Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to gather with family, enjoy good food, and make memories together.
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But if you’ve ever tried to finish preparing Thanksgiving dinner with excited kids underfoot, you know that keeping everyone entertained can be a challenge!
The good news is that you don’t need elaborate crafts or expensive supplies to keep children busy.
A few simple activities can give kids something fun to do while the turkey finishes roasting and the rest of the meal comes together.
Whether you’re hosting a big family gathering or enjoying a quiet Thanksgiving at home, here are 10 fun Thanksgiving activities for kids that are easy to set up and enjoyable for a variety of ages.
Play a Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt
A scavenger hunt is a fun way to get kids moving and exploring while the adults finish preparing dinner.
Create a list of Thanksgiving and fall items for children to find around the house. You can make the hunt as simple or challenging as you like, depending on their ages.
Here are a few things to include:
- A pumpkin
- An orange or red leaf
- A pinecone
- A turkey decoration
- Something that smells good
- Something shaped like a heart
- A Thanksgiving food
- Something you’re thankful for
- A cozy blanket
- A fall-colored decoration
For younger children, use pictures instead of words. Older kids might enjoy a timed challenge or a photo scavenger hunt.
If you’d rather not make your own list, my Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt printable makes it easy to get started.
Try Thanksgiving Minute to Win It Games
If your kids have lots of energy, Thanksgiving Minute to Win It games are a great way to channel it into something fun.
The idea is simple: give players one minute to complete a silly challenge. You can play individually, in teams, or have the whole family join in.
Try challenges such as:
- Pumpkin stack: Stack small lightweight pumpkin decorations without knocking them over.
- Cotton ball scoop: Move cotton balls from one bowl to another using a spoon.
- Feather race: Use a straw to blow a lightweight feather across a table to a finish line.
- Turkey toss: Toss soft beanbags into a basket decorated like a turkey.
- Cup stacking: See how quickly players can stack and unstack a set of plastic cups.
Keep the challenges age-appropriate, clear breakable items away from the playing area, and supervise younger children.
These games are especially fun when cousins or friends are visiting. You can even keep score and award a silly prize to the winner.
If you’d rather not make your own game, my Thanksgiving Minute to Win It printable makes it easy to get started.
Make Thanksgiving Place Cards
Let kids help prepare the Thanksgiving table by making place cards for everyone.
All you need is paper or cardstock, markers, crayons, and a few simple craft supplies. Fold each piece of paper in half and have the children write everyone’s name on a card.
They can decorate the cards with:
- Hand-drawn turkeys
- Colorful fall leaves
- Pumpkins
- Cornucopias
- Stickers
- Fingerprint turkeys
- Paper leaves with each person’s name
For an extra-special touch, ask each child to write one thing they appreciate about the person whose place card they’re decorating.
This activity keeps kids occupied while also giving them a meaningful way to contribute to the celebration.
Play Thanksgiving Charades
Charades is an easy game that requires very little preparation and can include children and adults.
Write Thanksgiving-themed words and phrases on small slips of paper. Players take turns acting them out without speaking while everyone else tries to guess.
Here are some ideas:
- Eating a giant slice of pumpkin pie
- Roasting a turkey
- Raking leaves
- Watching a football game
- Making mashed potatoes
- Picking apples
- Carving a pumpkin
- Falling asleep after Thanksgiving dinner
- Setting the table
- Baking cookies
Younger children can draw pictures instead of reading the clues.
If you’d like ready-to-use clues, check out my Thanksgiving Charades Game printable.
Set Up a Thanksgiving Coloring Station
Sometimes the simplest activities are the most useful when dinner preparations get busy.
Set up a small table with Thanksgiving coloring pages, crayons, colored pencils, and markers. Add a few sheets of blank paper for children who prefer to draw their own creations.
You could offer pictures of turkeys, pumpkins, autumn leaves, pies, and other Thanksgiving favorites.
For a little extra fun, hold a mini art show before dinner. Let each child display their masterpiece, and invite everyone to admire the artwork.
You don’t need to judge the pictures or choose a winner. The goal is simply to give children a quiet activity they can enjoy at their own pace.
Have a Thanksgiving I Spy Challenge
I Spy is a great activity for kids who enjoy looking closely at their surroundings.
You can play it verbally, or turn it into a written or printable game.
Take turns giving clues about something in the room. For example:
- I spy something orange.
- I spy something shaped like a circle.
- I spy something that smells delicious.
- I spy something with feathers.
- I spy something that reminds me of fall.
- I spy something on the Thanksgiving table.
For younger children, keep the clues simple and point them toward objects they can easily see.
For older children, make the clues more challenging. You can also have everyone search for a certain number of items in each color.
A printable Thanksgiving I Spy game is another easy option if you’d like an activity ready to go before guests arrive.
