50+ Super Fun Thanksgiving Games for Families, Friends, and Kids

Every year when Thanksgiving rolls around, I think about how much more fun the day feels with games on the agenda.

I love mixing in family games that pull everyone to the table, kids games that keep the younger ones entertained, and lighthearted activities that even friends can enjoy after dinner.

It turns the whole gathering into something lively and warm instead of just a sit-down meal. That’s why I’ve been collecting all my favorite Thanksgiving party ideas to share in one place.

1. Back Roll Chair Challenge

You won’t stop laughing with this one. Everyone’s rolling backward trying to land in their chair, and half the time it ends in total disaster. Simple, stupid, and absolutely hilarious.

How to Play:

1. Give each player a chair and have them lie on the floor in front of it.
2. Keep your back on the ground, knees naturally bent, and grab the front legs of the chair.
3. When someone calls “Go!”, pull yourself backward and roll into the chair using momentum.
4. The first person to land properly in their seat wins.

2. Stocking Swing Challenge

Nothing gets people laughing faster than this one. You look absolutely ridiculous wearing a stocking on your head with a ball swinging at the end, trying to knock down bottles.

How to Play:

1. Fill empty water bottles halfway and line them up like bowling pins.
2. Give each player a pair of pantyhose with a small ball tied at one end.
3. Pull the pantyhose over your head so the ball dangles down.
4. Swing your head to knock down the bottles — first to clear theirs wins.

3. Inflate, Lift, Stack, Repeat

A balloon, a stack of cups, and a lot of lung power—this one turns into a tense little race real quick.

How to Play:

• Line up plastic cups in a row on the table.
• Place an uninflated balloon inside the first cup.
• Blow into the balloon so it expands and lifts the cup off the table.
• While holding the air, move the cup to the next one in line and set it down.
• Deflate, then repeat with the new cup—now lifting two cups at once.

4. Head, Shoulders, Knees, Cup

It always gets me laughing. You think you are keeping up and then suddenly you are scrambling for the cup.

How to Play:

• Set one cup in the middle between two players (or a few cups for bigger groups).
• Stand facing your opponent with hands ready.
• Someone calls out “head, shoulders, knees” in any order, and you follow the moves fast.
• The moment they shout “cup,” both of you race to grab it first.

5. Human Hungry Hippos

If you’ve never played this, you’re missing out. It’s chaos in the best possible way — total must-play at any Thanksgiving or family party.

How to Play:

1. Divide into teams of two — one person lies face down on a flat board, the other holds their legs.
2. Place a pile of balls in the center of the room.
3. When the game starts, the “pushers” slide their partners forward to grab as many balls as possible.
4. The team with the most balls collected wins.

6. Balloon Balance Challenge

You know those games where you feel like your brain is split in two? That’s exactly the vibe here. You’re trying to keep the balloon floating, but at the same time scrambling to scoop up balls.

How to Play:

• Tape off a square on the floor—this is the play zone.
• Toss a bunch of small balls inside.
• Hand each player a basket and a balloon.
• When the timer starts, everyone has to keep their balloon in the air while collecting balls.
• The balloon can’t hit the ground or float outside the square.

7. Toilet Paper Race

Looks simple at first, but once you start pulling, the toilet paper feels ready to snap and the wobbling cup is what makes it hilarious.

How to Play:

• Line up prizes on a table.
• Give each player a roll of toilet paper and place a full cup on the loose end.
• Players slowly roll the toilet paper back toward themselves, trying not to spill.
• If the cup tips or the paper breaks, you’re out.

8. Money Balloon Pop

You can’t help but laugh watching everyone stomp like maniacs trying to pop balloons for cash. The sound, the chaos, the flying money — it’s total madness in the best way.

How to Play:

1. Fill each balloon with small bills.
2. Scatter them all over the floor.
3. On “Go!”, players stomp the balloons with their feet to pop them.
4. Collect as much money as you can — whoever grabs the most wins.

9. Ping Pong Muffin Toss

It’s like beer pong’s clean, family-friendly cousin — but honestly, just as fun. You think landing a ping pong ball in a muffin tray sounds easy, right? Yeah, it’s not. The bounce never goes where you want it to, and that’s half the fun.

