Cooking dinner with the kids at your feet is hard; cooking Thanksgiving Day dinner with kids at your feet is next to impossible. Last year, I ended up taking the little ones to the park in the morning so my husband could prep the turkey. Then, he took over “kid duty” later that afternoon while I prepared all the side dishes.
This year, though, we want to cook our Thanksgiving dinner together, without our kids begging for attention. My goal is to keep them as busy as possible all day long—whether that’s watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, “helping” me clean the house, or giving them an exciting new game to play.
These Thanksgiving-themed printable games are a perfect way to keep your younger guests entertained too. Click below to download and print Thanksgiving Tic-Tac-Toe, Thanksgiving Mad Libs, and Thanksgiving Word Scrambles.
Custom Printable Thanksgiving Games for Kids
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More custom Thanksgiving games for kids
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Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt
You can create your own individual scavenger hunt for all of the kids in your home with varying levels of difficulty depending on their ages. Ideas for items to hunt for include leaves, pumpkins, a neighbor, a pet, a squirrel, and more!
For more ideas, check out this Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt and Printable over at The Taylor House Blog!
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Pin the Feather on the Turkey
Everyone loves “Pin the Tail on the Donkey,” but that’s not quite the Thanksgiving vibe that we’re going for. Instead, keep the rules the same but rather than pinning the tail on the donkey, pin the feather on the turkey. Kids will love this idea and it should be a game they can play with minimal supervision.
You can use this turkey printable from Family Education.
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I’m Thankful from A to Z
Once your kids finish up their scavenger hunt, they can come inside for some appetizers, hot cocoa, and a new game—a thankful list! Have them write out what they are thankful for from A to Z. This should keep them busy for at least 30 minutes, and it’s educational!
Click here for the I’m Thankful from A to Z printable from The Crafting Chicks.
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Thanksgiving Bingo
All kids love Bingo! This year, surprise them with a round of Thanksgiving Bingo to play while you finish prepping dinner. Think of a fun prize for the winner—such as the right to pick the movie that night or a new holiday-themed coloring book.
You can check out these free Thanksgiving Bingo Cards here from Crazy Little Projects.
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Kids Thanksgiving Table Activities
Hopefully, these ideas will keep your kids busy during the day, but now it’s time for dinner. My kids aren’t known for their patience at the dinner table, and they’re more likely to eat and run back to whatever it was they were doing. So, to keep our kids happily entertained throughout the meal, we’re creating Thanksgiving table activities this year. They can range from specific items your child must draw to directions on how to build a paper airplane (and you would include the pieces, of course).
Click here for a plethora of ideas on Kids Thanksgiving Table Activities from Design Dazzle.
