Word Games to Play on Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving gatherings are full of great food—and often long stretches of downtime while dishes are cooking or conversations drift. Word-based games are a fun, low-prep way to spark laughter, creativity, and connection around the table. Here are a few family-friendly ideas you can play with kids, adults, or the whole crowd.
🅰️The ABCs of Gratitude
Adds warmth and reflection—perfect for multigenerational gatherings.
Go around the table and have each person name something they’re grateful for, beginning with each letter of the alphabet.
“I’m grateful for abstract art.”
“I’m grateful for bouncy balls.”
“I’m grateful for cooking classes.”
Your answers can be as specific or vague as you like. Keep going until no one can come up with any more answers. You can also grab a stack of paper and some colored pencils and have each person draw their answer.
🔍Word Search
Easy to prepare and great for kids who need something to do before dinner.
Use Thanksgiving words (“pie,” baking dish,” “stuffing,” etc.) to create a word search and give a prize to the person who finishes the fastest.
🦃Turkey Talk
Fast-paced and funny—excellent for breaking the ice or re-energizing the table.
The first person says a Thanksgiving word (for example, “squash”). Each person then quickly says the first thing that comes to mind when they hear that word; for example: “pie” “orange,” “roasting” etc. The first person who hesitates more than three seconds or who can’t think of another word is out. The game continues until there’s one person left.
You can make this game harder by having the new words start with the same letter as the original word. Using the previous example, when hearing “squash,” the next person could say “seeds” or “stem.”
📖Pass the Story
Gets everyone laughing fast and encourages creativity.
Start with “Once upon a Thanksgiving…” Each person adds one sentence to the story as it goes around the table, trying to keep it Thanksgiving related.
📚Thanksgiving Categories
Encourages quick thinking and sparks fun debates over whether certain answers count.
Pick a theme (foods, things you find at the table, things you’re thankful for, etc.). Each player has 30 seconds to name as many items as possible that fit the category. Count unique answers for points. You can either go around in a circle and have each person say them out loud, or give everyone a piece of paper and have them write down their answers.
🎲Thanksgiving Scattergories/ Pictionary/ Charades
Familiar classics with a holiday twist—perfect for groups who want low-prep, high-energy fun.
Just like the regular game, but replace all the words with Thanksgiving words and ideas!
🚫Thanksgiving “Danger” Words/Thanksgiving Taboo
Encourages careful word choice and clever thinking—great for adults and older kids who love verbal games.
One person gets a card with a word on it, such as “wishbone,” “potatoes,” “football,” etc. The other players have to guess, using clues, what word is on the card. The “danger/taboo” word is the clue that would make it too easy to figure out the answer. For example, if the word is “flight,” the word you’re not allowed to use as a clue could be “travel” or “airport.”
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