How to Play:

1. Place a muffin tray at one end of a table.
2. Label each cup with a number that matches a paper cup or prize.
3. Take turns tossing ping pong balls into the tray.
4. When you land one, open the matching cup to see what’s inside.

10. Mystery Cup Challenge

This one’s pure suspense. Some cups hide prizes, others have nothing — or worse, silly dares. Watching people pick one with total confidence and then realize it’s empty never gets old.

How to Play:

1. Set up several cups upside down on a table.
2. Hide small prizes or notes under a few of them.
3. Players take turns picking a cup to flip.
4. Whatever’s under it is theirs — for better or worse.

11. Slappy Hands Game

This one gets hilarious real quick. Everyone’s sticky hands are flying across the table, and it turns into total chaos trying to grab the prize first.

How to Play:

• Put a coin, candy, or small prize in the center of the table.
• Give each player a stretchy slappy hand toy.
• On “go,” everyone flings their slappy hands at the prize at the same time.
• Missed? Just reel it back and launch again.
• First player to catch the prize and pull it back wins.

12. Lemon Cup Stack Race

You’re trying to unstack cups one by one without making that lemon roll off, and everyone’s dead silent until it wobbles — then it’s chaos. It’s simple, tense, and surprisingly addictive.

How to Play:

1. Stack several plastic cups with a lemon resting on top.
2. Players carefully unstack the cups one by one while keeping the lemon balanced.
3. If the lemon falls, you start over.

13. Color Swap Ball Game

It looks simple until you actually try it. Your brain completely short-circuits trying to move both hands in opposite directions. One goes left, the other goes right, and suddenly everyone’s shouting and laughing because no one can focus.

How to Play:

1. Place two bowls in front of each player — one filled with red balls, the other with blue.
2. On “Go!”, use both hands at the same time to swap the balls — right hand moves left, left hand moves right.
3. You can only move one ball per hand at a time.

14. Blindfold Money Scoop

This game gets loud. Everyone’s cheering while you’re blindly sweeping bills off the table with a spatula, hoping something actually lands on your board.

How to Play:

1. Spread paper money or fake bills all over a table.
2. Blindfold one player and give them a spatula and a cutting board.
3. They have 30 seconds to scoop up as much money as they can using only the tools.

15. Marshmallow Knockdown Game

It’s fun in a simple way—more about quick focus than big laughs, and that’s what makes it good for a party lineup.

How to Play:

• Set up two rows of plastic cups on a table.
• Place one marshmallow (with ghost faces drawn) on top of each cup.
• Give each player a party blower.
• On “go,” both players race to blow the marshmallows off their cups.
• The player who clears their entire row first is the winner.

16. Whipped Cream Marshmallow Hunt

If you’ve never seen your family dive face-first into a plate of whipped cream, you’re missing out. The moment someone finds the marshmallow with their mouth, the room just explodes with laughter.

How to Play:

1. Place one small marshmallow on a plate and cover it with whipped cream.
2. Everyone keeps their hands behind their backs.
3. On “Go,” players try to find the marshmallow using only their mouth.

17. Paper Bag Flexibility Game

This one sounds easy until you actually try it. Everyone ends up folding in half like a pretzel trying to pick up the shrinking paper bag. It’s one of those challenges that gets funnier the longer it goes on.

How to Play:

1. Place a paper grocery bag on the floor.
2. Players take turns trying to pick it up using only their mouth — no hands or knees allowed.
3. Each round, cut the bag shorter.
4. The last person still able to lift it wins.

18. No-Hands Underwear Race

This one is absolute chaos — watching people try to put on underwear without using their hands might be the hardest I’ve laughed all year.

How to Play:

1. Give each player a pair of underwear or shorts.
2. Players must put it on using only their feet and body movements.
3. No hands, no help.
4. First one fully “dressed” wins.

19. Ping Pong Blow-Off

It starts out all calm and focused — then everyone’s face turns red from blowing so hard. The competition gets serious fast, especially when that ball barely teeters on the edge of the next cup.

How to Play:

1. Line up several cups filled with water on a table.
2. Place a ping pong ball on the first cup.
3. Players take turns blowing the ball across the row without letting it fall.
4. The farther it goes, the higher the score.