Create a Thanksgiving Gratitude Tree
Thanksgiving is a natural time to talk about gratitude, and a gratitude tree gives children a creative way to participate.
To make one, gather some construction paper, scissors, markers, and a vase with a few sturdy branches. You can also draw a tree on a large piece of paper.
Cut out paper leaves and invite each child to write or draw something they’re thankful for. Younger children can dictate their answers to an adult.
Ideas might include:
- Family and friends
- Pets
- Favorite foods
- A special memory
- A favorite book
- A teacher or friend
- A place they love
- Something that makes them laugh
Attach the leaves to the branches or paper tree. By Thanksgiving dinner, you’ll have a colorful display filled with things your family appreciates.
It’s a simple paper craft that lets everyone add their own blessings to a tree, creating a meaningful decoration for the holiday.
You can save the leaves and bring them out again next year to see what has changed.
Organize a Thanksgiving Word Scramble
For kids who enjoy puzzles, a Thanksgiving word scramble is an easy activity that can be done at the kitchen table or in another quiet corner of the house.
Use words related to the holiday, such as:
- TURKEY
- PUMPKIN
- STUFFING
- HARVEST
- FAMILY
- CORNBREAD
- GRATITUDE
- CRANBERRY
- PILGRIM
- AUTUMN
Write the letters of each word in the wrong order and challenge children to unscramble them.
You can make the game easier for younger kids by including a word bank or pictures. Older kids can compete to see who finishes first.
My Thanksgiving Word Scramble for Kids printable is a convenient option if you want to skip making the puzzle yourself.
Play Thanksgiving Would You Rather?
Would You Rather is a simple conversation game that can lead to plenty of laughter.
Read two choices aloud and have each child pick the one they’d prefer. You can ask everyone to explain their answer, too.
Here are some Thanksgiving-themed questions:
- Would you rather eat pumpkin pie or apple pie?
- Would you rather cook Thanksgiving dinner or wash all the dishes?
- Would you rather have Thanksgiving in the mountains or at the beach?
- Would you rather eat only side dishes or only desserts?
- Would you rather have a turkey that can talk or a pumpkin that can sing?
- Would you rather decorate the entire house or plan all the games?
- Would you rather help make dinner or help serve dessert?
- Would you rather have Thanksgiving twice a year or Christmas twice a year?
There are no right or wrong answers, which makes this game fun for children and adults alike.
You can find even more questions in my Thanksgiving Would You Rather Game printable.
Let Kids Help with Thanksgiving Dinner
Not every activity has to be a separate game. Many children enjoy feeling included in the preparations, especially when they’re given a job they can handle.
Depending on their age and abilities, kids can help with tasks such as:
- Folding napkins
- Setting out unbreakable dishes
- Arranging flowers or decorations
- Placing place cards at the table
- Putting rolls in a serving basket
- Carrying lightweight items to the table
- Helping arrange desserts on a tray
- Making a simple centerpiece
Younger children can sort napkins or arrange decorations, while older kids may be able to help with more involved tasks under adult supervision.
Keep children away from hot pans, sharp knives, and other kitchen hazards. Give them a clearly defined task, and remember that the goal is participation rather than perfection.
You can also let the kids help decorate the Thanksgiving table with homemade placemats.
My fall leaf placemat craft is a fun way to bring autumn colors to the table and give children a creative project to work on before dinner.
Sometimes, helping prepare the meal becomes one of their favorite Thanksgiving memories.
Tips for Keeping Kids Entertained on Thanksgiving
A little planning can make the day easier for everyone.
Prepare activities ahead of time. Put supplies in baskets or on a table before guests arrive so children can get started without waiting for help.
Offer a variety of choices. Some kids love active games, while others prefer coloring or puzzles. A mix of activities gives everyone something to enjoy.
Create a designated activity area. If possible, set up a small space away from the busiest part of the kitchen where children can play safely.
Invite cousins and visiting friends to join in. Many of these activities become even more fun when children have someone to play with.
Don’t feel like you have to entertain everyone constantly. Give children a few choices and let them decide what sounds fun.
It’s perfectly fine for them to spend some time playing independently, with appropriate supervision.
Keep expectations realistic. Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be perfectly organized. A few simple activities are often more than enough.
Make Thanksgiving Fun for the Whole Family
Keeping kids entertained while Thanksgiving dinner cooks doesn’t have to be complicated.
A scavenger hunt, a few silly games, a coloring station, or a simple craft can help make the holiday more enjoyable for children and adults.
If you want to make preparation even easier, my Thanksgiving printables include activities such as scavenger hunts, charades, word scrambles, I Spy, and Would You Rather.
Print them before the holiday, set them out, and you’ll have several activities ready whenever the kids need something to do.
The best part is that these activities aren’t just a way to pass the time. They’re an opportunity for kids to laugh together, help out, and create happy Thanksgiving memories.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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