37 Fun Family Activities to Do Together on Thanksgiving Day

Looking for something to do on Thanksgiving Day? We’ve got you covered! Here are 37 fun Thanksgiving family activities that will keep everyone entertained. Kids, adults, and even teens will love these popular holiday-themed ideas ranging from watching the parade and doing crafts, to printables and being active outside.

The Thanksgiving meal often takes center stage on the holiday and you probably have your Thanksgiving menu all planned out. But what about before or after the big feast? There’s so much more to the day than just cooking and eating! There’s a lot of quality time to enjoy with your extended family or close friends (if you are hosting a Friendsgiving), and these activities will help make the most of it.

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If you want to create new family traditions, or just keep the kiddos entertained, these are the perfect ideas for all ages to do together. If you and your family have a competitive spirit, make a family bucket list and see how many activities each member can check off! These ideas are so fun, everyone is sure to love them.

Things to Do on Thanksgiving Day

This year, create new memories with your loved ones with some of these festive activities this holiday season. There is enough here to fill the big day from the time you wake up to watch the parade to when you’re trying to walk off that turkey coma or that second piece of pumpkin pie.

1. Play holiday-themed family feud

My whole family loves to watch and play Family Feud, and Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday to break out this game. To make it Thanksgiving themed, come up with survey questions about all things related to the holiday like “name a side dish served at Thanksgiving,” or “something you are thankful for.”

Shop fun Turkey-themed Family Feud Trivia on Etsy.

2. Watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

One of the most beloved holiday traditions, watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a must for many families. Get up early and watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade together. Make it a tradition and have some breakfast while you enjoy all the gigantic character balloons, floats, and performers go by. You can even try to spot family and friends in the crowd!

Some easy breakfast ideas that feed a crowd are overnight oats, breakfast casserole, or a fruit and yogurt parfaits. Set everything out buffet style so people can help themselves and then settle in and watch the parade.

3. Make homemade thank you cards

A Thanksgiving themed craft is the perfect activity to do with kids of all ages. Gather some construction paper or card stock, crayons, markers, and any other art supplies you have on hand, and let everyone make their own homemade thank you cards. Older kids through adults can write inside them what you are thankful for this year. Younger children can draw pictures or glue on fall leaves. These make great keepsakes and can even be mailed to grandparents or other relatives.

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4. Volunteer at a local community kitchen

For families who want to give back and teach their kids the importance of helping others, consider volunteering at a local soup kitchen. There are often Thanksgiving meal programs where you can help prepare and serve food to those in need. This is a great activity to do as a family and something everyone can feel good about.

Related: Find more fall family activities here to celebrate the season.

5. Run in a turkey trot

If your family enjoys being active, consider signing up for a Thanksgiving Day turkey trot or 5k. There are usually races happening all over the country on Thanksgiving morning. This is a great activity to do together as a family and can be a fun way to start off the holiday.

Related: Find great gifts for walkers and runners here.

6. Play Thanksgiving trivia

This is a fun activity for all ages and can be done while you are waiting for dinner to be ready. You can find printable Thanksgiving day trivia games on Etsy, or make your own ahead of time. Ask questions about the history of Thanksgiving, popular Thanksgiving foods, or Thanksgiving traditions.

Shop Etsy for a great selection of trivia printables.

7. Go to the movies

If you are looking for a low-key activity, consider going to see a show at the movie theater. I know many families that make moviegoing a Turkey Day tradition. It’s a great way to relax and escape from all the hustle and bustle for a little while.

8. Host a movie marathon

If you’d rather not go out and would prefer to stay home, consider having a movie marathon. There are so many great Thanksgiving-themed movies out there, from family classics to newer releases. It’s the Great Pumpkin Charlie Brown and A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving are some of my personal favorites for younger children. For tweens and teens, try Miracle on 34th Street or Elf. For horror fans, there’s always Halloween. And for adults, there are classics like Planes, Trains, and Automobiles or National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation.

