Thanksgiving Charades: Ideas for the Whole Family
Thanksgiving charades is a family game for after the big meal: players silently act out turkey, pumpkin pie, the parade, football and favourite family traditions while their team guesses. Easy cards like Turkey and Family Photo suit kids, while grown-ups can try Carving the Turkey, Black Friday or Falling Asleep During the Game. Split the table into two mixed-age teams and play between dinner and dessert.
Easy Thanksgiving charades for kids
These cards are simple enough for young children. Parade also appears in the Holidays deck and Turkey in the Farm Animals deck; the rest are quick to write on slips.
| Word | How to act it |
|---|---|
| Turkey | Puff out your chest, fan your hands behind you and strut |
| Pumpkin Pie | Draw a big circle, cut a slice and add whipped cream |
| Parade | March in place and wave to the crowd |
| Marching Band | Play a big drum while marching with high knees |
| Feast | Pile food high on a plate with both hands |
| Family Photo | Squeeze together, smile and freeze |
| Apple Pie | Peel an apple, then roll out pastry |
| Setting the Table | Lay down plates, forks and napkins one by one |
| Football | Throw a spiral pass, then catch it |
| Leftovers | Open the fridge and pile a sandwich sky high |
Thanksgiving food and kitchen chaos
The kitchen is where the drama happens on Thanksgiving Day, and these cards capture it:
- Carving the Turkey: sharpen a knife with great ceremony while everyone watches.
- Peeling Potatoes: peel faster and faster as the pile keeps growing.
- Kitchen Disaster: open the oven, wave away the smoke and look panicked.
- Doggy Bag: wrap up leftovers in foil and hand them to every guest at the door.
- Breaking the Wishbone: two people pull, one cheers, one looks heartbroken.
- Cranberry Sauce: slide it out of a can and watch it wobble.
- Reheating Leftovers: put a plate in the microwave, wait, poke it, put it back in.
Family members and family moments
The Family deck adds a funny layer when the whole clan is in the room. Cards like Grandfather, Uncle, Twins, Great-Grandmother and Father-in-Law are fun to act without pointing at anyone real. Try these family moments too:
- The kids’ table: squish onto a tiny chair with your knees up by your ears.
- Saying what you are thankful for: stand, hand on heart, and take a very long pause.
- Long-distance video call to Grandma: hold a phone far too close to your face.
- Arriving late with a dish: rush in holding a hot casserole with oven gloves.
- Falling asleep on the couch: loosen a belt, sink back and snore silently.
Parades, football and Thanksgiving traditions
Many families have the parade on in the morning and football on in the afternoon, so both make great cards:
| Tradition | Acting tip |
|---|---|
| The big parade on TV | Hold a giant balloon on ropes and walk carefully |
| Parade float | Stand still and wave like a queen on a moving stage |
| Thanksgiving football game | Hike the ball, then do a touchdown dance |
| Turkey trot | Jog on the spot in a turkey hat |
| Pardoning the turkey | A very official speech, then set a turkey free |
| Black Friday | Wait outside a shop at dawn, then sprint through the doors |
| Friendsgiving | Hug lots of friends and squeeze around a table |
A note for sports fans: the Football deck in the app is about soccer, with players like Lionel Messi and moves like a corner kick. It is still fun for soccer-mad kids, but for American football, write your own cards like quarterback, touchdown, field goal and halftime show.
Harder Thanksgiving charades for grown-ups
Once the kids have wandered off, try cards that need a bit more acting skill:
- Brining the turkey: lower a huge bird into a bucket and check it every hour.
- Reaching for the last bread roll: two people grab it at the same moment, freeze, and stare each other down.
- Airport on the busiest travel day: drag a suitcase through a crowd, then check a delayed flight board.
- Stretchy pants: pull on a waistband and give a huge sigh of relief.
- Harvest Festival: gather armfuls of corn and squash and lay them out proudly.
Thanksgiving in the US and Canada
The idea is the same in both countries, but the timing and details differ. That gives you a few extra cards for mixed families:
- US Thanksgiving is the fourth Thursday in November, often followed by Black Friday shopping.
- Canadian Thanksgiving is the second Monday in October, closer to harvest, so harvest festival, pumpkin patch and autumn leaves cards fit well.
- Both share turkey, pie, family and football, so those cards work anywhere.
How to run charades after Thanksgiving dinner
- Clear the plates but keep everyone at the table or in the living room.
- Split into teams by table end or by generation, such as grandparents and kids versus parents and teens.
- Write cards on scraps of paper and put them in a clean bowl or a spare hat.
- Use 90 seconds to two minutes per card for classic play.
- Let the youngest act first, while energy is still high.
- Play until the pie is ready, then announce the winners over dessert.
For more mixed-age ideas, see our list of family charades ideas, and save a few winter cards for when the holiday season continues into December.