20. Balloon Cup Transfer

I didn’t expect this one to be so intense, but it totally is. You’re just using air from a balloon to move cups, yet everyone turns into a maniac trying to beat the timer.

How to Play:

1. Line up several cups on one side of a table.
2. Blow up a balloon and use the air inside to lift and move each cup to the other side.
3. You can’t touch the cups with your hands.
4. Whoever transfers the most cups in time wins.

21. Speed Stacking Race

There’s something oddly satisfying about this one. It’s fast, focused, and turns into full-on competition mode real quick.

How to Play:

1. Set up two sets of cups in different colors.
2. On “Go,” both players start stacking their cups as quickly as possible.
3. The first person to finish the full stack correctly wins.

22. Twerking Box Challenge

This one is pure comedy gold. The sight of people shaking their hips like their life depends on it — just to get ping pong balls out of a tissue box — is unbeatable.

How to Play:

1. Strap an empty tissue box around each player’s waist and fill it with small balls or feathers.
2. Players must shake, jump, or dance until everything falls out.
3. No hands allowed!
4. The first person to empty their box wins.

23. Blindfold Cup Maze

It’s hilarious watching someone tiptoe through a maze of cups like they’re defusing a bomb.

How to Play:

1. Set up an obstacle course using upside-down plastic cups.
2. Blindfold one player and have them walk through it without knocking anything over.
3. If a cup falls, they start over.
4. The fastest person to make it across wins.

24. Over-Under Relay

This game brings out the team spirit fast. It’s chaotic, loud, and absolutely hilarious when people forget which way to pass the ball.

How to Play:

1. Divide everyone into two teams and have them line up in a straight row.
2. The first player passes the ball over their head to the person behind them.
3. That person passes it forward to the right, the next passes it under their legs to the back, and the next passes it forward to the left.
4. The first team to complete the full sequence wins.

25. Turkey Spin Roulette

This one feels like Thanksgiving turned into a game show. The turkey-themed wheel adds that silly holiday touch, and everyone holds their breath waiting for it to stop.

How to Play:

1. Create a turkey-shaped roulette wheel with numbered sections.
2. Spin the wheel and see which number it lands on.
3. Each number corresponds to a pumpkin with a hidden prize inside.

26. Bottle Maze Ball Drop

It looks simple until you see the chaos happen. The trick is getting those balls into the last cup — it’s harder than it looks and way more entertaining than it should be.

How to Play:

1. Line up water bottles on a table with a plastic cup at the end.
2. Stand at the opposite side and pour balls into the bottle maze.
3. The goal is to get as many balls as possible into the last cup.
4. Play a few rounds and tally up who scored the most.

27. Table Tilt Pong

This one’s sneaky. You think, “Oh, I’ll just roll the ball into a cup,” and then realize the angle messes with you every single time.

How to Play:

1. Set up a table with a slight tilt by stacking something under one side.
2. Place several cups at the end of the table.
3. Players take turns rolling ping pong balls from the top.
4. Each cup has a prize or challenge written on it — whatever you land in, you keep.

28. Human Balloon Train

It’s ridiculous, it’s chaotic, and it’s guaranteed to make everyone laugh until they can’t breathe. Watching people shuffle across the floor, trying not to drop the balloons pressed between them, is pure comedy.

How to Play:

1. Split into teams of 4–5 players.
2. First player runs, grabs a balloon, and comes back.
3. Add one teammate each round, placing a new balloon between bodies — no hands allowed.
4. Keep going until the whole team and all balloons are linked.
5. First team to finish wins.

29. Yes or No Line Game

This one’s sneaky — it starts calm and turns into a social experiment. You think you know where everyone will go, but the moment those tricky questions start coming, people surprise you.

How to Play:

1. Draw one line on the floor — that’s your Yes line.
2. Everyone stands on the same side behind it to start.
3. Ask a question like “Do you like pumpkin pie?”
4. If your answer is Yes, step over the line.
   If it’s No, stay where you are.
5. Keep the questions coming and see who hesitates or changes their mind — that’s where it gets funny.

