Make a Family Time Capsule
Thanksgiving is the perfect time to collect items that allow us all to savor the present while contemplating what items resonate with our future selves—or future generations.
Get the tutorial at Camp Country Living.
Tell Stories With Stones
Encourage your kids to craft a one-of-a-kind fairy tales with this easy backyard activity. After finding 20 to 25 smooth stones, you’ll use paint pens to draw on a range of icons, then mix and match stones to dream up stories that rock (heh heh).
Get the tutorial at Camp Country Living.
Color in Our Magazine Cover!
Play Spin-the-Pie
Let guests spin to unveil six slices of life (Family, Friends, Travel, Home, Pets, Work), each of which is intended to conjure a memory for which they’re grateful. To make, segment the center of a paper plate into six sections; write prompts in each. Cut a smaller round from colorful craft paper; remove one “slice” for category window. Attach wheel to plate with a gold brad. Attach jute rope to rim with hot-glue. Add stenciled letters. (For Thanksgiving, try “Lattice Give Thanks…”)
Set Up a Ladder Toss Outside
A ladder toss game is a classic crowdpleaser. (Here, we used vintage house numbers to give it one-of-a-kind charm.) Not up for the the DIY effort? Check out this cute option from Amazon.
Make Your Own Tree Slab Tic-Tac-Toe
Ditch your devices the next time you head on a family camping trip and focus on the fun to be had in the world around you with this kid-friendly craft.
To make: Pick up a round wood slab and four leather strips. On the slab, form a grid (pictured at left) with the strips and secure each end with an upholstery tack. Once in the woods, gather two five-piece groupings of found objects such as small rocks and pine cones to use as game pieces.
Give Apple Toss a Twirl
To set up your own apple toss game, start with apple bushels of varying sizes and choose points based on level of difficulty (the smaller the bushel, the higher the point value). Assign a certain number of apples to each player; whoever can “produce” the most points wins.
Play Checkers With Pumpkins
Give Family Feud a Thanksgiving Theme
This Family Feud game will find out who knows the holiday best! The tutorial includes questions and answers to make putting together this Thanksgiving game even easier.
Get the tutorial at Play Party Plan.
Put Up a Pumpkin Toss
Compete in a Hand Turkey Race
Time everyone as they work to create a perfect hand turkey. The person who is fastest to complete it is the winner. Or, you can have all the adults draw, and have the kids be the judges of the best design!
Get the tutorial at Good Housekeeping.
Distract Your Toddler With Feed the Turkey
Keep your toddler busy while you get cooking in the kitchen with this easy-to-make and even easier-to-play pom-pom game.
Get the tutorial at Busy Toddler.
Act Out Thanksgiving Charades
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Give Thanks With Thanksgiving Mad-Libs
This charming version of the classic fill-in-the-blanks game Mad-Libs lets friends and family share what they’re thankful for. Take turns reading them out loud after dinner. The Mad-Libs are part of a printable pack, which also includes two more table games: Thanksgiving bingo and “Would You Rather?”
Set Up a Family Photo Scavenger Hunt
Challenge the kids to a scavenger hunt to gather photos of family members and holiday-themed items throughout the day with tricky clues.
Get the tutorial at Party Game Ideas.
Try a Traffic Yam Race
Keep the kids busy by by taking a yam or sweet potato and seeing who, using only a spoon, can roll it to the finish line first. It’s a lot harder than it sounds!
Get the tutorial at Play Party Plan.
Bring a Gratitude Game to the Table
Since Thanksgiving is the perfect time to reflect on what you’re most grateful for, this gratitude game is right on theme. This twist on pick-up sticks can be recreated with your choosing of each category.
Get the tutorial at Teach Beside Me.
Challenge Guests to a Sack Race
The only game more classic than football on Thanksgiving might be an old-fashioned potato sack race. Standard rules apply, but you can invest in some Thanksgiving-themed sacks to make it more festive!
Answer “Would you Rather” Questions Around the Table
To play around the dinner table once everything is cleared, or to pass the time on your annual road trip to Grandma’s, this game poses a series of questions, such as, “Would you rather spend Thanksgiving weekend without football or without shopping?” You’ll leave knowing your family better than ever before.
Get the tutorial at Mom of 6.
RELATED: 275 Would You Rather Questions for a Fun Game Night with Friends
Carly Breit is a freelance writer who loves to write about health, wellness, and strong women. She believes in year-round iced coffee and lip-syncing on treadmills.
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