Thanksgiving dinner is over, everyone’s had a slice of pie, and the kids are ready for something fun. If you’re looking for a game that brings the whole family together without complicated rules or expensive supplies, Thanksgiving charades is an easy choice.
All you need is a collection of holiday-themed words and phrases, a little room to move, and family members willing to act a bit silly.
Children can pretend to be turkeys, adults can attempt to act out mashed potatoes, and everyone gets a chance to laugh together. You can play at the dinner table, in the living room, or with a larger group at a family gathering.
Below, you’ll find 60 Thanksgiving charades ideas, simple instructions, and easy ways to adapt the game for toddlers, older kids, and adults.
Table of Contents
How to Play Thanksgiving Charades
Charades is a guessing game where one person acts out a word or phrase without speaking. Everyone else tries to guess what they’re pretending to be or do.
The Thanksgiving version uses holiday foods, family traditions, autumn activities, and other seasonal ideas.
What You’ll Need
- Paper and a pen, or a phone displaying the prompts below
- A bowl or container for folded paper slips, if using them
- A timer, if you want timed rounds
- Enough space for players to act comfortably
You don’t need to buy a game or download a special template.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Choose several prompts from the lists below and write each one on a separate slip of paper.
- Fold the slips and place them in a bowl.
- Choose someone to act first.
- The actor draws a prompt and acts it out without speaking or showing the paper.
- Everyone else tries to guess the answer.
- Once someone guesses correctly, choose a new actor and continue.
For a casual family game, there’s no need to keep score. Just take turns and enjoy the guesses.
If you prefer a little competition, divide players into teams and award one point for each correctly guessed prompt.
How Long Should Each Round Last?
A 60-second timer is a useful starting point for older children and adults.
For younger children, skip the timer or allow extra time. It can take a few attempts to understand how to communicate without speaking.
Let players pass on a prompt if they don’t know how to act it out.
Easy Thanksgiving Charades for Kids
Start with actions that children can recognize and imitate. These prompts are particularly useful for younger players because they involve familiar movements rather than difficult objects or abstract ideas.
For preschoolers, an adult can quietly read the prompt and help them understand what to act out.
- Waddling like a turkey – Take short, silly steps while flapping your arms.
- Gobbling like a turkey – Puff up your chest and pretend to make a turkey sound without actually speaking.
- Stirring mashed potatoes – Pretend to stir a large pot with an imaginary spoon.
- Peeling a potato – Hold an imaginary potato and carefully peel it.
- Rolling pie dough – Move an imaginary rolling pin back and forth.
- Picking apples – Reach above your head and place imaginary apples in a basket.
- Raking leaves – Pretend to gather leaves into a big pile.
- Carrying a heavy pumpkin – Lift an imaginary pumpkin and struggle with its weight.
- Washing your hands – Pretend to turn on a tap and scrub your hands.
- Setting the table – Arrange imaginary plates, cups, and napkins.
- Blowing on hot soup – Hold an imaginary bowl and carefully cool it.
- Eating a giant slice of pie – Take an exaggerated bite and pretend to enjoy it.
- Falling asleep after dinner – Lean back, close your eyes, and pretend to snore.
- Giving someone a hug – Wrap your arms around an imaginary person.
- Waving hello to family – Pretend to open a door and greet arriving guests.
Tip: For children who are just learning charades, let them choose their favorite action rather than drawing a random prompt. Once they understand the game, introduce the mystery slips.
Thanksgiving Food Charades
Food is a natural Thanksgiving charades category, although some dishes are harder to act out than others.
Players can pretend to prepare, serve, or eat the food to help their teammates guess.
These prompts are especially fun for older children and adults who enjoy a little challenge.
- Pumpkin pie – Pretend to slice a pie, then take a bite.
- Mashed potatoes – Mash imaginary potatoes in a large bowl.
- Cranberry sauce – Pretend to pour or spoon sauce onto a plate.
- Stuffing – Mix ingredients in a bowl and spoon them into a serving dish.
- Gravy – Carefully pour an imaginary gravy boat over a plate.
- Corn on the cob – Hold an imaginary cob with both hands and eat across it.
- Roasted carrots – Peel a carrot, place it in a pan, and put it in an imaginary oven.
- Bread roll – Tear an imaginary roll in half and spread butter on it.
- Apple cider – Pour a drink into a mug and pretend to sip it.
- Sweet potato casserole – Mash sweet potatoes and place a large dish in the oven.
- Green beans – Snap the ends off imaginary beans and toss them into a pot.
- Baked apples – Core an apple and place it in an imaginary baking dish.
- Whipped cream – Pretend to whip cream, then add a big spoonful to dessert.
- Pecan pie – Crack imaginary nuts and arrange them on top of a pie.
- Roasted turkey – Pretend to pull a large roasting pan out of the oven.
If nobody can guess a dish, the actor may give a nonverbal hint by showing how it is eaten or served.
For younger players, choose recognizable foods such as corn, bread, apples, and pumpkin pie.
Autumn and Thanksgiving Charades Words
Thanksgiving is also a great opportunity to use autumn-inspired words. These prompts work well when you want to move beyond food and include outdoor activities, seasonal clothing, and familiar fall sights.
- Crunchy leaves – Walk slowly, then exaggerate the sound of stepping on leaves without speaking.
- Windy day – Lean into an imaginary gust and hold onto your hat.
- Scarecrow – Stand stiffly with your arms out to the sides.
- Pumpkin patch – Walk around looking at pumpkins and choose one to pick up.
- Hayride – Pretend to sit on a bumpy wagon and hold on.
- Rain boots – Pull on tall imaginary boots and stomp through puddles.
- Umbrella – Open an imaginary umbrella and hold it above your head.
- Apple orchard – Look up at rows of trees and pick apples.
- Squirrel gathering acorns – Scamper around collecting imaginary acorns.
- Cozy sweater – Pull an imaginary sweater over your head and get comfortable.
- Leaf pile – Rake leaves together and pretend to jump into the pile.
- Birds flying south – Spread your arms and pretend to fly in formation.
- Garden rake – Pretend to use a long-handled tool to gather leaves.
- Harvest basket – Pick vegetables and place them in an imaginary basket.
- Cozy blanket – Wrap yourself in an imaginary blanket and curl up.
Some of these words have several possible interpretations. That’s part of the fun: the actor might be pretending to wear rain boots while everyone else is convinced they’re walking like a robot.
Funny Thanksgiving Charades for Adults and Older Kids
Once everyone understands the game, introduce longer phrases and familiar family situations.
These prompts require a little more imagination and can produce some of the funniest guesses of the evening.
- Balancing a stack of plates – Carry an imaginary wobbling tower across the room.
- Cooking while the phone rings – Stir a pot, answer an imaginary phone, and try to do both at once.
- Looking for enough chairs – Count imaginary guests and search for extra seats.
- Squeezing around a crowded table – Carefully shuffle sideways between imaginary chairs.
- Taking a family photo – Arrange everyone, set an imaginary camera, and rush into position.
- Spilling the gravy – Pour from an imaginary gravy boat, then react dramatically to a spill.
- Dropping a dinner roll – Reach for a roll, accidentally drop it, and look around for it.
- Holding the door for guests – Open an imaginary door while pretending to carry several things.
- Searching for a missing recipe – Look through imaginary drawers, books, and kitchen cupboards.
- Carrying too many grocery bags – Struggle to carry several heavy bags at once.
- Washing a mountain of dishes – Scrub one imaginary plate after another.
- Packing Thanksgiving leftovers – Fill imaginary containers and squeeze them into the fridge.
- Finding a seat at the kids’ table – Look for an available chair among tiny imaginary seats.
- Carrying a pie without dropping it – Carefully balance a pie while navigating obstacles.
- Playing a family board game – Roll imaginary dice, move a piece, and celebrate a win.
These phrases also work well for team charades. Give each team one minute to guess as many prompts as possible, then switch actors.
Thanksgiving Charades for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Traditional charades can be difficult for very young children because they must understand a prompt, act it out, and avoid saying the answer.
For toddlers, simplify the game rather than expecting them to follow all the standard rules.
Use Familiar Actions
Choose prompts such as stirring, eating, waving, sleeping, or waddling like a turkey.
These are easier to demonstrate than something like cranberry sauce or sweet potato casserole.
Let an Adult Help
Read the prompt quietly and show your child how they might act it out.
You can also act together while the rest of the family guesses.
Skip the Timer
Give children time to think and try different movements.
If they want to say the answer, let them. The aim is to enjoy the activity, not enforce every rule.
Keep Everyone Playing
Don’t eliminate children for speaking, laughing, or forgetting what they’re supposed to do.
