Thanksgiving Games for Kids: 24 Easy Ideas They'll Love

Nothing tests a parent’s patience like the two hours between “Is it time to eat yet?” and actually eating. The kids are starving and somehow already sticky. And the grown-ups just want five minutes to baste the turkey in peace.

So I keep a stash of Thanksgiving games for kids ready every year. Most cost under $10 and use stuff already in your pantry.

This list is for anyone in charge of a kids table, from toddlers to tweens. You’ll get 24 easy ideas, from silly yam races to printable placemat games, plus tips for keeping little players safe and happy all day.

1. The Mayflower Cork Boat Blowing Race

Kids love building something before they play with it. This game gives them both.

Hand each child three wine corks, a rubber band, a toothpick, and a small paper triangle for the sail. Help little ones wrap the corks together, then let them decorate their sail with markers or stickers. Older kids can name their ship (expect one “Mayflower 2: The Revenge”).

Fill a 9×13 baking pan with an inch of water and set it on a towel.

How to play:

Two boats race at a time.
Kids blow through a straw to push their boat across.
First one to bump the far edge wins.

Toddlers tend to blow straight into the water instead of at the sail. Give them practice runs first. They’ll still splash. That’s part of it.

2. Feather Float Keep It Airborne Game

If you need a game that works in a crowded living room, this is it. All you need is a pack of colorful craft feathers (about $3 at Dollar Tree).

Toss one feather above each kid’s head. They have to keep it floating by blowing upward. Once it touches the ground, they sit down. Last kid standing wins.

Make it easier for little ones:

Let preschoolers use a paper plate to fan their feather.
Give them two “saves” where they can catch it with their hands.

Make it harder for big kids:

Two feathers at once.
Blow it from one end of the hallway to the other.

Kids get dizzy fast with all that blowing. Keep rounds to about a minute, and sit everyone down in between.

3. Football Flick Bucket Scoring Game

While the grown-ups yell at the TV, the kids can run their own game at the coffee table.

Fold paper footballs ahead of time (or teach the big kids how, since that’s half the fun). Set out three plastic buckets or cups at different distances. Tape a number on each one: 1 point for the closest, 3 for the middle, and 5 for the far one.

Kids take turns flicking their football from behind a tape line. Five flicks each, then add up the score.

Kid-friendly tweaks:

Let younger kids toss instead of flick.
Use bigger bowls for preschoolers so they actually score.
Have an older kid be the “ref” and keep track of points.

Mini plastic pails from the party aisle make it look extra cute in photos.

4. Please Pass the Corn Popsicle Stick Relay

Get ready for a lot of giggling and a little drool.

Line kids up in two teams. Each player holds a wide craft stick between their teeth. The first kid in line gets a piece of candy corn balanced on their stick and has to pass it to the next player’s stick without using hands. The last kid drops it into a cup.

First team to fill their cup with five pieces wins.

Tips for the kids table:

Use jumbo sticks, since skinny ones make it way too hard.
For kids under 5, swap candy corn for a cotton ball. It’s lighter and not a choking risk.
Mix big and little kids on each team.

Give every kid a fresh stick. Nobody wants their cousin’s slobber.

5. Traffic Yam Spoon Pushing Race

Kids think it’s hilarious that they get to play with dinner. Let them.

Give each player a sweet potato and a wooden spoon. Mark a start and finish line with painter’s tape down a hallway. On “go,” kids push their yam with the spoon until it crosses the finish. Hands and feet don’t count.

The lumpier the yam, the funnier it gets. Round ones roll straight, but bumpy ones zig and zag all over the place.

Make it work for every age:

Shorten the course for toddlers (about 6 feet).
Big kids can race in a relay, handing off the spoon.
Add a “traffic cone” (a plastic cup) they have to steer around.

Wash the yams afterward and roast them. Kids get weirdly proud eating the potato they raced.

6. Reverse Traffic Yam Balancing Game

This is the egg-and-spoon race, Thanksgiving style. And no one has to clean raw egg off the floor.

