape, paper turkeys
Thanksgiving Charades	Before dinner	All ages	Print the clues
The Gratitude Bowl	At the table	Kids 5+ to adults	Paper, pens, a bowl
M&M Gratitude Game	At the table	All ages	M&Ms, cups, a printable card
Gratitude Tic Tac Toe	At the table	Kids	Print the board
Thanksgiving Would You Rather	After dinner	All ages	Print or make up questions

What Games Can You Play Before Thanksgiving Dinner?

Before dinner is the time for the loud, moving, belly-laugh games. Everyone’s got energy, the appetizers are out and nobody’s in a food coma yet.

1. Thanksgiving Parade Bingo

Start the day with the parade. Each player gets a bingo card full of parade predictions, and you mark off each one as you spot it on TV.

First to finish a line (or the whole card) wins. My printable set has 15 different bingo cards, so even a big crowd gets their own.

It’s perfect for the couch crew. Grab the cards and the rules in Thanksgiving Parade Bingo: An Easy, Low Prep Family Game.

2. Thanksgiving Minute to Win It

Fifteen quick challenges, 60 seconds each.

Shoot the Turkey. Cranberry Bounce. Turkey Bowling. Candy Corn Chopsticks. A Turkey Baster Race.

Play solo against the clock, go head to head, split into teams or set up stations people wander through between snacks. Get all 15 in 15 Hilarious Thanksgiving Minute to Win It Games for Families.

3. Nerf Turkey Target Practice

Tape goofy paper turkeys onto plastic cups, line them up and let everyone take aim with foam dart blasters.

There are versions for tiny tots, teens and grown-ups, plus trick shots for the show-offs. Set it all up with Nerf Turkey Target Practice: A Fun Family Thanksgiving Game.

4. Chase the Turkey

One brave volunteer wears a T-shirt covered in taped-on paper turkeys. Everybody else chases them to snag a turkey.

It burns off the pre-dinner wiggles AND saves you from Grandma’s relationship questions. There’s even an indoor version for rainy Thanksgivings. Get the rules in Chase the Turkey: A Hilarious Family Game for Thanksgiving.

5. Thanksgiving Charades

Split into teams. One brave soul draws a Thanksgiving clue from a bowl and acts it out without saying a single word. Their team guesses before time runs out. Miss it? The other team gets a shot at stealing the point.

It’s loud. It’s silly. And it’s a great way to get everyone off their phones. You’ll find the free clue cards in Free Printable Alert: Thanksgiving Charades for All Ages.

What’s a Good Game to Play at the Thanksgiving Table?

At the table, you want games that keep everyone in their seats and the conversation flowing. These three put gratitude in the spotlight, with way more laughs than a “go around and say what you’re thankful for” moment.

6. The Gratitude Bowl

Everybody writes three things they’re thankful for on separate slips of paper. All the slips go in one bowl.

Then you take turns drawing a slip, reading it out loud and guessing who wrote it. (The reader can’t guess. Seeing the handwriting is cheating.)

It’s part guessing game, part group hug. It even has versions for little kids, teens and adults. Play it with The Thanksgiving Gratitude Bowl Game.

My favorite gratitude game moment ever? College. We were going around saying what we were grateful for, and I said, totally straight-faced, that I was grateful for my fiancé. Every head in the room swiveled toward me. Nobody even knew I was dating.

Spoiler alert: I was not dating. I was completely joking. But the looks on their faces? Priceless.

Thanksgiving games don’t need to be fancy. They need to get Grandma laughing and the kids off their phones for ten whole minutes.

7. The M&M Gratitude Game

Candy plus gratitude? Yes, please. Everyone gets their own little cup of M&Ms (no shared bowl, no questionable hand-washing) and a printable game card that tells you what to share.

It’s sweet, simple and works for every age at the table. Snag the free card in Play the Thanksgiving Gratitude Game with M&Ms.

8. Gratitude Tic Tac Toe

Classic tic tac toe, with gratitude prompts mixed in. It’s a quick win for the kids’ end of the table, and it sneaks in a little thankfulness while they play.

Find the board and the prompts in Thanksgiving Tic Tac Toe Gratitude Game for Kids.

What Games Can You Play After Thanksgiving Dinner?

The food coma is REAL. After the pie, everyone’s stuffed and nobody wants to do much of anything. So don’t fight it. Pick games people can play from the couch.

9. Thanksgiving Would You Rather

“Eat nothing but stuffing for a year, or never have pumpkin pie again?” One question, and the whole room picks a side. Nobody even has to get up.

Mix the question types to fit your crowd: food fights for everyone, silly ones for the little turkeys and tradition twisters for the grown-ups. Get the free printable in Free, Fun Thanksgiving Would You Rather Game.

What Are Easy Thanksgiving Games for the Kids’ Table?

Kids get bored FAST on Thanksgiving. While the grown-ups talk, keep a few easy games ready to go:

1. Thanksgiving Bingo: regular bingo with a turkey twist
2. Turkey Tag: tag, but with more gobbling (before dinner, please)
3. Thanksgiving Mad Libs: silly stories they fill in themselves
4. Pin the Feather on the Turkey: a holiday spin on the party classic
5. Thanksgiving I Spy: zero prep, works anywhere

That’s just the start. Get all of them in 17 Fun Thanksgiving Games to Keep Kids Happy All Day Long.

What Thanksgiving Games Work for a Big Crowd?

Hosting a crowd? Lean on games that scale up without extra work:

• Parade Bingo: 15 different cards, so up to 15 players each get their own
• Charades: just make the teams bigger
• Minute to Win It: play in teams or set up stations

Bigger crowd, same easy setup.

Thanksgiving Games FAQ

What are good Thanksgiving games for adults and kids to play together? The Gratitude Bowl, Thanksgiving Charades, Would You Rather and Parade Bingo all work for every age at once. Little kids can team up with a grown-up.

What Thanksgiving games need the least prep? Would You Rather (you can make up the questions on the spot), the Gratitude Bowl (paper, pens and a bowl) and Thanksgiving I Spy (nothing at all).

Are there free printable Thanksgiving games? Yes! Parade Bingo, Charades, Would You Rather and the M&M Gratitude Game each come with a free printable, and so does Thanksgiving Scattergories.

Should you play games before or after Thanksgiving dinner? Both, just different kinds. Play the active games (Minute to Win It, Nerf Turkey Target Practice, Chase the Turkey) before dinner while the appetizers are out. After dinner, everyone’s full, so switch to laid-back games like Would You Rather or Parade Bingo with the parade replay.

The Bottom Line

You don’t need a dozen games. You need one for each part of the day.

Something loud before dinner. The Gratitude Bowl at the table. Something lazy after the pie. Pick your three, print what you need and let the fun do the rest.

Easy peasy. Lemon squeezy! 🍋