You could even make it a Thanksgiving themed movie night and have popcorn with all the fixings; melted butter or caramel and chocolate drizzle. Try this recipe for S’mores Popcorn.

9. Go on a nature walk or hike

One of the best things about this time of year is all the beautiful fall colors. Take a nature walk as a family, go hiking with the kids and look for different types of leaves. See who can find the most, or collect some to bring home and use for your Thanksgiving crafts later in the day. If you’re feeling more adventurous, go on a short hike and take in the scenery.

10. Soda bottle bowling

This is a fun and easy activity that can be done inside or outside. All you need are some plastic soda bottles (or water bottles) and a small ball. Set up the bottles like bowling pins and take turns trying to knock them down.

11. Rake leaves and jump in the leaf pile

This is a classic fall activity that is fun for all ages. After you have finished raking the leaves, take some time to jump in the leaf pile and just enjoy being outside. If you have a bigger yard, you could even set up an obstacle course or make a leaf fort.

12. Play tag or flag football

Get outside and burn off some energy by playing a game of tag or flag football. This is a great activity to do with extended family, friends, or even neighbors.

If you want more ideas, try these other outdoor games with teens and older children.

13. Craft a fall wreath

Making a fall wreath is a great way to get into the Thanksgiving spirit. You can use different types of leaves, berries, and other decorations to create a wreath that is uniquely your own. This is a great project to do with kids, and they will love showing it off to their friends and family.

14. Go on a hayride

If you are looking for a fun family activity that will get you into the Thanksgiving spirit, consider going on a hayride. Most towns or cities have hayrides available around this time of year. It’s a great way to enjoy the outdoors and take in all the autumn colors.

15. Fall-themed Pictionary

This is a fun family activity that can be done while you are waiting for dinner to be ready. You can find printable Thanksgiving day trivia games on Etsy, or make your own ahead of time. Ask questions about the history of Thanksgiving, popular Thanksgiving foods, or Thanksgiving traditions.

Shop Etsy for a great selection of pictionary printables.

16. Make Thanksgiving Day cookies

One of my favorite Thanksgiving Day traditions is making cookies with my family. We usually make a variety of different cookies, from traditional frosted sugar cookies to more festive ones like Spicy Double Chocolate Cookies. It’s a great way to spend time together in the kitchen and everyone always has a lot of fun.

17. Decorate the house for Thanksgiving

One of the best things about Thanksgiving is getting to decorate the house with all the festive fall decorations. There are so many great options available, from pumpkins and gourds to leaves and berries. You can put together a simple arrangement or go all out and create a Thanksgiving themed display.

18. Play a conversation starter or gratitude game

If you are looking for a fun way to get the family talking, consider playing a game like “Would You Rather” or “I’m Thankful For.” These games are great for sparking conversation and getting everyone in the Thanksgiving spirit.

19. Make Thanksgiving Day placemats

This is a fun and easy activity that the whole family can do together. All you need is some construction paper, markers, and scissors. Decorate the placemats with Thanksgiving Day-themed drawings or write out what you are thankful for.

20. Break the wishbone

This is a fun Thanksgiving tradition that has been around for centuries. The wishbone is traditionally the bone of a chicken or turkey that is dried and then broken by two people. The person who gets the larger half of the wishbone is said to have their wish come true.

21. Give Thanks Tree

This is a fun and easy activity that you can do with the kids. All you need is a piece of construction paper, some crayons or markers, and a pair of scissors. Have the kids draw or write things they are thankful for on the construction paper, then cut out leaves and glue them onto the tree.

22. Play Thanksgiving themed charades

This is a fun family game that can be played with people of all ages. You can find Thanksgiving charade cards online or make your own ahead of time. Once you have the cards, split into teams and take turns acting out the different Thanksgiving-themed words or phrases.

