Printable Thanksgiving Charades Game | 24 Ideas for Everyone

I used to scribble charades words on torn-up napkins every Thanksgiving. Half of them were unreadable by the third round, and one ended up in the gravy.

Now I print a real deck. Printable Thanksgiving charades cards take about 20 minutes to make, look great on the table, and last for years if you laminate them.

This list is for hosts, teachers, and parents who want a ready-to-print game for the kids’ table, the classroom, or the after-dinner crowd. You’ll get 24 card deck ideas with word lists, from picture cards for toddlers to hard decks for adult teams, plus tips for printing, cutting, scoring, and storing them.

1. Printable Thanksgiving Charades Word Cards Set

Every game night needs a starter deck. This one mixes easy and medium words, so it works for almost any crowd.

Make your cards the size of a playing card (2.5 by 3.5 inches). That fits 9 cards on one sheet of letter-size paper. Use a big, bold font and a simple fall border in Canva, so players can read the word in a split second.

Starter deck words:

• Turkey baster
• Gravy ladle
• Cornucopia
• Rolling pin
• Ringing a dinner bell
• A cranberry bog
• A hay bale
• Tracing a hand turkey
• Oven mitts
• The table centerpiece

Print two sheets, and you’ve got 18 cards, enough for a full round with two teams. The turkey baster gets the biggest laugh, since everyone ends up squeezing an invisible bulb.

2. Blank Cards to Add Your Own Words

The best charades cards are the ones only your family understands. Blank cards let everyone add their own inside jokes.

Leave 6 to 9 blank cards on every sheet you print. Set them out with a few Sharpies as guests arrive, and let everyone write a word or two. Fold them up and drop them in the bowl with the rest of the deck.

Custom card ideas to get people started:

• Grandpa’s famous toast
• Mom’s lost car keys
• The year the turkey caught fire
• Aunt Rose’s Jell-O mold
• The family dog’s worst habit
• Dad’s “secret” chili recipe

Save the best ones in a separate envelope after the game. Every year, the stack gets a little funnier. Our “Uncle Mike’s fishing trip” card has been acted out four years in a row, and it still gets a laugh.

3. Thanksgiving Charades for Kids Picture Cards

Young kids who are still learning to read need a picture on every card. A picture plus one big word works for ages 4 to 8.

Find free clip art in Canva and put one big picture in the middle of each card, with the word underneath. Kids look at the picture, and they know what to act out right away.

Picture card words:

• An owl
• A squirrel
• A sunflower
• Mittens
• A mug of hot cocoa
• A wagon
• A cupcake
• A bowl of soup
• A bird at a feeder
• A bus

Kids love the owl card, mostly because they get to hoot. Print these in color if you can, since bright pictures are easier to spot. My 5-year-old kept the squirrel card in her pocket for a week after Thanksgiving.

4. Toddler Action Cards With Simple Cues

Toddlers can’t act out words yet, but they love copying actions. These cards show one simple action, and a grown-up acts it out with them.

Put a picture on each card, plus a one-word cue in big letters, like HOP or CLAP. The grown-up shows the card, does the action, and the toddler copies it.

Action cards for ages 2 to 4:

• Hop like a bunny
• Hoot like an owl
• Blow on hot soup
• Clap for the parade
• March like a band
• Sniff the pie
• Pat your full belly
• Wiggle like a worm
• Tiptoe very quietly
• Spin like a falling leaf

Everyone in the room can join in, which toddlers think is the best thing ever. Keep it to about 5 minutes. My nephew’s favorite was “sniff the pie,” and he sniffed every pie on the dessert table.

5. Turkey Day Food Words Card Deck

This deck sticks to food, but it skips the obvious ones. Players have to get creative to act out these dishes.

Food cards for the deck:

• Cornbread
• Pumpkin soup
• Honey-glazed carrots
• Roasted chestnuts
• A relish tray
• Creamed corn
• Scalloped potatoes
• A bread basket
• Leftover turkey soup
• Pigs in a blanket

Pigs in a blanket is a crowd favorite. Players pretend to roll a tiny hot dog into dough, then oink. Roasted chestnuts is a fun one too, since you have to pretend to hold them over a fire. Print this deck on orange cardstock, so it’s easy to pull out during the food round.

6. Pie and Dessert Table Card Deck

Save this deck for when dessert comes out. These cards stick to the treats people don’t always think of.

Dessert cards for the deck:

• Pumpkin roll
• Apple crisp
• Chocolate cream pie
• Lemon meringue (fluffy peaks)
• A cookie platter
• Pie crust leaves on top
• A hot fudge sundae
• A brownie
• A dessert buffet
• Crimping a pie crust

Lemon meringue is my favorite to watch. People pull their fingers up into stiff little peaks, and everyone laughs. A pumpkin roll is great too, since you have to act out rolling up a cake. Print this deck on brown cardstock to look like pie crust.

7. Kitchen Helper Action Card Deck

Kids love helping in the kitchen on Thanksgiving. This deck turns those little jobs into charades.

Kitchen helper cards:

• Peeling potatoes
• Cracking eggs
• Setting the table
• Folding napkins
• Measuring flour
• Washing veggies
• Tasting the gravy
• Kneading dough
• Whisking
• Carrying a heavy platter
• Loading the dishwasher
• Wiping the table

These are perfect for kids ages 6 and up, since they’ve seen most of these jobs. Tasting the gravy is always a funny one. Kids make huge “yum” faces, then pretend it’s too hot. Bonus: after the game, kids are suddenly excited to help with the real dishes. (Okay, that only works once.)

8. Football and Parade Day Card Deck

Football fans and parade fans both get their turn with this deck. Pull it out during halftime.

Football and parade cards:

• A quarterback throwing a spiral
• Punting the ball
• An interception
• A cheerleader pyramid
• A team mascot dancing
• A trombone player
• A parade horse
• A float with dancers
• Rain ponchos at the parade
• Dumping a cooler on the coach

The cooler dump is a great one, since most sports fans have seen it on TV. The trombone player is funny too. People slide their arm back and forth like they’re blowing a big horn. Print this deck on green cardstock, like a football field.

9. Pilgrim Voyage and Harvest Card Deck

This deck is great for school-age kids. It covers life on the ship and on the first farms.

Voyage and harvest cards:

• Raising the sails
• Swabbing the deck
• Climbing the mast
• Dropping the anchor
• Ringing a ship’s bell
• Sleeping in a hammock
• Milking a cow
• Churning butter
• Grinding corn
• Hauling water from a well
• Picking berries
• Carrying firewood

Churning butter is the one kids love most. They pump an invisible stick up and down until their arms get tired. Milking a cow is funny too. Add a fun fact after each guess, since kids love to share what they learned in class.

10. Gratitude and Thankful Things Card Deck

This deck adds a little heart to game night. After someone guesses the word, they share what they’re thankful for.

Thankful things cards:

• A long nap
• A good book
• A warm coat
• Clean water
• A friend who makes you laugh
• A home-cooked meal
• A teacher who helped you
• A road trip
• The first snow
• Your favorite song

Here’s the twist. The person who guesses the word shares one thing they’re thankful for that fits the card. “A teacher who helped you” always brings out sweet stories. My son named his second-grade teacher, and she happened to be my cousin, sitting right there at the table.

11. Fall Season Activities Card Deck

This deck covers all the fun things people do in the fall. It’s great for mixed ages.

Fall activity cards:

• Stacking firewood
• A cozy movie night
• Jumping in puddles
• Kicking through leaves
• A scarecrow contest
• Planting tulip bulbs
• A pie baking contest
• Leaf rubbing art
• Flying a kite on a windy day
• A fall family photoshoot
• Shopping at a farmers market

The fall photoshoot is a funny one. Players pose and smile while someone pretends to take pictures. Flying a kite is great for kids, since they can run around. Print this deck on red cardstock, like fall leaves.

12. Funny Thanksgiving Moments Card Deck

Every family has funny Thanksgiving moments. This deck is all about the stuff that makes everyone laugh.

Funny moment cards:

• Grandpa snoring at the table
• The baby throwing peas
• Someone sitting on the pie
• The dog in a turkey costume
• The cat jumping on the table
• Spilling cranberry sauce on a white shirt
• A kids’ table food fight
• A phone ringing during grace
• A chair breaking
• An aunt hiding leftovers in her purse

The aunt hiding leftovers is my favorite. Every family has one, and everyone knows who it is. Someone sitting on the pie is always a hit too. Players sit down, freeze, and make a horrified face. Play this deck when everyone’s full and ready to laugh.

13. Thanksgiving Themed Charades Phrase Cards

Phrases are harder than single words, but they’re so much fun. Teams have to piece them together.

Phrase cards:

• “Easy as pie”
• “Gobble till you wobble”
• “Harvest moon”
• “The cherry on top”
• “Cool as a cucumber”
• “The proof is in the pudding”
• “Spill the beans”
• “The apple of my eye”
• “Turkey in the straw”
• “Give thanks”

Players hold up fingers to show how many words are in the phrase. Then they act out each word one at a time. “Gobble till you wobble” gets everyone laughing, since it’s half gobbling and half wobbling. Give teams 90 seconds for phrases instead of 60. Print this deck on yellow cardstock.

14. Hard Word Cards for Adult Teams

Grown-ups need a challenge. These cards are tricky, and they’ll stump even the best actors.

