50 Thanksgiving Activities for Kids and Families (Games, Crafts & Table Ideas)

Thanksgiving is one of the few days of the year when the whole family is in one place: cousins, grandparents, teens who usually disappear into their rooms, and a little one who has been asking “when is dinner?” since 9 a.m. The food is the star, but the hours around the meal are what everyone remembers.

Here are 50 Thanksgiving activities for kids and families: morning traditions, games for kids, activities for the dinner table, crafts, easy science, ideas teens and adults actually enjoy, and ways to give back. Most need nothing more than paper, a pen and a few minutes. There’s also a free printable Thanksgiving Family Games Pack with bingo, a scavenger hunt, “Would You Rather” cards and gratitude conversation starters.

Thanksgiving Day 2026 at a glance

Thanksgiving 2026 is Thursday, November 26. It’s a special year: the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which debuted in 1924 and paused from 1942 to 1944, marches for the 100th time, starting at 8:30 a.m. on NBC and Peacock. Here’s what’s on, so you can plan the day around it:

NFL schedule as reported by NBC. Check your local listings closer to the day.

Thanksgiving morning traditions (1–6)

The morning is often the calmest part of the day, before the guests and the oven take over. A small family tradition makes it feel like the holiday has started.

1. Watch the 100th Macy’s parade together

   Make hot chocolate, pile onto the couch and play parade bingo: the first person to spot a marching band, a giant balloon, a dancing group and Santa wins. This year’s 100th parade is one kids may remember for a long time.

   Best for: all ages

2. Run or walk a family turkey trot

   Turkey trots are a Thanksgiving tradition that dates back to 1896 in Buffalo, New York, and Thanksgiving is now the biggest running day of the year in the U.S.. Many races have a short kids’ dash or let you push a stroller. Not a runner? Do your own “turkey walk” around the block.

   Best for: all ages; teens love the costumes

3. Make a shoebox float parade

   Kids decorate shoeboxes or toy trucks as parade floats with paper, tape and toys, then hold their own parade down the hallway for the grown-ups.

   Best for: ages 4 to 10

4. Bake a breakfast together

   Pumpkin muffins, cinnamon rolls or pancakes in leaf shapes. A kids’ baking set gives little bakers their own tools and keeps them busy while the turkey goes in.

   Best for: ages 3 and up

5. Morning nature scavenger hunt

   Head outside before the cooking starts and look for a red leaf, a pinecone, an acorn, a feather, something round and something that makes a noise. The free pack includes a ready-made Thanksgiving scavenger hunt.

   Best for: ages 3 to 12

6. Backyard “Turkey Bowl”

   A gentle game of family flag football or catch with a soft foam football. Cousins against grown-ups is always a hit, and it burns off energy before a long meal.

   Best for: ages 5 and up, teens, adults

Thanksgiving games for kids (7–18)

Games are the easiest way to bring every age together, especially in the long wait before dinner. Most of these need nothing but paper and pens.

7. Thanksgiving bingo

   Hand out bingo cards with Thanksgiving squares like “someone says ‘I’m so full’,” “pumpkin pie,” “a dog begs for food” and “someone takes a nap.” Mark them through the day. The free pack has four different cards.

   Best for: ages 4 and up

8. Would You Rather: Thanksgiving edition

   “Would you rather eat only pie or only mashed potatoes?” “Would you rather have a turkey’s gobble or a dog’s bark?” Silly questions get even shy kids talking. The free pack includes 24 cut-out cards.

   Best for: ages 5 to adults

9. Thanksgiving charades

   Write actions on slips of paper: stuffing a turkey, watching football, sleeping after dinner, a marching band, carving the turkey. Act them out without words.

   Best for: ages 5 to adults

10. Pin the feather on the turkey

    Draw a big turkey on poster paper, cut out paper feathers and play blindfolded, just like pin the tail on the donkey. Use tape instead of pins.

    Best for: ages 3 to 8

11. Hide the turkey

    Hide paper turkeys (or a small toy turkey) around the house. Whoever finds the most gets first pick of dessert, or the job of hiding them next.

    Best for: ages 3 to 10

12. Gourd bowling

    Set up empty water bottles or toilet paper rolls as pins and roll a small round gourd or pumpkin to knock them down.