30. M&M Sorting Race

There’s something oddly therapeutic about this game until the competition kicks in. Everyone starts out calm, sorting candy by color — and then someone speeds up, and suddenly it’s war.

How to Play:

1. Pour a big pile of colorful candies (like M&Ms or Skittles) onto the table.
2. Give each player a few bowls.
3. On “Go,” sort by color as fast as you can.
4. The first person to finish wins.

31. Nail Hammer Relay

Few things get people more focused than trying to hit a nail straight while everyone’s screaming around them. The tension, the teamwork, the near-misses — it turns into pure entertainment.

How to Play:

1. Lightly tap a nail into a wooden board for each team.
2. Players take turns hitting the nail once with a hammer.
3. Keep rotating until one team drives the nail all the way in.

32. Cup Sweep Challenge

The moment this starts, everyone’s energy spikes. Cups flying, people rushing, and that desperate push to get every single one into the basket.

How to Play:

1. Line up two rows of cups across the floor.
2. Place a basket or bin at the end of each row.
3. Players race to scoop and transfer all their cups into the basket.
4. First to clear their line wins.

33. Catch the Ball with a Cup

It looks easy — until it’s not. That split second when the ball bounces and you try to flip the cup just right makes everyone yell.

How to Play:

1. Place a ping pong ball on top of each upside-down cup.
2. Players must flip each cup so that it lands catching the ball inside.
3. Keep moving down the line until all are flipped correctly.
4. Fastest player to finish wins.

34. Balloon Relay Challenge

There’s nothing graceful about this one — and that’s what makes it so fun. Watching people waddle across the floor with balloons squeezed between their legs or under their arms is pure holiday gold.

How to Play:

1. Divide into two teams.
2. Each player holds a balloon between their knees and one under their arm.
3. Race to the chair, loop around, and come back without dropping them.
4. Pass the balloons to the next teammate.
5. First team to finish wins.

35. Water Overflow Challenge

I didn’t think this would get competitive, but everyone turns into a perfectionist once the water line starts rising. You can feel the tension when the cup’s almost full — every drop suddenly feels risky.

How to Play:

1. Set an empty glass in the center.
2. Players take turns adding a small amount of water using another cup.
3. Whoever makes the water overflow takes the dare or loses the round.

36. Booty Scoot Race

The first time I tried this, I cried laughing. You’d think scooting on the floor sounds childish — until you see adults sliding like penguins, racing to their drinks.

How to Play:

1. Line everyone up on the floor, each with a drink at the finish line.
2. On “Go,” players move only by scooting on their butt — no hands, no knees.
3. First one to reach their cup and take a sip wins.

37. Turkey Costume Relay

There’s something so funny about grown adults running in turkey and chicken suits. It’s chaotic, clumsy, and absolutely perfect for Thanksgiving energy.

How to Play:

1. Split into teams and hand out silly animal costumes (turkey, chicken, horse, etc.).
2. Players take turns running an obstacle or relay course in full costume.
3. First team to finish wins the round.
4. Bonus points for the funniest walk or dance.

38. Balloon Pop Battle

Nothing brings out hidden competitiveness like this. You’ll swear people turn into ninjas trying to save their own balloon while popping everyone else’s.

How to Play:

1. Tie a balloon to each player’s ankle using string.
2. On the signal, everyone tries to stomp on others’ balloons while protecting their own.
3. The last person with their balloon still intact wins.

39. Soda Can Roll Game

The moment someone gets close to the prize line, everyone leans in like it’s the Super Bowl. You can’t control the roll, and that unpredictability makes it addictive.

How to Play:

1. Tape several prize lines across a table or floor.
2. Each player gets one soda can.
3. Roll the can so it stops inside the prize zone without crossing the line.
4. Whatever prize line it lands in, you get that reward.

40. Whack-a-Turkey

I swear, this is the most chaotic thing I’ve ever seen at a Thanksgiving party. Once those little “turkeys” start popping their heads through the holes, everyone loses it.

How to Play:

1. Cut several holes into a large cardboard or plastic sheet.
2. Have a few people sit underneath wearing turkey hats and pop up randomly.
3. The other team holds soft foam sticks and tries to “whack” the turkeys.
4. Keep score based on how many hits land in one minute.

