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Fantastic Thanksgiving Games for Parents and Kids

Parenting & Holidays
By Katie Stallings

Image: Deposit Photo

What are you most thankful for? I know family is at the top of my thank-you list to God.

One of my favorite ways for us to spend time together is by playing a few of our favorite games. So, to spread a little gratitude and to help us get into the seasonal spirit, I am sharing a few games and activities you can try to tackle this Thanksgiving season! 

The Game of Things: Thanksgiving Edition 

This game will require pen, paper, and a little creativity. Since this game has a Thanksgiving theme, you will need to make your own Topic Cards, but this will be part of the fun. The Topic Cards should consist of things that someone would react to, like: Things turkeys are actually saying when they gobble, things Squanto says when he stubs his toe, or things they talked about at the first Thanksgiving dinner. One of the most enjoyable parts about this process is creating ideas for the Topic Cards. Once you have completed the Topic Card stack, you are ready to start the game! Just give all players a few slips of paper and a pen or pencil. The main idea is to enjoy the fun and make each other laugh – but you can also track points. The game works like this:

One person will draw a card from the Topic deck. This person will be the reader (There will be a different reader each round). The reader reads the Topic Card out loud and all players, including the leader, write a response to the Topic Card. Do not write your name on the paper as people will be guessing who wrote what and remember; this is not a right or wrong game. The odder the response, the funnier this game will get! 

When you have written your response, fold your paper and give it to the reader. Once the reader has all the players’ responses, they should read each response out loud and the person to the reader’s left will begin guessing who wrote which response. If the player guesses correctly, the person whose response has been guessed loses their turn until the next round. (Rounds begin after all the responses have been guessed and the duty of the reader moves to the next person.)

The player continues guessing until they guess them all correctly or until they guess incorrectly, which the guess will move on to the next player. If the last player guesses incorrectly and there are still responses to guess, begin again with the player that started unless their response has been guessed. Note that the judge of each round does not guess since they are reading the card. 

When all the responses have been guessed, the role of judge moves on to the next player until all players have had a turn to be the reader. Each response is worth a point so the player with the most points wins. Usually when my family plays, everyone has a turn at the reader twice, but your family can decide how long the game goes! 

Believe me when I say, this one does not end without some really good laughs! The game of Things: Thanksgiving Edition will not disappoint! 

Decorate A Turkey

Decorating turkeys may seem basic, but it is a LOT of fun! All you need is a printout of a turkey and then allow your imagination to run wild! You can use anything from glitter to sprinkles and feathers. I think I even used dry noodles to decorate one of the turkey feathers. This is a fun Thanksgiving craft for everyone and it provides opportunity for family time and great memories!  

Family Feud 

It’s time to play Family Feud! One of the most beloved family game shows can come to life in your living room! This game may work best with a bigger group, so this would be perfect for a holiday family gathering with extended family or friends. Since the game is nationally known, you may not need a rundown of how it is played. However, to get you started, here are a few category ideas: 

  • Name something that you have for Thanksgiving that the Indians and Pilgrims did not have at theirs,
  • Name something people buy on Black Friday, 
  • Name something the person preparing Thanksgiving dinner might stress about,
  • Name a food that you eat on Thanksgiving but not the rest of the year.

For the answers, you can use the internet for inspiration or use another source or Etsy has great templates that are cheap and take no time to download! You and your family can also make posters displaying the questions and answers. Just use extra paper strips to reveal the answers when a player guesses correctly. 

Thanksgiving Taboo

Taboo is a classic game and loved by many. The Thanksgiving addition is just as challenging as the regular version, but don’t worry, this one will bring joy to your home!

Divide into two teams. One person has a card with one word at the top and a list of words underneath. The object: do not say any of the words on the card. You must create ways to have a member on your team say the word at the top. Taboo can get really competitive. You can get Thanksgiving Taboo cards on Etsy here.

Thanksgiving Story

Although this is not a game, this one has every potential to have you and your loved ones laughing until you cry! There is nothing sillier than reading nonsense that has been randomly placed into a story. This idea can take two directions: you can download a story template from Etsy (click here) or you can start from scratch. The template will have spaces where you can insert the appropriate parts of speech! If you want to make things a little more interesting, try starting everyone out with a blank sheet of paper and have them write for about a minute. When the time is up, everyone will move a chair down until they return to their original seat. A story that everyone has contributed to is a great way to get your creative wheels turning. This game is sure to give you good memories!

Spin-the-Pie

Spin-the-Pie just might be the sweetest game on the list, but it’s not because of the sugar! The pie is easy to make. You only need a marker, paper plate, orange or red construction paper, and a gold brand. 

Divide the plate into six sections as you would a pie and write a category in each of the “pie slices” on the plate. You will then want to cut the colored construction paper to fit the “pie” but cut a slice out of the paper so it looks like someone cut out a piece of pie. Make a hole at the center of the paper and the plate so the gold brand can run through the middle. The paper should spin with ease to reveal one slice on the plate. The family (or friend) with the plate closes their eyes and spins the plate. Whichever “slice of life” they land on, they must share what they are thankful for in that category or a memory about something in that subject. 

Not competitive, but sweet and sentimental. Who says you can’t have real pie afterwards?

What better way to begin a season of unity, love and cheer than bringing laughter to those you love. Proverbs 17:22 says a merry heart is good medicine, and with all the insanity in the world, everyone could use more of that! 

 

 


The opinions in this article are specific to its author, and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the entire Counter Culture Mom team.

 

 

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As a proud North Carolina girl, Katie Stallings follows her love for writing at the University of North Carolina Wilmington. Her other passions include Jesus, Bible Theology and Eschatology, singing, acting, and uncovering the truth about secret societies, the elite, and things hidden in plain sight. Katie discovered the deceit of the entertainment industry in her early 20s, which led her down a path of exposing the darkness that Hollywood promotes and the evil in the political world.

When she is not working, doing school work, or trying to pack her mind full of information, you will find her with her family or friends, spending time with her nephew, and working in her home church, all with a coffee in her hand.

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