Thanksgiving charades: 150+ ideas for the family table and Friendsgiving
Thanksgiving charades is the perfect game for the long gap between pie and leftovers. Here are more than 150 Thanksgiving charades ideas sorted by theme, rules that work for grandkids and grandparents at the same table, and a Friendsgiving version for the night before.
Thanksgiving falls on Thursday, November 26, 2026. That gives you a few weeks to get a game ready, and charades is the one that needs the least prep. After the meal, half the room wants to lie down and the other half wants to do something. Charades lets the sleepy ones guess from the couch while the restless ones perform, and it is one of the few games where an eight-year-old can beat their uncle fair and square.
How to play Thanksgiving charades
- Mix the generations.Put a grandparent, a parent and a kid on each team. Someone knows the old songs, someone knows the new shows.
- Play after the main course, before pie.Energy is still there, and pie becomes the prize.
- 90-second turns.Mixed ages need a bit more time. Drop to 60 once people find their rhythm.
- Allow acting and describing.Grandma can describe, the kids can act. Same word, same point.
- No pass penalty with kids at the table.Keep it friendly; save the cutthroat rules for Friendsgiving.
- The winning team picks the first slice.Nothing motivates a family like pie.
The general charades rules still apply: no saying the word, no rhymes, no spelling it out.
Thanksgiving charades ideas: food
The easiest category, since everyone has just eaten all of it. Act out how it is made, carried or eaten.
- turkey
- stuffing
- mashed potatoes
- gravy
- cranberry sauce
- pumpkin pie
- pecan pie
- apple pie
- sweet potato casserole
- green bean casserole
- corn on the cob
- dinner rolls
- mac and cheese
- whipped cream
- deviled eggs
- a turkey leg
- leftover sandwich
- a turkey drumstick
- canned cranberry sauce
- a Jell-O mold
- marshmallows on yams
- a cheese board
- apple cider
- a turducken
Thanksgiving traditions and activities
These are the most fun to act out because everyone has lived them. "Carving the turkey" or "the kids’ table" gets a laugh before anyone guesses.
- carving the turkey
- saying grace
- going around the table saying thanks
- breaking the wishbone
- basting the turkey
- setting the table
- the kids’ table
- a food coma
- unbuttoning your pants
- falling asleep on the couch
- doing the dishes
- packing leftovers
- watching the parade
- watching football
- the turkey trot
- a Black Friday line
- driving to grandma’s
- a flight delay
- tracing a hand turkey
- a turkey pardon
- raking leaves
- a pie-eating contest
- second helpings
- a toast
Football, parades and pop culture
For the sports fans and TV watchers. Football moves are great for acting, parade balloons are great for describing.
- a touchdown
- a touchdown dance
- a field goal
- a fumble
- the referee
- a halftime show
- a quarterback
- a cheerleader
- yelling at the TV
- fantasy football
- a giant parade balloon
- a marching band
- Santa arriving at the parade
- a float
- a dog show
- the Snoopy balloon
- A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving
- the Friends Thanksgiving episodes
History and harvest
- the Mayflower
- a pilgrim hat
- a harvest
- a cornucopia
- a scarecrow
- a pumpkin patch
- a hayride
- picking apples
- autumn leaves
- a turkey gobbling
- Plymouth Rock
- a corn maze
Family chaos round (the funniest one)
Save this list for the last round. Every family will recognize at least half of these, and somebody will point at somebody else.
- the turkey is still frozen
- the smoke alarm going off
- burning the rolls
- the dog stealing food
- an awkward political debate
- asking about grad school
- a cousin who brought a date
- grandpa asleep in his chair
- one bathroom for twenty people
- the Wi-Fi password
- a toddler meltdown
- fighting over the last piece of pie
- pretending to like the casserole
- the oven is too small
- a phone call from the relatives who couldn’t come
- a group photo that takes forever
- stuck in holiday traffic
- leftovers for a week
Easy Thanksgiving charades for kids
For the kids’ table, pick words they can see or do. Whisper the word to non-readers, or hand them Guessy Kids, which shows pictures instead of words. More tips are in our charades for kids guide.
- turkey
- pie
- corn
- pumpkin
- leaves
- scarecrow
- gobbling like a turkey
- eating pie
- jumping in leaves
- saying thank you
- a parade
- a football
- hugging grandma
- a big nap
- stirring a pot
- a hand turkey
- a squirrel
- an apple
Friendsgiving charades
Friendsgiving is the same holiday with fewer rules and more wine, so the game can be sharper. Play the charades drinking game rules if your crowd is into it, or keep it sober with a point penalty for passes. Swap the family-chaos list for a "Friendsgiving disasters" round: the host who has never cooked a turkey, the guest who brings only napkins, the potluck with six bowls of mac and cheese.
- a potluck
- six bowls of mac and cheese
- bringing store-bought pie
- a first-time turkey
- a group chat sign-up sheet
- running out of chairs
- a board game night
- a wine-soaked toast
- a gratitude round
- a rented folding table
- cleaning up at 1 a.m.
- splitting the bill on Venmo
Want more than charades for the night? Our sister site has a list of Friendsgiving games. And for December, our Christmas charades lists pick up where this one ends.
Playing Thanksgiving charades with an app
Writing 150 slips while the turkey is in the oven is not a great use of the afternoon. The Guessy app deals the words, runs the timer and counts the score when you tilt. The free Animals, Movies and Act It Out topics work for a family table as they are, and with premium you can type your favorite words from this page into your own category once and reuse them every year. It works offline, which helps at relatives with spotty Wi-Fi.
Built-in timer and automatic scoring, 8 free topics, and your own Thanksgiving category with premium. iPhone and Android.
Download freeFrequently asked questions
What are good Thanksgiving charades ideas?
Food (turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie), traditions (carving the turkey, breaking the wishbone, the kids’ table), football and the parade (a touchdown dance, a giant parade balloon), and a funny round of family chaos like the turkey still being frozen.
How do you play Thanksgiving charades with kids and adults?
Put a kid, a parent and a grandparent on each team, use 90-second turns, allow both acting and describing, and skip pass penalties. Give young kids simple words like turkey, pie or leaves.
When is Thanksgiving in 2026?
Thursday, November 26, 2026. Friendsgiving is usually held the weekend before or the night before.
Can you play Thanksgiving charades without writing slips?
Yes. Use the free charades generator in your browser, or play the free topics in the Guessy app, which runs the timer and keeps score. With premium you can add the Thanksgiving words as your own category.