Hard cards for adults:

• Basting
• Deglazing a pan
• A seating chart
• A cooking show judge
• A food allergy menu
• A holiday budget
• The last-minute grocery run
• A 5 a.m. alarm to start the turkey
• A wine pairing
• Weaving a lattice pie crust

“Deglazing a pan” stumps almost everyone, since half the room doesn’t know what it means. The last-minute grocery run is a funny one, since every host has done it. The 5 a.m. alarm gets the most knowing groans. Print this deck on purple cardstock, so the kids don’t grab it by mistake.

15. Teen Challenge Card Deck

Teens want prompts about their own lives. This deck adds a fun challenge rule to make it harder.

Teen cards:

• A phone dying mid-call
• A group FaceTime
• Getting carsick on the drive
• Pretending to like a casserole
• Taking a photo of your plate
• Wearing earbuds at dinner
• Begging for the car keys
• A dance trend in the kitchen
• Sleeping through the parade
• Beating Grandpa at cards
• Hiding from the family photo

Challenge rule: teens have to act with a straight face. No smiling, no laughing, no facial expressions. That makes it way harder, and it gets funny fast. “Pretending to like a casserole” with a straight face is basically impossible. My nephew lasted 3 seconds.

16. Classroom Party Charades Card Set

Teachers, this one’s for you. These cards are school-safe and easy for kids to act out.

Classroom cards:

• A school bus
• A lunch tray
• Raising your hand
• Making a turkey hand print
• A field trip
• The class pet
• Recess
• Reading a book
• A spelling test
• A classroom parade

Split the class into teams by table. The teacher draws a card and whispers it to one student, who acts it out for their team. Plan for about 20 minutes. Print on bright colored paper, and laminate the cards so you can use them every year. “A spelling test” is always a hit. Kids pretend to write, scratch their heads, and look stressed.

17. Friendsgiving Table Card Deck

Friendsgiving has its own vibe. This deck is made for friends in their 20s and 30s.

Friendsgiving cards:

• A group text planning the menu
• A tofu turkey
• Someone bringing only chips
• A ride-share home
• A playlist DJ
• A pet costume contest
• A candlelit table
• Doing dishes in teams
• A homemade pie that flopped
• A photo wall
• A tiny turkey for two

Someone bringing only chips is always the funniest. Every friend group has that one person. The pie that flopped is a hit too. Players pretend to proudly carry out a pie, then look down in horror. Play this deck after dinner, when everyone’s relaxed.

18. Thanksgiving Day Charades at the Dinner Table

Nobody wants to get up after a big meal. This version lets everyone play from their seats.

Players act out each card from their chair, using only their upper body. Prop a few cards in a little stand in the middle of the table.

Seated cards:

• Passing the potatoes
• Pouring gravy
• Saying grace
• Giving a toast
• Cutting your meat
• A full belly
• Reaching for the last roll
• Stealing a bite off someone’s plate
• Putting a napkin on your lap
• Elbows on the table

It’s perfect between courses, while you wait for dessert. Kids at the table love it too, since they can play without leaving their seats. Reaching for the last roll gets a laugh every time, especially when two people reach at once.

19. One Word Per Minute Team Round

This round slows things down. Each team gets exactly one card per minute, so nobody feels rushed.

How it works:

• Teams take turns
• The actor draws one card
• They have 60 seconds to act it out
• Guess it in under 30 seconds for 2 points
• Guess it in under 60 seconds for 1 point
• Each team can pass once per game

It’s great for younger kids and older grandparents, since there’s no pressure to rush. Use medium cards from any deck. It also gives everyone a chance to enjoy the acting, instead of racing through the deck. Grandma loves this round. She takes her time and really gets into each card.

20. Most Words in One Minute Round

This is the opposite of the last round. Actors go through as many cards as they can in 60 seconds.

How it works:

• Stack 20 easy cards face down
• The actor flips the first card and acts it out
• When the team guesses, the actor flips the next card
• Stuck? Put the card in a pass pile
• Count up the guessed cards when time’s up

Quick words for the speed deck:

• Bell
• Hat
• Owl
• Nap
• Hug
• Bus
• Sun
• Mug
• Sock
• Bike
• Cake
• Soup

Keep the speed deck easy, so the round moves fast. It gets loud, and that’s half the fun. My sister’s record is 15 cards in one minute.

21. Whole-Team Reverse Charades Card Round

The whole team acts, and one person guesses. It’s chaos, and everyone loves it.