Each kid balances a small sweet potato on a big spoon and walks from start to finish. The “reverse” part? Big kids walk backward. Little kids walk forward, because backward is a recipe for tears.

If the yam falls, the player stops, puts it back, and keeps going. No hands while walking.

Set it up right:

Pick the smallest, flattest yams you can find.
Clear toys and shoes off the path first.
Use a soft rug or grass so falls don’t hurt.

Have an adult walk next to the youngest racers. Cheering is mandatory. This one’s great right after dinner when kids need to wiggle but nobody wants chaos.

7. Turkey Bowl Ping Pong Bounce Game

Set up a turkey made of cups, and watch the kids try to land a ball in its feathers.

Arrange plastic cups in a half circle on the table to look like a turkey’s tail. Then tape a paper turkey face at the front. Each cup gets a point value, with the hardest ones at the back.

Kids bounce a ping pong ball once on the table and try to land it in a cup. Three tries per turn.

Kids table tweaks:

Let preschoolers drop the ball straight in from close up.
Use small bowls instead of cups for younger kids.
Put a little water in the cups so they don’t tip over.

Buy extra balls. At least two will disappear under the couch before dessert.

8. A Bit Corny Candy Corn Stacking Game

This one keeps kids quiet at the table for five minutes. Every parent’s dream.

Give each kid a pile of candy corn and a paper plate. Set a timer for one minute. They stack as many pieces as they can into a tower. When the timer beeps, count only the pieces still standing.

Stacking candy corn is way harder than it looks. The pieces are slippery and lopsided, so towers tip over constantly. That’s where the giggles come from.

For different ages:

Kids 6 and up: one hand only.
Kids 4 to 5: two hands and two minutes.
Under 4: skip the candy and stack Duplo blocks instead (candy corn is a choking risk).

Winner gets to eat their tower. Everyone else gets to eat theirs too, because it’s Thanksgiving.

9. Linemen Cookie Sliding Game

Football fans in training will love this one. It’s basically tabletop football with cookies.

Clear a long table and tape off three scoring zones at the far end: 1, 3, and a “touchdown” zone worth 6. Kids take turns sliding an Oreo down the table with one push. Wherever it stops is their score. Cookies that slide off the edge score zero.

Rules that keep it fair:

One push per turn, no second taps.
Little kids can stand a few feet closer.
Older siblings can measure close calls with a ruler.

Double Stuf Oreos slide best because they’re heavier. And yes, broken cookies are allowed to be eaten immediately. Use a vinyl tablecloth to keep crumbs from turning into a sticky mess on the wood.

10. Pumpkin Roll Target Game

Got a backyard? Send the kids outside to burn off some energy before dinner.

Grab a few mini pumpkins or small gourds (around $1 each at the grocery store). Lay a hula hoop on the grass as the target, or draw circles on the driveway with sidewalk chalk. Kids roll their pumpkin from a starting line and try to land it inside the ring.

Scoring:

Inside the center circle: 3 points
Touching the line: 1 point
Outside: try again next round

Bumpy pumpkins roll in silly directions, so little kids have just as good a shot as the big ones.

Too cold outside? Play on a carpet with a masking tape target. Have kids draw faces on the gourds first. Bonus: they become table decorations after the game.

11. Turkey Hunt Hide and Seek Game

Think Easter egg hunt, but with turkeys. Kids go wild for it.

Cut out 20 or so paper turkeys in a few different colors of construction paper. Hide them around one or two rooms while the kids wait somewhere else. Put easy ones at toddler eye level and tricky ones in spots like under a couch cushion or inside a shoe.

Hand each kid a paper bag and let them loose. Whoever finds the most turkeys wins.

Make it fair for little ones:

Give each kid a color to hunt, so the 10-year-old can’t grab everything.
Set a “find 5 and stop” limit for bigger kids.

Write down where you hid them. You’ll thank me in March when you’re not finding paper turkeys in the couch.

12. Get a Turkey Dice Rolling Game

All you need for this one is paper, crayons, and one die. Perfect for the kids table while dinner’s finishing up.

