Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate with friends and family. It's also the perfect opportunity to gather everyone together for games because nothing creates lifelong memories like laughter.
Thanksgiving Games for Little Kids
Governor Bradford Commands
William Bradford was the governor of the Plymouth colony for a total of thirty years. He was a good leader and a friend to the Native Americans.
While on the Mayflower, the 102 occupants had approximately 2' x 7' personal space. This game familiarizes children with the main characters of the first Thanksgiving while also giving them an appreciation for the tight quarters the Pilgrims endured for freedom's sake.
Goal: For children to obey the commands while staying within a confined space.
You'll Need:
-Painter's tape or other items to mark off areas for the children.
Instructions:
-Parents, mark off a 2' wide x 7' long space using painter's tape, sticks, or other items to mark off the floor or grass.
-Choose one person to be "William Bradford."
-"William Bradford" will give commands of their choices. Some might include Jumping Jacks, hopping, running, or dancing.
-"William Bradford" will begin a command by either saying, "William Bradford commands" or simply stating the command. If the players perform the command without "William Bradford commands" starting the sentence, they sit down.
-Participants must stay within the 2' x 7' space. If they step out of bounds, they also sit down.
-Children can take turns being William Bradford, or the last person standing can become the governor.
Hop to Freedom
If your children or grandchildren are familiar with the hit show The Floor is Lava, they're sure to enjoy this game while also learning more about the Pilgrim's journey from Holland to Plymouth Harbor, MA.
Before the game begins, quickly share how 102 settlers, including men, women, and children, who had temporarily moved to Holland, later crossed the Atlantic Ocean to gain religious freedom in America. While crossing the ocean, they endured many hardships, but they didn't turn back. Instead, they persevered. Their ability to freely worship God was most important to them.
Goal: Children will start in "Holland" and voyage across the ocean (the floor) by hopping on mini-landing spots to make their way to Plymouth Harbor, MA, without falling into the "ocean."
You'll need:
-Paper: 2 pieces of poster paper (landings) and construction paper (mini-landing spots).
-Surface-friendly tape for taping the mini-landing spots to the floor.
-Children-friendly markers if the children want to decorate the "Holland" and "Plymouth" landings.
Before the game begins:
-Write these hardships on various mini-landing spots: A Crowded Boat, Stormy Season, Cold Weather, Bitter Winds, Damp Living Spaces, Sea Sickness, Hunger.
-Write "Holland" on one poster board and "Freedom: Plymouth, MA" on the other.
-Tape down the poster boards as far apart as you prefer, depending on the number of mini-landing spots you choose.
-Tape down the mini-landing spots.
Instructions:
Children will begin in Holland one by one and hop onto the mini-landing spots as they make their way to Plymouth Harbor. If they land on a mini-landing spot with one of the Pilgrim's hardships written on it, the child or parent will read it aloud, and the child will hop in place three times before moving to the next spot. (Parents can make this as easy or challenging as they like by adding obstacles or placing some mini-landing spots on the floor, pillows, or furniture.)
After all the children have "landed" at Plymouth, read the joyful words William Bradford, the Pilgrim's governor, wrote when they spotted land on November 9, 1620:
"Being thus arrived in a good harbor and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of heaven, who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean and delivered them from all the perils and miseries thereof."
*To end your time, consider asking the children how God has helped them this week and then hand out mini bags of candy corn, representing corn, which was one of the first crops they learned to grow, thanks to the Native Americans.
Thanksgiving Games for Big Kids
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/GarethWebb
Scavenger Hunt
Depending on the number of kids, they can do the scavenger hunt alone or be divided into teams.
Goal: To find as many items as possible on the list before the time runs out.
You'll need:
-Bags for the children to collect their items.
-Prize or prizes for the winner and runners-up.
Instructions:
Set a time limit depending on the ages of the kids. Consider giving them a bag or basket to collect the items. Print out the Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt (click here!) and hand one to each child or one per team.
Skip, Hop, and Shout!
The word "pilgrim" is defined as a person on a journey. It most often refers to someone on a sacred journey, but it can also be used in a general sense.
Governor Bradford wrote about their departure from Holland, saying there was an abundance of tears. They'd lived there for twelve years and had made good friends, but their focus was on the end goal, to gain religious freedom. This game focuses on the journey part of the Pilgrim's story.
