7 Thanksgiving Games for Everyone

Recommended Age Group: Young children.

The Pilgrims navigated difficult obstacles on sea and land but persevered, trusting God to see them through.

Goal: Children will have a sense of accomplishment for persevering through the various challenges.

You'll Need:

• Obstacles. (See below for ideas.)
• Yard paint, a rope, or something similar to distinguish the start and finish lines.
• A small prize for the winner or a plate of goodies for all to enjoy. (Optional.)
• Two volunteers: One participates in the game (see below), and another is responsible for timing the races.

Instructions:

Every outdoor space is different, so adjust accordingly. If the weather doesn't permit an outdoor race, play on another day, teaching children that it's okay to pivot when needed.

Set up a safe course with fun obstacles at every turn, spreading them out as space allows.

A sample obstacle course:

• Define a start and finish line.
• Instruct kids to waddle like a turkey throughout the course, stopping for each obstacle.
• First obstacle: A crawl-through tunnel. (Store-bought or a large cardboard box will do.)
• Second obstacle: A 2 x 4 plank, or something similar, to lay flat for them to waddle (or walk) down.
• Third obstacle: Waddle around a tree, a birdbath, or another outdoor “obstacle.”
• Fourth obstacle: If fall leaves are in the yard, rake them together to create a pile every kid enjoys running through.
• Fifth obstacle: Have a volunteer stationed. When a child arrives, ask them to do five jumping jacks in place and then excitedly point them to the finish line, spurring them on to run as fast as possible.

Before the trot begins, consider sharing some obstacles the Pilgrims faced in 1621 and how they pressed on with God's help. Encourage the children to do the same if they encounter problems throughout the course.

Photo Credit:©GettyImages/mountinez

Recommended Age Group: Young children.

This classic never gets old. Children will enjoy hunting for hidden “treasures,” which for the Pilgrims was food.

Goal: To find more hidden “treasures” than the other participants.

You'll need:

• “Treasures.” Purchase vegetables (preferably smaller sizes) grown by Pilgrims, such as corn, onions, pumpkins, beans, cucumbers, and squash. (Consider asking others to help supply vegetables if several children play.)
• Brown bags or baskets to help gather their finds.
• Small prize for the winner. (Optional.)

Instructions:

• Older children and adults hide the Pilgrim’s “treasures” indoors or outdoors. 
• Suggested share before releasing the hunters: The Pilgrims grew food in the summer and preserved it by storing vegetables and drying fruit, fish, and other meat for the winter months when there was no harvest. Food was a “treasure” because it required much labor to grow and preserve. Today, their “treasures” are also yours, so have fun finding a variety of vegetables!
• Give them something to carry their finds, releasing them to “hunt” simultaneously. 

The hunter with the most vegetables wins the game.

Photo Credit:©GettyImages/AlexRaths

Recommended Age Group: Older children.

It’s another classic but with a grateful twist.

Goal: To learn essential elements of the Thanksgiving story while recognizing God's blessings. The player who answers the most questions wins the game.

You'll need:

• Charade cards that include a prompt and a grateful element. You can the sample ones at the link below, or go with index cards instead.

Instructions:

This game plays the same as regular charades, with one exception: When a player guesses the correct answer, the player acting out the charade asks them a question, also on the card. Once answered, the new winner takes the next charade card and acts out the prompt. The player who correctly guesses the most charades wins.

Charade card ideas:

• Eating a Thanksgiving meal. (What food do you give God thanks for today?) 
• Sailing on the Mayflower. (The Pilgrims traveled on a ship called the Mayflower. What are you most thankful for – ships, cars, trucks, or bicycles and why?) 
• Building a home. (When the Pilgrims landed in 1620, they began building houses but slept on the Mayflower at night. What’s something you’re thankful for in your home?)
• Putting on a coat while shivering cold. (The Pilgrims were unprepared for Plymouth's first bitterly cold weather and suffered greatly. What are you thankful to have when it's cold outside?) 
• Something you’re thankful for. (Rain had not fallen for two months. Governor William Bradford led a prayer service, thanking God for their blessings and asking for His help. How has God helped you this week?)
• Jumping in a Puddle. (After a prayer service led by Governor Bradford, God blessed the settlers with rain for two weeks! What fun things do you do in the rain? That’s a blessing from God!)
• Eating corn. (Indian Corn has multi-colored kernels and isn't as sweet as the corn we eat, but it was a popular harvest for the Pilgrims. James 1:17 says that every good and perfect gift is from God. What vegetable are you thankful for?) 
• Hunting for food. (Native Americans helped the settlers by teaching them how to hunt and preserve their food more efficiently. What's one way we can help people in our town who are hungry?)