41. Animal Sound Match

The first time I played this, I completely lost it. Hearing a room full of blindfolded people moo, bark, or gobble to find their match is something you can’t unsee — or unhear.

How to Play:

1. Split everyone into pairs and assign each pair an animal sound.
2. Blindfold all players and mix them up in the room.
3. On “Go,” everyone starts making their assigned sound to find their partner.
4. The first pairs to reunite win.

42. Blindfold Fruit Grab

You’re blindly reaching for apples and carrots while everyone’s yelling directions — or fake ones just to mess with you.

How to Play:

1. Spread a mix of fruits and veggies on a table.
2. Blindfold two players and give each a bowl.
3. Call out a fruit or vegetable name.
4. The first player to grab the correct one and drop it in their bowl scores a point.

43. Candy Cane Chopsticks

I love how deceptively hard this is. You start thinking it’ll be easy — until you realize those marshmallows don’t cooperate. Everyone gets super focused, and when someone finally nails it, the whole room cheers.

How to Play:

1. Hand each player a pair of candy canes to use like chopsticks.
2. Scatter mini marshmallows or small candies on a table.
3. Players race to pick up as many as possible using only the candy cane.
4. The one with the most at the end wins.

44. Candy Cane Hook Challenge

If you’ve never tried moving candy canes with your mouth, you’re in for a laugh. You’ll end up cheering for people like it’s a professional sport.

How to Play:

1. Place several candy canes on the table.
2. Players hold a candy cane in their mouth like a hook.
3. Without using hands, pick up and move as many candy canes as possible in one minute.
4. The player who transfers the most wins.

45. Follow the Dance

This might be my favorite group game of all time. The first person starts dancing, and every move after that gets weirder and more dramatic. You can’t predict what anyone will do next, but that’s what makes it hilarious.

How to Play:

1. Have everyone stand in a line or circle.
2. The first person starts with one dance move.
3. The next person repeats it and adds their own.
4. Keep the chain going until someone forgets the sequence or breaks the flow.

46. Blindfold Phone Tag

The blindfolded “photographer” stumbles around snapping random photos while everyone else ducks, hides, or sprints across the room. Checking the camera roll afterward is pure gold — blurry faces, half-legs, chaos everywhere.

How to Play:

1. Choose one person to be the photographer and blindfold them.
2. Everyone else spreads out in the room.
3. The photographer tries to snap pictures of people while they dodge out of frame.
4. Anyone clearly visible in a photo is out.

47. Musical Shots

You never know when the music’s gonna stop — and when it does, the unlucky person holding the shot feels the pressure.

How to Play:

1. Gather everyone in a circle and use a round bomb-shaped container or prop.
2. Start playing music and pass it around the circle.
3. When the music stops, the person holding it takes the shot.
4. Keep going until everyone’s had their turn — or had enough.

48. Ball and Cup Bounce

I’ve never seen a room lose it faster than when someone actually lands the ball in the cup. You’re swinging your hips, trying to time the bounce just right, and it feels ridiculous.

How to Play:

1. Tie a cup to your waist and attach a string with a small ball at the end.
2. Players must bounce or swing their hips to get the ball into the cup.
3. No hands allowed.
4. First to land the ball wins.

49. Unwrapping Race

It looks simple, but it’s way harder than it sounds. You’re unrolling what feels like miles of paper while everyone else is shouting at you to hurry up.

How to Play:

1. Give each player a long roll of paper or a tightly wrapped strip.
2. On “Go,” everyone starts unwrapping as fast as they can.
3. First person to completely unravel their roll wins.

50. Musical Chairs Flip Cup

It’s like musical chairs but with cups — and it gets chaotic fast. Everyone’s walking around the table while the music plays, and the second it stops, people dive for a cup and start flipping like crazy.

How to Play:

1. Line up several empty plastic cups on a table — one for each player.
2. Play music while everyone walks around the table.
3. When the music stops, grab the nearest cup and start flipping.
4. The first to land it wins the round (or stays in for the next).

Thanksgiving games add so much joy to the holiday, whether it’s family games, kids games, or simple activities that bring everyone together.

So tell me, which Thanksgiving party idea would you try first, and which game sounds the most fun to you?