23. Bake a Thanksgiving dessert

One of my favorite things to do on Thanksgiving Day is baking a festive dessert. There are so many great recipes to choose from, like pumpkin pie, pecan pie, or apple crisp. Baking a dessert is a great way to spend time together in the kitchen and enjoy some tasty treats.

Here are some recipe ideas to try:

24. Put a puzzle together

If you are looking for a calm and relaxing activity to do with the family, consider doing a Thanksgiving-themed puzzle. You can find puzzles with Thanksgiving scenes or motifs online or at your local bookstore. This is a great activity to do while you are waiting for dinner to be ready or after the meal is over.

25. Make Thanksgiving crafts

There are so many great Thanksgiving crafts that the whole family can enjoy. You can make handprint turkeys, thankful turkeys, Thanksgiving cards, or decorations for the house. There are plenty of tutorials and ideas online or you can come up with your own.

26. Play cornhole

This is a fun and easy game that can be played with people of all ages. All you need is a cornhole set (you can buy one or make your own) and some bean bags. The object of the game is to throw the bean bags through the hole in the board, with points being awarded for each bag that goes through.

27. Make a scrapbook

This is a fun activity that the whole family can do together. Gather up all your Thanksgiving photos and mementos and put them together in a scrapbook. You can also add in Thanksgiving-themed quotes, poems, or stories. This is a great way to document your Thanksgiving memories and traditions.

28. Play bingo

Play the traditional version of bingo or find Thanksgiving bingo cards online or make your own. Once you have the cards, each player gets a card and a marker. The object of the game is to mark off the squares as the Thanksgiving-themed words are called out. The first person to get a bingo is the winner.

29. Reminisce looking through photo albums

This is a great way to spend time together as a family and reminisce about Thanksgiving past. Pull out your old photo albums and take a trip down memory lane. You can also look through old home videos or use digital photos if you have them.

30. Play a board game together

Pull out your favorite board game and spend some time playing together as a family. This is a great way to spend time together as a family and have some fun.

31. Make your holiday gift list

If you are already thinking about holiday shopping, why not make your gift list together as a family? This is a great way to get everyone on the same page and make sure you are getting everyone the perfect gift.

If you need a little inspiration, see these curated gift guides:

32. Read books aloud by the fire

This is a great activity to do if you have younger children. Gather up some Thanksgiving-themed books and snuggle up by the fire to read them aloud. This is a cozy way to spend time together as a family.

33. Set up a Thanksgiving day scavenger hunt

This is a great activity to do both inside and outside. Make a list of fall-themed items for everyone to find; things like a pinecone, an acorn, a red leaf, etc. If you’re doing it inside, set a time limit and see who can find the most items on the list. If you’re doing it outside, make it a competition and see which team can find all their items first. You could even turn it into a Thanksgiving day treasure hunt by hiding the items around the house and giving clues to find each one.

34. Roast marshmallows by the fire

This is a great activity to do if you have a fire pit or fireplace. Gather up some marshmallows and roast them by the fire. You can make s’mores or just eat them plain. This is a fun and tasty way to spend time together as a family.

35. Play a guessing game

You can play this game with things like Thanksgiving trivia, Thanksgiving-themed objects, or even family members. The object of the game is to guess what the other person is thinking of. This is a great way to spend time together and learn more about each other.

36. Have a fall-themed family photoshoot

This is a great way to capture the memories of Thanksgiving. Dress up in your fall best and head outside for a family photo shoot. You could even do it in your own backyard.

37. Get started on your holiday decorating

If you’re already thinking about the holidays, why not get a head start on your decorating? This is a great way to spend time together as a family and get into the holiday spirit.

Find Even More Family Thanksgiving Activities on Etsy

For fun game printables and activities, I turn to Etsy! There are so many amazing small businesses that have really creative and well-made products. I’m always finding new things that I love. Best of all, it’s easy to find digital downloads that you can print at home, so you don’t have to wait for anything to be shipped. Great for last-minute, fun Thanksgiving games.

For more family activity inspiration, check out our latest posts here:

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