    Best for: ages 3 to 10

13. Potato spoon relay

    Teams race across the yard or hallway carrying a small potato on a spoon. Drop it and you go back to the start.

    Best for: ages 4 to 12

14. Thanksgiving trivia

    Turn the facts in our Thanksgiving trivia for kids section into a family quiz. Mix teams so kids and adults play together.

    Best for: ages 6 to adults

15. Thanksgiving Pictionary

    Draw a turkey, a pie, a football or a parade balloon while your team guesses. A small whiteboard makes it easy to pass around.

    Best for: ages 5 to adults

16. “I’m going to Thanksgiving and I’m bringing…”

    A memory game: each person repeats the list and adds one item. “I’m bringing pie, a football, Grandma’s rolls and a dinosaur…”

    Best for: ages 5 to adults

17. Minute-to-win-it games

    Stack 10 plastic cups into a pyramid, move cereal from one bowl to another with chopsticks, or flip a paper turkey into a cup in one minute.

    Best for: ages 6 to adults

18. Make-your-own Thanksgiving story

    Older kids write a short story with blanks (a name, an animal, a food, a silly word) and the family fills it in without seeing the story. Read it aloud at the table.

    Best for: ages 7 to adults

Want more game ideas for the long weekend? Our family game night ideas list has 25 screen-free games by age. A classic family board game is a good thing to bring if you’re visiting relatives.

Thanksgiving table and dinner activities (19–26)

The table is where many kids struggle: a long wait, grown-up conversation, new foods. A few table activities make the meal more fun for everyone, and they work for adults too.

19. A coloring tablecloth

    Cover the kids’ table with kraft paper and put out crayons. Kids draw turkeys, write what they’re thankful for and play tic-tac-toe while they wait for dinner.

    Best for: ages 2 to 10

20. Gratitude conversation starters

    Put a few question cards on each plate: “What made you laugh this year?” “Who helped you this year?” “What’s a small thing you’re thankful for?” The free pack has 24 ready to cut out.

    Best for: all ages

21. The thankful jar

    As guests arrive, everyone writes one thing they’re thankful for on a slip of paper and drops it in a jar. Read them aloud during dessert and guess who wrote each one.

    Best for: ages 5 to adults

22. Kids make the place cards

    Give kids folded card stock and markers to write or draw a name for each guest. It’s a real job, and the adults love seeing them.

    Best for: ages 4 to 12

23. The kids’ table menu

    Kids design a menu card for the table, with fancy names for each dish: “Grandma’s Famous Fluffy Clouds” for mashed potatoes.

    Best for: ages 6 to 12

24. Pass the gratitude

    Pass a small ball or a toy turkey around the table. Whoever holds it shares one thing they’re thankful for. Passing without sharing is allowed.

    Best for: all ages

25. The wishbone tradition

    After dinner, two people each hold one end of the dried wishbone, make a wish and pull. The person with the bigger piece gets their wish (in theory!).

    Best for: ages 4 to adults

26. Turkey napkin folding

    Older kids learn to fold a napkin into a fan or a simple turkey shape for every place setting. Look up a short video together and practice the day before.

    Best for: ages 7 to 14

Holding the meal with toddlers or babies at the table? Our guide to Thanksgiving with toddlers covers nap-friendly timing, a toddler plate and safety.

Thanksgiving crafts for kids (27–33)

Crafts are a calm way to keep kids busy while the adults cook. For the littlest ones, see our 30 Thanksgiving activities for preschoolers, with handprint and paper plate turkeys.

27. Thankful tree

    Tape a bare paper tree to the wall or put a few branches in a vase. Everyone adds a paper leaf with something they’re thankful for. Start on November 1 and read the leaves on Thanksgiving Day.

    Best for: all ages

28. Thankful tablecloth

    Lay out a plain cotton tablecloth and fabric markers. Each year, everyone writes their name, the year and what they’re thankful for. It becomes a family keepsake.

    Best for: all ages

29. Pinecone turkeys

    Tuck paper or felt feathers between the scales of a big pinecone and add a head. Make one for each place setting.

    Best for: ages 4 to 10

30. Paper bag turkey puppets

    Brown paper lunch bags, paper feathers and googly eyes become turkey puppets. Put on a puppet show about a turkey trying to escape dinner.

