Holidays & Entertaining Holidays Thanksgiving 9 Thanksgiving Activities to Make Your Holiday at Home More Fun for Kids and Adults Add a few of these fun things to do on Thanksgiving to your celebration—you might just start a new tradition. By Lisa Milbrand Lisa Milbrand Lisa Milbrand has more than 20 years of experience as a lifestyle writer and editor, writing thousands of articles on topics that help people live better and healthier lives for Real Simple, Parents, and dozens of other top publications. Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines Updated on September 23, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Want to shake up your usual Thanksgiving plans? Just add a few of these easy Thanksgiving activities or games for kids and adults to your Thanksgiving dinner party to make the celebration special. (And who knows? You might find a great new Thanksgiving tradition that sticks.) Activities and things to do on Thanksgiving Day 01 of 09 Guess the gratitude Sharing what you're grateful for is a time-honored tradition, but this year, turn it on its head. Have your friends or family members write down something a little uncommon that they're grateful for (no "family" or "good health"). Then have everyone else try to guess who is thankful for Ted Lasso or TikTok. 02 of 09 Create a design challenge While we have plenty of ideas for gorgeous Thanksgiving table decor, why not put your guests to work making your table beautiful? Gather some goodies from craft stores and farmers' markets and let them have at it. (This works great for virtual get togethers with far-flung relatives, too! You can even pick the same raw materials for each house and see who gets the most creative with it to make it a more competitive game.) 03 of 09 Test their knowledge If your crew loves trivia, put together a customized set of questions about your loved ones—and see who remembers the name of your daughter's favorite stuffed animal or which grandma's middle name is Louise. 04 of 09 Send them off on a scavenger hunt Create a list of offbeat or Thanksgiving-themed items your guests should go hunt down. (Just make sure you don't have them snag a turkey baster or other tool you're still using for cooking your Thanksgiving dinner.) You can make some of the must-dos videos or photos they need to make (i.e., take a picture of something you're grateful for, gobble like a turkey), and show those during dessert. 05 of 09 Serve a signature cocktail Mix up a batch of a special cocktail especially for the day. Apple cider cocktails are a natural fit. 06 of 09 Have a Thanksgiving-themed cooking class Set up a get-together or Zoom call where you can have your mom, BFF, or another friend or family member show their tricks for a perfect pie crust, a fun Thanksgiving cocktail, or a killer leftover sandwich. 07 of 09 Make an all-natural craft Take a walk on Thanksgiving to search out pretty fallen leaves, pine cones, acorns, and other cool finds and get creative with them. (Un-crunched fall leaves make pretty name cards when you write on them with metallic markers, or use them to make a feathery tail for a Thanksgiving turkey.) 08 of 09 Have a pie contest Have everyone bring their version of a Thanksgiving pie, and let your guests taste test and declare a winner. 09 of 09 Include a tasting Thanksgiving dinner may be the main event, but you can have a little more culinary fun. While wine, beer, whiskey, and other spirits may be traditional tastings, you can try several different takes on a family favorite food, too—i.e., different chocolates, types of apples, or cheeses. Have everyone taste a nibble and talk about what they like or don't. (No need to get fancy about mouth feel or notes, unless that's your thing!) Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit