by Rachel Wells
Thanksgiving is a holiday that can get the short end of the stick when it comes to attention. There is so much excitement leading up to Halloween, and then as soon as trick or treating is over, it seems as if we head right into preparing for the Christmas season. Thanksgiving isn’t just about the food (even though the food is great), but about spending time with the people we love the most, and focusing on all of the reasons we have to be thankful.
As you make your thanksgiving plans, be sure to add some games and activities to your evening. There is no easier way to start conversations, encourage everyone to interact with each other, create lasting memories, and give your guests both young and old a night to remember. Let us know which ones you tried at home!
Gratitude Game
For this game you will need a pack of skittles or M&M’s, a brown paper bag, and a color-coded thankful prompt list. Take turns reaching into the bag, pulling out a piece of candy, and using the list to finish the statement.
Red candy = Name a person you are thankful for
Yellow candy = Name a place you are thankful for
Green candy = Name a thing you are thankful for
Purple candy = Name a food you are thankful for
Orange candy = Name something of your choice that you are thankful for
Plastic wrap surprise ball
There’s a good chance this game will be requested year after year. Head to the dollar store and pick up a box of plastic wrap, as well as a bunch of small trinkets. Candy, travel sized bath items, or toys work great. If you want to make your group laugh, through in a few gag gifts as well such as a single battery, band aid, or eraser. Start creating a plastic wrap ball by putting a grand prize in the center (like a $5 bill), and then wrapping each prize in a separate layer of plastic wrap so the ball grows bigger and bigger.
To play this game, have everyone sit in a circle, the first person must start unwrapping the ball, and gets to keep all of the prizes they uncover during their turn. The person on their right will roll a dice, trying to roll the number 6. Once the player rolls a 6, the ball must be passed to them and it is now their turn to start unwrapping the ball. Continue on until someone unwraps the middle of the ball and claims the grand prize. To make it more challenging for adults or older kids, have the person unwrapping the ball wear oven mitts instead of using their hands.
Go on a turkey hunt
Kids love to run around, and this game is a great way to control the chaos. Print out clip art images of a turkey and write a number on each of them. Hide the turkeys around the house, and let kids go on a hunt to find all of them throughout the evening. The numbers will help kids (and you!) keep track of which turkeys are still missing as the search continues.
Turkey baster feather races
Give everyone a turkey baster and a craft feather. Line everyone up on one side of the room. For small children, you may want to let them practice using a baster first. When it is time to start, everyone will use their turkey baster to puff the feathers to the other side of the room. The first person to get their feather to the other side of the room wins the race.