Goal: Skip or hop down a lane of squares, circles, or any shapes, while shouting out words that correspond with the words written in the shapes.
You'll need:
-Chalk or masking/paint tape for marking off shapes
Instructions:
Draw a variety of shapes in the form of a lane. Place some further away than others to make it more challenging. The kids can either skip or switch hopping on one or two legs as they make their way down the lane. When they land on a shape with Thanksgiving or Fall words, they must stop and shout a word that corresponds with those words. For instance, if the words are "Thanksgiving Food," they could shout out turkey, potatoes, etc.
Other possible categories: Pilgrims, Fall Activities, Fall Sports, A Recent Blessing, A Fall Scent, Fall Sounds
Thanksgiving Games for Grownups
Scavenger Hunt
Depending on the number of adults, this hunt can be done alone or divided into teams.
Goal: To find as many items as possible on the list before the time runs out.
You'll need:
-Phone camera to take pictures of found items.
-Printouts of the hunt. (Or take a picture of it.)
-Prize for the winner.
Instructions:
Set a time limit. Use the Thanksgiving Scavenger Hunt printout (click here!) to find items. Depending on the item, take a picture, or follow the directions. Whoever completes the most prompts in the time limit wins.
Turkey Talk
Goal: To see if the first whispered phrase ends up being the same word as the last.
Instructions:
Ask adults to line up or make a circle. Place them far enough so they can't hear what's being whispered to the person beside them. (If you're playing inside, turn up the music.) The first person whispers a phrase into the ear of the person beside them. Then, that person whispers what they heard into the next person's ear. The final person announces what they heard, and the first person tells the original phrase.
Examples for starter phrases: I yam what I yam, You're the apple of my eye, Bakers bake blessings in bundles, Turkey baster, I want to wear a pilgrim hat!
Consider playing this game before or after a Friendsgiving gathering.
Thanksgiving Games for the Whole Family
Thanksgiving Fill-in-the-Blank Fun
One person will see the story and ask the others to fill in the blanks with a verb, adjective, noun, etc. Once all the blanks are filled, the story is read aloud by the reader. Prepare for lots of laughter as you read a story about Thanksgiving Day.
Click here for the PDF!
Cranberry Toss
Wild cranberries were a mainstay for Native Americans and the pilgrims.
Goal: Individuals toss cranberries from a distance, one by one, in hopes of them landing inside the pumpkin. The person with the most cranberries after ten tosses wins the game.
You'll need:
-A medium to large pumpkin. An imperfect one is the perfect choice.
-Knife to cut the top of the pumpkin.
-Cranberries (ten per person)
Instructions:
Cut off the top of a pumpkin. Remove any pulp that would hinder the cranberries from entering the pumpkin, or leave some at the top if you prefer a challenge. Mark off a reasonable distance for children, as well as one for older children or adults. Each person has ten turns to toss the cranberries into the pumpkin. Whoever lands the most cranberries inside the pumpkin after ten turns wins the game.
Note: Rinse the cranberries well after playing to use for a recipe or decoration. Following in the Pilgrims' footsteps, nothing is wasted.
A Thanksgiving Prayer
My Provider and Sustainer, I thank You for the robust faith of the men and women who landed in Plymouth in 1620, for they risked everything to worship You freely. Forgive me for taking this sacred privilege for granted at times. I pray for a pilgrim mindset, for that is what I am. Help me to stay focused on the things that matter, not the temporal. Fill my heart and mind with gratitude, and may everything I say and do reflect my love for Christ today and every day. Amen.
Photo credit: ©GettyImages/Zulfiska
Cathy Baker is the author of Pauses for the Vacationing Soul: A Sensory-Based Devotional Guide for the Beach and Pauses for the Vacationing Soul: A Sensory-Based Devotional Guide for the Mountains. She writes from a tiny studio lovingly known as The Tiny House on the Hill in the Foothills of SC. As an author, Hope Writer, and Bible teacher for over twenty-five years, she encourages women to pause and embrace the seemingly small, mundane moments of their day for God’s glory. She invites you to join her in the tiny house where you’re always welcome to come in and take a seat.