How it works:

• One player sits facing away
• The rest of the team sees the card
• Everyone acts it out together
• The guesser turns around and tries to guess
• Each right guess is 1 point

Reverse charades cards:

• A turkey farm
• A crowded airport
• A flock of geese flying south
• A parade float
• A bus full of travelers
• A turkey running from the farmer
• A cornfield in the wind
• A touchdown celebration
• A choir singing
• A dog park

The turkey running from the farmer is pure chaos. Half the team gobbles and runs, while the other half chases. It’s perfect for shy players, since nobody acts alone.

22. Color-Coded Easy, Medium, and Hard Decks

Color-coding makes it easy to match the cards to the player. Kids grab one color, and adults grab another.

Print each level on a different color of cardstock.

How to color-code:

• Green (easy, 1 point): owl, hat, mittens, pie
• Yellow (medium, 2 points): churning butter, a parade horse, a pumpkin roll
• Red (hard, 3 points): deglazing a pan, a seating chart, a wine pairing

Little kids pull from the green deck, teens take yellow, and adults go for red. It keeps everyone playing at their own level, and the point values keep it fair. A pack of colored cardstock costs about $10 at Walmart or Michaels.

23. Laminated Reusable Cardstock Card Set

Make your cards once, laminate them, and use them for years. It’s worth the extra 20 minutes.

What you need:

• 110 lb cardstock for thick, sturdy cards
• A laminator (about $25) or self-laminating pouches
• A corner rounder punch (about $8)

The corner punch makes the cards feel like real playing cards, and it keeps the corners from peeling. Store each deck with a rubber band in a 4×6 photo storage box. You can find one at Michaels for a few dollars. Add new cards every year, and before you know it, you’ll have a family tradition. Our box has 6 decks now.

24. Free Printable Thanksgiving Games Bundle Pairing

Pair your charades cards with other printable games, and you’ve got a full game night kit.

What to put in the bundle:

• Your charades card decks
• Our Thanksgiving Pictionary prompts for drawing rounds
• Our Thanksgiving emoji Pictionary puzzles for quiet time at the table
• A scorecard
• Pencils and markers

Put everything in a folder or a big envelope. Here’s how I plan the day: emoji puzzles at the table before dinner, Pictionary during the football game, and charades after pie. It keeps everyone busy all day, and nobody gets bored. The whole bundle fits in one folder, so it’s easy to store until next year.

How to Print, Cut, and Set Up Your Cards

Printing tips:

• Use “actual size” in your printer settings, so the cards don’t shrink
• Print on cardstock (65 lb to 110 lb works best)
• Fit 9 cards on each page

Cutting tips:

• A paper cutter is faster and neater than scissors
• Round the corners with a corner punch

Setting up:

1. Sort the cards by deck.
2. Wrap each deck with a rubber band.
3. Put the deck you’re playing in a bowl or basket.
4. Split into 2 teams.
5. Pick a timer.

Thanksgiving 2026 falls on Thursday, November 26. Print and cut your cards the weekend before, so you’re not scrambling.

My tip: Print one extra set and keep it in your car. You never know when a relative’s house will need a game.

Scoring, Timers, and Supplies for Game Night

Scoring:

• 1 point for each card guessed
• 2 points for phrase cards
• Bonus point for guessing in under 15 seconds

Timers:

• A 1-minute sand timer
• A phone timer
• A kitchen timer

Supplies:

• Cardstock
• A paper cutter
• A laminator
• A bowl or basket
• A whiteboard for keeping score
• Markers

Prize ideas:

• The first slice of pie
• Skipping dish duty
• First pick of the leftovers
• Picking the next game

FAQs

Where can I find printable Thanksgiving charades?

You can make your own in Canva using free templates. Use the word lists in this post, and print 9 cards per page on cardstock. Teachers Pay Teachers and Pinterest also have free sets you can print.

What are good Thanksgiving charades for kids?

Picture cards work best for young kids. Try simple words like owl, mittens, or hot cocoa. Kitchen helper actions, like cracking eggs or whisking, are great for kids ages 6 and up.

How do you play Thanksgiving Day charades?

Split into two teams. One player draws a card and acts it out without talking. Their team guesses before time runs out. Each right guess is 1 point, and the team with the most points wins.

How many cards do you need for a game?

Plan about 30 to 50 cards for a family game. That’s enough for several rounds with two teams. Print a few extra in case some are too hard or too easy.

What free printable Thanksgiving games pair well?

Thanksgiving Pictionary and emoji Pictionary puzzles pair great with charades. Pictionary works well during football, and emoji puzzles keep people busy at the table before dinner.

Conclusion

This mix of printable Thanksgiving charades gives you ready-to-print decks for the kids’ table, the football break, and the long stretch after pie. Some take 10 minutes to print, and others are worth laminating to use every year.

Pick a few that fit your crowd, cut out the cards, and you’ll have a Thanksgiving game everyone asks to play again. Our card box is already packed and ready for this year.