Thanksgiving Family Fun: Games and Activities to Keep Everyone Entertained

Aside from all the giving of thanks, Thanksgiving is all about the three Fs... family, food, and fun! (And of course, you can swap in 'friends' if you're hosting a Friendsgiving.)

While the feast is the star of the show, keeping everyone entertained throughout the day is just as important.

Whether it's fun activities to enjoy while waiting for the turkey to roast or ways to wind down after the big meal, these ideas will keep everyone—from the youngest kids to the eldest relatives—happily entertained.

So, for gatherings of all sizes, from big family reunions to smaller get togethers, having a few activities up your sleeve can keep the Thanksgiving family fun rolling all day long.

Family Activities To Enjoy All Day

Here are some big family Thanksgiving ideas to get you started.

1. Turkey Trot: A Family-Friendly Run

Start the day with a burst of energy by organising a family-friendly Turkey Trot. This fun tradition is a light-hearted run or walk that typically takes place on Thanksgiving morning.

It’s often a 5K or less and is perfect for all ages. Participants can walk, jog, or run, and it’s a great way to get everyone moving before the big meal.

Many Turkey Trots even encourage dressing up in festive gear like turkey hats, so give out a brief ahead of the big day if you want everyone to come armed and ready to trot in style!

Oh.. and you can make it competitive with small prizes for the winners!

2. Thanksgiving Craft Station

Now, you might think that this is something for the kids, but actually a crafting station is a great way to get the older generation and younger generation mixing and mingling. 

Provide materials for handprint turkeys, placemats, or DIY gratitude jars.

This is also a great way to keep little (and not so little) hands busy whilst you finish up the meal prep without losing your focus!

3. Family Gratitude Circle

After dinner, gather everyone for a family gratitude circle. Each person shares something they’re thankful for, creating a moment of reflection.

You could provide notelets for everyone to write down their graditude on... and then take a photo of everyone holding up their notelet. 

A gratitude circle is a wonderful way to embrace the true spirit of the day.

4. Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt

Organise a fun Thanksgiving game with a scavenger hunt! Hide festive themed items around the house or garden, and give kids clues to find them.

You can even throw in small prizes to keep the excitement going. It's one of the top Thanksgiving games for kids and keeps them entertained for hours.

5. DIY Thanksgiving Parade

Can’t make it to the big parade? Host your own DIY version at home! Get the kids involved in making floats out of toy cars or wagons and parade them around the living room. 

6. Family Game Time

Gather the family for some classic Thanksgiving games. Whether it’s charades, board games, or Thanksgiving family games like trivia, there’s something for all ages.

You can even introduce some fun Thanksgiving games specifically for adults if you’re having an evening party.

Speaking of games, we have a bundle of family-friendly Thanksgiving Games. There are 11 games in the bundle, with a mix of games that will keep all ages entertained... 

• Thanksgiving A-Z Race - Gratitude Words
• Thanksgiving Scattergories x 2
• Thanksgiving Word Scramble
• Thanksgiving Trivia Game - Fact Or Fiction
• Thanksgiving What’s On Your Phone?
• Thanksgiving Word Search
• Thanksgiving Charades
• Thanksgiving Candy Dice
• Thanksgiving This Or That
• Thanksgiving Find Someone Who 

7. Movie Marathon

Why not wind down towards the end of the day with a cosy Thanksgiving activity for adults and kids—a movie marathon?

Choose family-friendly films, holiday classics, or even Thanksgiving-themed films.

Set the mood with blankets, popcorn, and maybe even a hot drink station!

Here are six family-friendly movies to watch on Thanksgiving

• A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving (All Ages) – A timeless classic about friendship and gratitude, perfect for getting into the holiday spirit.
• Free Birds (Ages 5+) – An animated adventure where turkeys try to change Thanksgiving history, offering lots of laughs and action for the family.
• The Blind Side (Ages 10+) – A heartwarming true story of kindness, compassion, and family, making it a touching watch for the holidays.
• Home Alone (Ages 8+) – A fun, family-friendly film where Kevin defends his home during the holidays, perfect for laughter and adventure.
• Coco (Ages 7+) – A colourful, musical journey that highlights the importance of family and traditions, making it a meaningful holiday watch.
• Planes, Trains and Automobiles (Teens and Adults) – A hilarious film about two men trying to get home for Thanksgiving, ideal for older audiences with some mature humour.

8. Bake-Off Challenge

Now, strictly speaking, I would do a Bake-Off Challenge the day before Thanksgiving rather than fighting for space alongside a bunch of family members as you try to prep the main meal!

However, a Bake-Off Challenge is a great way to occupy houseguests staying over for a few days. 

Challenge them to bake something Thanksgiving-themed and award prizes for the best (or just enjoy eating the results!0. 

9. Thanksgiving Photo Booth

It's so lovely to have photo memories of Thanksgiving, but it's also easy to get caught up in the day and forgetting to snap those shots!

One way to make sure you have a photo album's worth of happy photos is to set up a 'photo booth' or zone, style it with autumnal decorations, you could even provide props like turkey hats or pilgrim hats and invite everyone to get their photo smiles on. 

10. Pumpkin Bowling

For an outdoor twist, try pumpkin bowling! Use mini pumpkins as the bowling balls and tins or bottles as the pins.

It's a fun and quirky addition to your Thanksgiving family activities, perfect for getting everyone involved—young or old.

Create Your Own Thanksgiving Traditions

Ultimately, Thanksgiving is all about togetherness and enjoying spending time with your nearest and dearest. 

Tradition plays a big part in the enjoyment of that togetherness. So, whether you cherrypick ideas from this list to pepper into your current family traditions or use a few of them to get some traditions started, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.