A few short rounds are usually more enjoyable than a long, competitive game for this age group.
How to Play Thanksgiving Charades With a Large Family
For a bigger gathering, dividing everyone into teams can make the game easier to organize.
Try creating two mixed-age teams so children and adults can help each other.
Team Rules
- Divide players into two teams.
- Choose one actor from the first team.
- The actor draws a prompt and has 60 seconds to act it out.
- Only their teammates may guess during that turn.
- A correct guess earns one point.
- The other team takes its turn.
Continue until each player has had a chance to act, or play a set number of rounds.
For a shorter game, let each team draw five prompts and count how many they guess correctly.
If some relatives prefer not to act, invite them to guess, keep time, or read prompts for younger children instead.
How to Make Thanksgiving Charades More Challenging
Once your family gets comfortable with the basic game, try changing the rules for a few rounds.
One-Minute Challenge
Give a team 60 seconds to guess as many prompts as possible. A new actor can take over after each correct answer.
Silent Family Challenge
The actor cannot speak, make sound effects, or use objects. All clues must come from movement and gestures.
Two-Person Charades
Two players act out the same prompt together while the rest of the family guesses.
Try this with prompts such as taking a family photo, carrying a heavy pumpkin, or setting the table.
Reverse Charades
One person guesses while everyone else acts out the same prompt together.
This variation is especially entertaining for larger groups because the guesser has several different interpretations to watch.
Reverse charades can also make it easier for younger children to participate alongside adults.
How to Prepare Thanksgiving Charades Cards
You can play straight from this article, but paper slips make the game feel more like a mystery.
To prepare your own cards:
- Choose 20–30 prompts from the lists above.
- Write each prompt on a separate piece of paper.
- Fold the papers so the words cannot be seen.
- Place them in a bowl or small container.
- Put easier prompts in one bowl and challenging prompts in another if different ages are playing.
For a family with younger children, include more action prompts and fewer difficult food names.
For adults and older kids, mix in the longer family-situation prompts.
You can also copy the prompts into a document and print your own cards. No special printable is required to play.
Other Thanksgiving Games to Play With the Family
If everyone enjoys charades but wants a different kind of game afterward, try a simple drawing challenge, a family guessing game, or an activity that gets everyone moving.
For an outdoor gathering, our games to play outside guide includes activities for children of different ages.
If your family prefers something quieter after dinner, explore our easy card games for kids for games that use a regular deck of cards.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you play Thanksgiving charades?
Write Thanksgiving-themed words or phrases on separate slips of paper. One player draws a prompt and acts it out without speaking while the others guess. Take turns acting and guessing, or divide into teams and award points for correct answers.
What are some easy Thanksgiving charades words for kids?
Good starting prompts include turkey, pumpkin, apple, pie, falling leaves, stirring a pot, and setting the table. Younger children often find familiar actions easier to act out than more abstract holiday words.
Can toddlers play Thanksgiving charades?
Yes, with simplified rules and adult help. Let toddlers imitate familiar actions such as eating, waving, sleeping, or waddling like a turkey. Skip strict timers and allow children to speak or receive hints when needed.
How many Thanksgiving charades prompts do I need?
A collection of 20–30 prompts is usually enough for a casual family game. For a larger group or several rounds, prepare more. This guide includes 60 prompts so you can choose a mix of easy and challenging ideas.
How long does a game of Thanksgiving charades take?
A casual game can last around 15–30 minutes, depending on the number of players and rounds. You can make it shorter by giving everyone one turn or longer by organizing several team rounds.
Do you need to print Thanksgiving charades cards?
No. You can write prompts on paper slips, display them on a phone, or have an adult quietly read them to each actor. Printed cards are convenient but not necessary.
What if someone doesn’t want to act?
Let them participate as a guesser, timer, scorekeeper, or prompt reader. Charades should be a relaxed family activity, so nobody needs to perform in front of the group if they’d rather not.
Final Thoughts
Thanksgiving charades is an easy way to bring children and adults together without adding much work to your holiday preparations.
Start with a few simple actions, add some Thanksgiving food prompts, and introduce the funny family situations once everyone gets comfortable.
You don’t need perfect acting skills or a strict scoring system. In fact, some of the funniest moments happen when someone tries to act out a pumpkin pie and the entire family guesses something completely different.
Choose a handful of prompts, gather everyone together, and enjoy a few rounds of holiday laughter.