Each number on the die matches a turkey part you draw:

Body
Head
Eyes
Beak and wattle
Feathers
Feet

Kids take turns rolling. They draw the part that matches their roll, but they need a 1 (the body) before anything else. If they roll a part they already drew, they pass the die. First complete turkey wins. The drawings always come out hilariously wonky.

Little kids who can’t count dots yet can team up with an older buddy. Tape the number chart to the middle of the table so nobody forgets. And hang the finished turkeys on the fridge. Grandma will want one.

13. Turkey Trot Musical Chairs Twist

Musical chairs gets a lot funnier when everyone has to walk like a turkey.

Set up chairs in a circle, one less than the number of kids. When the music plays, kids strut around flapping their arms and gobbling. Once it stops, everyone grabs a seat. The kid left standing is out.

Here’s the twist: kids who get out become “Turkey Bosses.” They pick the silly move for the next round, like hopping, tiptoeing, or waddling. That way, nobody sits on the sidelines sulking.

Safety tip for little ones: use floor pillows or carpet squares instead of chairs. Toddlers plus chairs plus running is a bad combo.

Any upbeat kids’ song works. A Thanksgiving playlist on Spotify or YouTube makes it easy. Grown-ups, you’re on music duty.

14. Turkey Talk Gobble Circle Game

No supplies, no setup, and kids beg to play it again.

Sit in a circle. The first kid says “gobble” and turns to the person on their left. That kid says “gobble” to the next person, and so on. Here’s the catch:

Say “gobble gobble” and the direction switches.
Say “turkey” and you skip the next person.

If you mess up or wait too long, you’re out. Laughing also gets you out, which is nearly impossible to avoid.

Start slow so younger kids learn the rules. Then speed it up. Preschoolers can play a simpler version where they just pass a “gobble” around the circle quickly while you time them. Try to beat your record each round. It’s perfect for the car ride to Grandma’s too.

15. Roll a Turkey Dice Building Game

This one’s like the drawing game, but hands-on. Great for kids who’d rather build than draw.

Before the party, cut out turkey parts from construction paper: brown circles for bodies, small circles for heads, orange triangles for beaks, and lots of colorful feathers. Put each part in its own bowl.

Each die number matches a part:

1 or 2: a feather
3: body
4: head
5: beak
6: pick any part you want

Kids roll and grab the matching piece, then glue or tape it onto a paper plate. First kid to build a full turkey with five feathers wins.

Glue sticks work best for little hands (skip liquid glue unless you love scrubbing tables). The finished turkeys make sweet place cards for the dinner table.

16. Thanksgiving I Spy Printable Game

Some kids want to run around. Others want to sit with a pencil and hunt for tiny pictures. This one’s for the second group.

A Thanksgiving I Spy sheet is packed with little images (pies, turkeys, acorns, pilgrim hats) all jumbled together. Kids count how many of each item they can find and write the number in a box at the bottom.

You’ll find tons of free versions on Pinterest and teacher blogs. Etsy has fancier sets for $2 to $4.

Why I love it:

Pre-readers can play, since it’s all pictures.
It’s quiet. Very quiet.
Kids can race each other or work solo.

Print it on cardstock and slip it into a sheet protector with a dry-erase marker. Then it’s reusable all weekend.

17. Thanksgiving Word Search Printable

Word searches are a lifesaver for kids ages 5 to 12. Kids feel smart when they finish one, and you get 15 quiet minutes.

Look for a Thanksgiving word search with words like turkey, gravy, pilgrim, harvest, and cranberry. Plenty of free printables are online, or you can make a custom one in two minutes on a puzzle maker site.

Pick the right level:

Ages 5 to 6: 8 to 10 words, big letters, no diagonals.
Ages 7 to 9: 12 to 15 words, some diagonals.
Ages 10 and up: backward words and a timer.

Make it a race if you’ve got competitive kids. First one to circle every word picks the first slice of pie. Add family names to custom ones. Kids love finding their own.

18. Thanksgiving Placemat Games Printable

Placemats might be the smartest trick for a kids table. Kids sit down and the entertainment is already waiting for them.

