Thanksgiving Day is a wonderful time for family, food, and fun! While the turkey is roasting and the delicious smells fill the house, the wait can seem impossibly long for little ones. Don't let the pre-dinner hours turn into chaos!

We've gathered the best Thanksgiving Games—simple, engaging activities guaranteed to entertain kids and keep the holiday spirit bright before dinner.

20 Simple Thanksgiving Games to Play Before Dinner

Choose a few of these easy activities to keep every child happy and busy!

Pin the Wattle on the Turkey Draw a large turkey, blindfold the player, and have them try to pin the wattle in the right spot.

Thankful Scavenger Hunt Give the children a list of items to find that they are thankful for (e.g., "something soft," "a favorite toy").

Turkey Bowling Decorate empty water bottles or paper rolls to look like turkeys and use a ball to knock them down.

Gobble Gobble Freeze Dance Play music and have everyone freeze in a silly turkey pose when the sound stops.

Cranberry Sort Challenge Mix small piles of red and brown beans or pompoms and race to sort them into separate cups.

Turkey Feather Race Give each child a straw and a small feather to blow across a table without using their hands.

Monthly Crafted Membership

Join the Monthly Crafted Membership - Preschool/Kindergarten Collection for a continuous stream of creative, educational resources.

The membership provides fresh, themed crafts and activities each month designed to enhance literacy, math, and fine motor skills in young learners. It's intended for both teachers and parents, offering ready-to-use resources that save time and engage children in meaningful learning.

Members receive instant access to all files upon joining, with new downloads made available every month. The materials are ready-to-print in A4 or Letter paper formats, eliminating hours of planning and prepping, making it a hassle-free solution for busy individuals.

Pass the Pumpkin Have players quickly pass a small pumpkin or gourd around the circle like a game of hot potato.

Thanksgiving Charades Act out holiday words like turkey, gravy, pilgrim, or pie without speaking.

Gratitude A-to-Z Go around the room and name something you are thankful for, starting with each letter of the alphabet.

Mayflower Stack Challenge the children to build the tallest tower possible using toothpicks and mini marshmallows.

Hidden Turkey Hunt Hide a small toy turkey or a paper cutout and give clues to help the kids find it.

Blindfolded Turkey Drawing Give everyone a paper and marker to draw a turkey while keeping their eyes closed.

Cranberry Toss Have players toss cranberries or small balls into a few different sizes of empty glasses or jars.

Paper Bag Puppet Show Use brown paper bags to quickly decorate and create monster or turkey hand puppets.

Thanksgiving "I Spy" Look around the room and give clues for common holiday items like "I spy with my little eye something brown."

Name That Thanksgiving Tune Play short clips of Thanksgiving or general fall holiday songs and have the kids guess the titles.

Pilgrim Hat Ring Toss Use cheap plastic rings or cut paper rings to toss onto an upside-down paper pilgrim hat.

Pumpkin Seed Guess Fill a clear jar with dried pumpkin seeds and have everyone guess how many are inside.

Family Photo Match Gather some childhood photos of the adults and have the kids guess which picture belongs to whom.

Thankful Handprint Wreath Trace and cut out each child’s handprint onto colored paper and glue them onto a ring shape to create a wreath.

Shop Our Thanksgiving Printables

Thanksgiving Craft Hat Crown - download PDF

Thanksgiving Bingo For Classroom Game - download PDF

Turkey Says | Fun Thanksgiving Movement Cards - download PDF

Make your holiday prep even easier with downloadable activities! Our printables are the best solution to instantly entertain kids while you prepare the feast.

Looking for instant download games?

• Find simple and fun Thanksgiving Games and activities on our main site: Crafted with Bliss Thanksgiving Collection

• Check out our highly-rated printable packs and holiday bundles: Crafted with Bliss Etsy Shop

With this massive list of best Thanksgiving games, you have everything you need to easily entertain kids before dinner. Enjoy a calm, fun holiday!