Thanksgiving Party Ideas For Fun Activities And Games

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to gather with family and friends to enjoy some quality time together. It’s a good day to skip the screen time and enjoy some time bonding and making fun memories. You can enjoy old family traditions or make new ones with some games and crafts that the whole family can do together. Here are some fresh Thanksgiving party ideas, games, and activities to keep friends and family members entertained.

10 Fun Thanksgiving Games For Adults And Children

The star Thanksgiving tradition is, of course, gathering around the dinner table for a huge Thanksgiving meal feast. A great pre-feast exercise to play the gratitude game and go around the table sharing one thing you are feeling particularly thankful for. If you’re looking for some new traditions, try some of these fun Thanksgiving party activities to make your Thanksgiving day complete. This quality time with friends and family is the perfect way to kick off the holiday season. I hope you enjoy these fun thanksgiving ideas for family gatherings. Thanksgiving games for large groups can be a lot of fun and help everyone feel included.

Family Tree

Craft your own family trees by drawing trees and using various fall colors of ink to add fingerprint leaves. Alternatively, you can print out some family tree templates. Make enough trees for everyone attending the festivities then have a contest to see who can complete their family tree first. Not only is this a fun game, it’s a great lesson in family history.

Old Fashion Sack Race

This game never goes out of style. With a few burlap sacks, you can have races indoors or outside with individuals or teams. There are plenty of options to keep it fun and everyone will work up an appetite for the Thanksgiving feast.

Turkey Leg Wrap Game

Here is one of my favorite thanksgiving team activities. Using brown burlap and paper chef hats, divide into teams of two and give each team one minute to wrap a team member with burlap and top with a hat to resemble a turkey leg. The fastest team wins. Then switch up the teams and play again. It is silly and simple but it will make you all laugh!

Turkey Art

Let everyone trace their hand on a piece of paper to resemble a turkey then color and decorate that turkey. In addition to crayons, markers, and paints, you can also offer other decorations like feathers, glitter, pom poms, colorful construction paper, candy corn and tissue paper. You can put everyone’s artwork on display and have a contest to choose the best turkey art. It is a great way to see how creative everyone can be. This fun activity will also provide plenty of Thanksgiving decorations to add to the festivity.

Thanksgiving Charades

Make your own charades cards with a Thanksgiving theme. Some options might include “carving the turkey,” “setting the table,” or “baking pies.” Then divide into teams and see who can act out their cards the best.

Scavenger Hunt

Looking for Thanksgiving games for large groups? This works perfectly. Make a list of Thanksgiving themed items for everyone to collect for the hunt. They’ll have to take photos of the people, places, or items they find that are on the list. The person or team to complete the hunt the fastest wins a prize.

Yam Race

If you love a friendly competition, you’ll love this idea for party activities on Thanksgiving Day. Who can roll their sweet potato to the finish line first? This is harder than it sounds. Yams are funny shapes and picking the prefect one may help you win or cause you to loose. It is a fun game of strategy and enthusiasm! A perfect game to keep both the kids and grown ups busy for a while!

Pin the Feather on the Turkey

Here is another fun family Thanksgiving game. Similar to the old party favorite of Pin the Tail on the Donkey except with a twist. You can make a turkey and a bunch of turkey feathers out of construction paper and let everyone have a turn at trying to pin the turkey.

Turkey Bowling

Use some brown plastic drinking cups turned upside down to make bowling pins. Add some googley eyes and construction paper beak and feathers. Then see how many turkeys you can knock down by bowling a mini pumpkin down the lane.

Fun Board Game

After Thanksgiving, we used to like to play a good game of Balderdash. It is a great large party game because you can play in groups. It also works well for kids and adults because they groups can be mixed to make them even skill. This game encourages team work within the groups and it is surprisingly funny as you learn people’s styles and hear some really silly answers! But any family favorite classic game will do. We also love Wits and Wagers as another large party game for all ages.

Thanksgiving Trivia

• Materials: Trivia questions related to Thanksgiving.
• How to Play: Divide into teams and ask trivia questions. The team with the most correct answers wins.

Turkey Waddle Race

• Materials: Balloons.
• How to Play: Place a balloon between the legs and race to the finish line without dropping or popping the balloon.

Benefits of Group Thanksgiving Activities

Group Thanksgiving activities can bring immense value by fostering togetherness, gratitude, and shared joy. Here are some key benefits:

1. Strengthening Relationships

• Quality Time: Participating in activities like cooking, crafting, or volunteering helps people bond and spend meaningful time together.
• Shared Memories: Activities like board games or gratitude circles create lasting memories and strengthen emotional connections.

2. Promoting Gratitude

• Reflection: Group activities, such as a gratitude jar or a “what we’re thankful for” discussion, help participants focus on positive aspects of life.
• Perspective: Sharing individual expressions of gratitude can foster empathy and understanding within the group.

3. Teaching Collaboration

• Team Effort: Working together on projects, like decorating or meal preparation, enhances communication and teamwork.
• Shared Goals: Achieving something as a group, like hosting a successful meal, gives a sense of accomplishment.

4. Enhancing Mental Well-being

• Sense of Belonging: Group activities combat loneliness and provide a sense of inclusion.
• Fun and Relaxation: Activities like playing games or watching a holiday movie together reduce stress and promote joy.

5. Encouraging Tradition

• Cultural Connection: Participating in traditional Thanksgiving activities, like baking family recipes, keeps cultural heritage alive.
• Creating New Traditions: Families and friends can innovate with unique activities, building traditions for future generations.

Thanksgiving Holiday Party Ideas Conclusion

The Thanksgiving feast itself will take up most of the day. However it is good to have a few fun ideas up your sleeve in addition to the Thanksgiving dinner itself. Pick a couple different Thanksgiving Party Activities to keep your friends and entire family entertained all afternoon! These games can be easily adapted for different group sizes and ages, ensuring everyone has a good time.

While I didn’t include these two ideas in my fun thanksgiving party games list above, they are still part of our annual fun Thanksgiving activities- setting the Thanksgiving table and putting up the Christmas tree. These are always activities steeped in tradition and meaning and it is fun to get everyone together and recall special memories around the serving ware and the ornaments.

Share your favorite fun Thanksgiving game ideas here or on social media @familyfocusblog. I wish you all very happy Thanksgiving celebrations!

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