    Best for: ages 4 to 10

31. Fall leaf garland

    Collect leaves, press them for a day, then punch a hole and string them on twine for a window or mantel garland.

    Best for: ages 4 to 12

32. Clothespin gratitude turkey

    Paint wooden clothespins in fall colors and clip them around a paper plate turkey. Each clothespin feather has something you’re thankful for.

    Best for: ages 5 to 12

33. Paper cornucopia centerpiece

    Roll brown construction paper into a horn shape, then fill it with paper fruits and vegetables the kids cut and color. A lovely centerpiece for the kids’ table.

    Best for: ages 6 to 12

Thanksgiving STEM activities for kids (34–38)

Science and math sneak into Thanksgiving easily: the kitchen is full of measuring, and there’s plenty to test.

34. Cranberry sink or float

    Guess, then test: do cranberries sink or float? (They float, thanks to tiny air pockets inside.) See the full version in our preschool Thanksgiving activities.

    Best for: ages 3 to 8

35. Cranberry and toothpick towers

    Build the tallest tower or a bridge using cranberries (or mini marshmallows) and toothpicks. Test which shapes are strongest: squares or triangles?

    Best for: ages 6 to 12; cranberries and toothpicks are not for under-4s

36. Mayflower foil boat challenge

    Each person builds a small boat out of aluminum foil. Float them in a sink and add pennies one at a time. Whose boat holds the most before it sinks?

    Best for: ages 6 to adults

37. Pie fractions

    Before dessert, cut a pie (or a paper pie) into halves, quarters and eighths. How many slices do you need for everyone at the table?

    Best for: ages 6 to 10

38. Double the recipe

    Give older kids a recipe card and ask them to double or halve it. Then bake it together and see if their math worked.

    Best for: ages 8 to 14

Thanksgiving activities for teens and adults (39–45)

Teens and adults want Thanksgiving activities too, just not the same ones as the 5-year-olds. The secret with teens is to give them a role instead of asking them to “join in.”

39. Pie bake-off

    Everyone brings or makes a pie (store-bought counts). Kids are the judges, with score cards for taste, looks and creativity. Teens can host it like a cooking show.

    Best for: teens and adults, kids as judges

40. Family board game tournament

    Run a bracket of quick games (cards, dominoes, family card games) with a silly trophy for the winner. Let a teen keep score and announce results.

    Best for: ages 8 to adults

41. Write gratitude letters

    Each person writes a short thank-you note to someone who made their year better, then sends it or reads it aloud. In a well-known study, people who wrote down what they were grateful for each week felt better about their lives and were more optimistic.

    Best for: ages 8 to adults

42. Interview the grandparents

    Teens record a 10-minute interview with a grandparent: What was Thanksgiving like when you were a kid? What did you eat? Save it as a family keepsake.

    Best for: teens and adults

43. Thanksgiving movie night

    After dinner, pick a family movie and bring out the leftover pie. Let a different person choose each year.

    Best for: all ages

44. The same family photo every year

    Take a photo of everyone in the same spot (the front steps, the couch) every Thanksgiving. Teens can be the photographer.

    Best for: all ages

45. Learn the real history together

    Read about the 1621 harvest meal and the Wampanoag people, who had held harvest celebrations for thousands of years and still live in New England today. The Smithsonian’s Rethinking Thanksgiving page has book lists for kids and teens.

    Best for: ages 8 to adults

Giving back on Thanksgiving with kids (46–50)

Doing something for others turns “being thankful” from a word into an action, and it’s often the activity kids remember most.

46. Volunteer at a food bank

    Many food banks and pantries welcome families in November. Call ahead: most have a minimum age, and slots fill up early.

    Best for: ages vary by site; often 8 and up

47. Build a food drive basket

    Kids choose and pack canned food, pasta and peanut butter for a local food pantry. Let them help pick and carry it.

    Best for: ages 3 and up

48. Thank-you cards for helpers

    Make cards for people who work on Thanksgiving: nurses, firefighters, police officers, delivery drivers. Drop them off or hand them over.

    Best for: ages 4 and up

49. Donate warm coats

    Go through closets together for coats, hats and gloves that no longer fit and donate them to a local coat drive.