A printable game placemat usually has a mix of mini activities: a maze, tic-tac-toe, a small word scramble, a coloring corner, and a spot to write what they’re thankful for. Print them on 11×17 paper if your printer can handle it, or tape two regular sheets together.

Set the table like this:

One placemat per seat
A small cup of crayons in the middle
Stickers for anyone who finishes

They keep kids in their seats longer, which means you might actually finish your plate. And when dinner’s over, the placemats double as a keepsake. I save ours in a folder. The handwriting changes so much every year.

19. Thanksgiving Bingo Printable Game

Bingo is a classic for a reason. Kids of every age can play, and the rules take ten seconds to explain.

Print picture bingo cards with turkeys, pies, leaves, and pumpkins for little ones. Older kids can use word cards. One grown-up (or a bossy older sibling) calls out the items while everyone marks their card.

Use candy corn, mini marshmallows, or dried beans as markers. For toddlers, big pom-poms or stickers are safer.

Ways to keep it fresh:

Play regular rows first, then “four corners,” then blackout.
Let the winner be the next caller.
Hand out tiny prizes like stickers or fruit snacks.

Free printable sets are easy to find online. Print a few extra cards, because someone’s little cousin always shows up halfway through.

20. Thanksgiving Charades Acting Game

Kids are natural hams. Charades lets them show off.

Write simple Thanksgiving actions on slips of paper and drop them in a bowl or an empty pie tin. For kids who can’t read yet, draw a quick picture instead.

Easy prompts kids love:

Gobbling turkey
Eating a giant drumstick
Falling asleep after dinner
Rolling out pie dough
Catching a football
Watching the parade balloons

One kid acts it out with no words while everyone else guesses. Whoever guesses right goes next, so nobody waits too long for a turn.

For preschoolers, skip teams and timers. Just let them act and let everyone shout guesses. Older kids can split into teams with a one-minute timer. Expect a lot of turkey impressions no matter what’s on the slip.

21. Thanksgiving Pictionary Drawing Game

Pictionary with kids is pure chaos, in the best way. Their drawings make zero sense, and somehow everyone guesses anyway.

Grab a dry-erase board or a big pad of paper. Fill a bowl with easy Thanksgiving words like turkey, pie, leaf, corn, pumpkin, and football. One kid draws while the others guess. They get one minute per word.

Kid-friendly rules:

No letters or numbers in the drawing.
Little kids can pick a picture card and copy it.
Pair a reader with a non-reader so everyone gets a turn.

I keep the words simple for younger groups. Things like “gravy” and “pilgrim” are tough to draw even for adults.

Save the drawings. A 5-year-old’s version of a cornucopia is a keeper for the family photo album.

22. Thanksgiving This or That Game

Kids love having opinions. This game gives them a chance to share every single one.

Read two options out loud. Kids pick one by running to a side of the room (left wall for one answer, right wall for the other). Little ones can just point or hold up a card.

Fun this-or-that pairs:

Pumpkin pie or apple pie
Turkey or mac and cheese
Parade or football
Mashed potatoes or stuffing
Be a pilgrim or be a turkey

After each round, ask one kid from each side to explain their choice. The answers are adorable and sometimes unhinged.

This one works great for mixed ages since there are no wrong answers. Make it a moving game before dinner, or play it at the table with thumbs up or down.

23. Thanksgiving Would You Rather Game

Here’s the easiest kids table conversation starter around. No prep, no supplies, just silly questions.

Go around the table and ask each kid a “would you rather.” They answer and explain why. That’s the whole game.

Questions kids love:

Would you rather have a pet turkey or a pet pumpkin?
Would you rather eat pie for breakfast or mashed potatoes for dessert?
Would you rather be a giant parade balloon or ride on a float?
Would you rather gobble or quack for the rest of the day?
Would you rather have a nose that smells like pie or hair made of whipped cream?

Their reasons are the best part. Let them make up their own questions too. That’s usually when things get really ridiculous.

24. Gratitude Skittles Question Game

Getting kids to say what they’re thankful for can feel like pulling teeth. Add candy, and suddenly everyone has something to share.