Photo Credit:©GettyImages/rai 

Recommended Age Group: Older children.

Think egg toss minus the egg. Toss a mini pumpkin instead!

Goal: To build a spirit of teamwork, working together to stay in the game longer than other participants.

You'll need:

• Mini pumpkins for each participant.

Instructions:

• Each team of two starts by standing several feet apart.

• One child tosses their pumpkin to the other. After every successful catch, the player who caught it yells out something they're thankful for, and both members take a step back before tossing it back to the team member. The tossing continues until one team is left standing with the most successful catches.

Photo Credit:©GettyImages/3sbworld

Recommended Age Group: Adults.

As players take on the challenge, participants and onlookers alike will learn more about the First Colony in New England and have fun doing it.

Goal: Answer the most questions correctly to win.

You'll need:

• A list of trivia facts (see examples below).
• A game show host.

Instructions:

• The host takes turns asking each player a trivia question. If answered incorrectly, the question is open for other players to respond. 
• Correct answers earn 10 points.
• The player with the most points wins the game.
• Decide if players want to use multiple-choice (included in the samples below with the correct answer italicized for the host.)

Sample Questions (Correct Answers Italicized):

1. What month did the Pilgrims set sail from Holland? (February, July, or September?)
2. What month did the Mayflower arrive at Plymouth Rock? (October, November, or December?)
3. What year did they arrive? (1620, 1689, or 1701?)
4. Who was the captain of the Mayflower? (Edward Winslow, Christopher Johnson, or John Adams?)
5. How many people were on the ship? (200, 154, or 102?)
6. How many days did it take the Mayflower to make the journey to Plymouth, MA? (33 days, 65 days, or 94 days)
7. How many of the 102 passengers were still alive after the first winter? (50, 76, or all?)
8. What was the primary purpose of the pilgrims risking their lives to set up the First Colony? (To find sustainable food, to get a fresh start, or to find freedom to worship God?)
9. Who became Governor of the Plymouth Colony in 1621? (William Bradford, John Platt, Francis Cook)
10. In 1623, a two-month drought threatened to destroy summer crops. The Governor saw the settler's despair and was confident God was the only one who could help them, so he called those in the colony together for a day-long prayer meeting. It began raining and didn't stop for how many days? (Three days, ten days, or fourteen?)
11. What American Indian tribe joined the settlers for the first Thanksgiving in 1621? (Cherokee, Wampanoag, Creek)

Photo Credit:

Recommended Age Group: The whole family (children and adults)

This activity focuses on sharing gratitude for someone around the holiday table.

Goal: To transform a place card or table tent into a written message of gratefulness.

You'll need:

• Place cards. Download pre-designed place cards, create your own, or purchase them. Tip: Print on cardstock to prevent the tent from sliding flat on the table. Cream or white-colored cardstock works best for our design download above. 
• Scissors.
• Pens or colored pencils.

Instructions:

• Fold the place card in half on the dotted line.
• The meal hostess pre-writes the first name (or endearing nickname) of each person attending the Thanksgiving meal on the front of the card. (If using our pre-designed card, write the first name on the line near the top of the card.) 
• Place the folded cards with the name in a deep basket for drawing.
• Place the basket and several pens or colored pencils near the door.
• As family and friends arrive, ask them to draw a place card from the basket, keeping the name on the front a secret. Write down one reason you are thankful for that person inside the place card, but do not sign it.
• While gathered around the table, take turns reading the grateful words inside the cards and guess which person around the Thanksgiving table wrote them to you.

Tip: To save time and reduce confusion on Thanksgiving, give family members a heads-up about the game so they come prepared.

Photo Credit:©GettyImages/InspirationGP

Recommended Age Group: The whole family (children and adults).

Gather around for the perfect game to end your Thanksgiving Day.

Goal: Encourages creativity, especially for children, as they tap into their imagination.

You'll need:

• A place to gather the family together.
• “Haystacks” for snacks (optional).

Instructions: 

Suggested share: The First Thanksgiving story tells of the Pilgrims and many from the Wampanoag tribe gathering in Plymouth to celebrate a good harvest and their newfound friendship.

For this game, we’ll create a Thanksgiving story one word at a time, celebrating the blessing of being together today. There’s no right or wrong word, so have fun!

• The story theme: Thanksgiving.
• Someone starts the game by saying one word (for example: Once, In, I).
• The following person says a word that goes with the first, followed by the next player, and so on. Create as many sentences for the story as you wish.

Tip: It helps if the children are allowed to share silly words while adults keep the story on track.

End your time with a yummy treat, like my family's favorite, Harvest Haystacks.

Photo Credit:©GettyImages/PeopleImages