    Best for: all ages

50. Call someone who is alone

    Video-call a grandparent, a neighbor or a friend who can’t be with family this year. Kids can show them their crafts.

    Best for: all ages

For more on raising grateful kids all year, our free family gratitude journal takes two minutes a night.

Thanksgiving trivia for kids (with answers)

Read these out at the table or use them for the trivia game (#14):

1. When is Thanksgiving in the U.S.? The fourth Thursday of November. In 2026, that’s November 26.
2. Which president made Thanksgiving a national holiday in 1863? Abraham Lincoln. Congress set the fourth Thursday in 1941, as the National Archives explains.
3. Who shared the 1621 harvest meal with the English settlers at Plymouth? The Wampanoag people.
4. What year was the first Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade? 1924. 2026 is the 100th parade.
5. How fast can a wild turkey fly? Up to about 55 mph for short distances, and they can run about 25 mph, according to the Farmers’ Almanac.
6. What is a male turkey called? A tom.
7. What’s the red, fleshy part under a turkey’s beak called? The wattle.
8. Why do cranberries float? They have tiny air pockets inside.
9. Where and when was the first turkey trot? Buffalo, New York, in 1896.
10. Which two NFL teams host a game almost every Thanksgiving? The Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys.

Thanksgiving activities by age

A sample Thanksgiving Day with kids

Two safety notes for a busy day: Thanksgiving is the peak day for home cooking fires, so keep kids about three feet from the stove, and keep nuts, popcorn and hard candy away from children under 4. If the day gets overwhelming, our guide to holiday stress with kids has calm, practical scripts. Traveling for the holiday? Start with our road trip and travel activities guides.

And once Thanksgiving is done, December is next: see our 50 family Christmas traditions to start this year.

Handy supplies for Thanksgiving activities

• Kraft paper roll for a coloring tablecloth
• Washable markers and fabric markers
• A soft foam football for the Turkey Bowl
• Family board games and card games
• Thanksgiving craft kits
• A kids’ baking set

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Frequently asked questions

What are fun Thanksgiving activities for kids?

Popular Thanksgiving activities for kids include Thanksgiving bingo, charades, a scavenger hunt, pin the feather on the turkey, gourd bowling, a coloring tablecloth, a thankful tree, pinecone turkeys and watching the Macy’s parade.

What can families do together on Thanksgiving?

Watch the parade, walk or run a turkey trot, play games that work for all ages like charades and trivia, share gratitude questions at dinner, hold a pie bake-off, play board games, and do something for others like a food drive.

What are good Thanksgiving activities for adults and teens?

Teens and adults enjoy a pie bake-off, a board game tournament, a turkey trot, Thanksgiving trivia, writing gratitude letters, interviewing grandparents and volunteering. Teens join in more when they have a role, such as game host or photographer.

How do I keep kids entertained on Thanksgiving?

Give them a job (place cards, setting the table), a table activity (a coloring tablecloth or bingo card), active games before dinner, and a quiet corner with books or crafts. Plan one activity for each part of the day.

When is the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 2026?

The 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is on Thursday, November 26, 2026, starting at 8:30 a.m. in all time zones on NBC and Peacock.

What are good Thanksgiving table activities?

Try a kraft paper coloring tablecloth, gratitude conversation starter cards, a thankful jar, pass-the-gratitude, kids making place cards and menu cards, and the wishbone tradition after dinner.

How can kids give back on Thanksgiving?

Kids can pack a food drive basket, make thank-you cards for people working on the holiday, donate coats that no longer fit, volunteer at a food bank if the age allows, or call someone who is alone.

Sources

• Secret NYC — 100-day countdown to the 100th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
• NBC — NFL Thanksgiving schedule 2026
• KTVU / FOX — The turkey trot, a tradition since 1896
• National Archives — The National Archives celebrates Thanksgiving
• Washington Post via UC San Diego — Counting blessings (Emmons & McCullough gratitude study)
• Farmers’ Almanac — 5 fun turkey facts for Thanksgiving
• Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian — Rethinking Thanksgiving
• National Fire Protection Association, via ABC15 — Thanksgiving has the highest number of cooking fires