Each kid picks three Skittles from a bowl without looking. Each color matches a question:

Red: What’s your favorite food on the table?
Orange: Who’s someone who makes you happy?
Yellow: What’s the best thing that happened this year?
Green: What toy or thing are you thankful for?
Purple: What’s something nice you can do for someone today?

Kids answer the question, then eat the candy. Simple trade.

Print a color chart and stand it up in the middle of the table. For kids under 4, swap Skittles for colored paper squares, since hard candy is a choking risk.

How to Set Up Games at the Kids Table

A little prep the night before makes a huge difference. Here’s what works for me.

Build a Game Basket

Fill a laundry basket or a big tote with everything you’ll need: printables, crayons, dice, painter’s tape, paper cups, candy, and a few small prizes. Stash it near the kids table so you’re not digging through junk drawers while the gravy thickens.

Set the Table for Play

Lay out printable placemats at every seat.
Put a cup of crayons in the center.
Add a die and a stack of bingo cards for quick games.
Skip glass and real china. Paper plates save everyone’s nerves.

Plan the Timing

Pick active games for before dinner when kids are wiggly. Use quiet table games (I Spy, word search, Would You Rather) while everyone eats. Then save the gratitude games for dessert, when kids are calm and full of pie.

Put a Teen in Charge

If you’ve got a responsible teen or tween, make them the “game host.” They’ll feel important, and the little kids will think they’re the coolest person alive. The best Thanksgiving games for kids are the ones somebody’s actually running.

Tips for Keeping Little Players Safe and Happy

Kids games go sideways fast when someone gets hurt or feels left out. A few small rules keep the day fun for everyone.

Watch for choking hazards. Candy corn, Skittles, mini marshmallows, and small balls are all risky for kids under 4. Swap in pom-poms, paper pieces, or bigger blocks for the littlest players.

Clear the play zone. Move breakable decor, shoes, and toys out of running areas. Keep active games far from the kitchen, the oven, and anyone carrying a hot casserole.

Mix ages on teams. Big kids help little ones, and nobody gets steamrolled by a 12-year-old with something to prove.

Give everyone a win. Small prizes for “best sport,” “silliest turkey,” or “loudest gobble” mean every kid walks away proud.

Watch for meltdowns. Thanksgiving is a long day, and overtired kids crash hard. If a kid’s had enough, let them sit out with a coloring page. No guilt.

Keep rounds short. Five to ten minutes per game is plenty for little attention spans. Stop while everyone’s still having fun, and they’ll beg to play again later.

FAQs

What are the best Thanksgiving games for kids?

Simple ones with quick rules win every time. The turkey hunt, candy corn stacking, Turkey Talk, and printable placemats are big hits with most kids. Mix one active game with one quiet game for the best balance.

How many games should you plan for the day?

Three to five is plenty. Plan one or two before dinner, one at the table, and one or two for after dessert. Kids would rather play a favorite twice than rush through ten new ones.

Which games work for toddlers and little kids?

Feather Float, the Turkey Hunt (with a toddler zone), Pumpkin Roll, I Spy, and picture bingo work well for ages 2 to 5. Skip anything with small candy pieces for kids under 4, and pair little ones with an older buddy.

What supplies do these Thanksgiving games need?

Mostly things you already have: paper, crayons, painter’s tape, cups, spoons, and a die. Add a bag of candy, some craft feathers, and a few printables. You can cover nearly everything for under $20 at Dollar Tree.

Can kids play these indoors and outdoors?

Most work great indoors. The Pumpkin Roll, yam races, and Turkey Hunt are even more fun outside if the weather’s nice. Cold or rainy? Use a hallway for races and a rug for the pumpkin roll.

Conclusion

This mix of Thanksgiving games for kids gives you quick, low-prep options for every age at the table. You don’t need all 24. Pick two or three that fit your kids, and you’ll have a Thanksgiving they actually remember.

Not sure where to start? Print a stack of placemats tonight. It takes ten minutes, and it might just buy you a hot meal.

Save this list to your Thanksgiving board so it’s ready the second you hear “I’m bored.” Happy gobbling.