50 Family Activities for Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is the official start of the holiday season. It's time to gather with your friends and family to share Thanksgiving dinner and reflect on everything that you're grateful for. You can celebrate the entire month of November in a variety of ways with Thanksgiving activities for families that will keep everyone busy and entertained. Be inspired to plan your own memorable month-long celebration with this list of 50 family activities for Thanksgiving.

• Watch the Macy's parade. Celebrate the beginning of the holiday season with larger than life balloons, unbelievable floats, and a roster of non-stop entertainment. Learn more about the history of America's favorite parade.
• Visit a farm. This is the time of the year when farms open and welcome the public to their fall festivals. These festivals are brimming over with fall fun. Bring the entire family and get lost in a corn maze, sample the local food, play a fall-inspired game, and go on a hayride. Don't forget to take plenty of pictures because fall photo ops will be everywhere.
• Start a gratitude journal. Take the time to jot down all the things that you're grateful for. Read your entries during the year as a reminder that there is always something to be grateful for.
• Start decorating for Christmas. After you've devoured dinner, why not start decorating for Christmas? It's never too early to tap into a little holiday magic.
• Make a plan for Black Friday. Where will you go? What will you buy? Black Friday can be overwhelming but with a little bit of planning, it won't be. Before you brave the crowds, make a shopping plan. Sift through all the Black Friday ads here to get the best deals.
• Go for a walk after dinner. Feeling full? After you eat Thanksgiving dinner, why not step out into nature? Take a walk around your neighborhood or a park to burn some calories.
• Go to a matinee. Most businesses will be closed on Thanksgiving but some theaters are usually open. Bring the entire family out to watch a new flick.
• Watch football. Football has become an exciting part of Thanksgiving traditions. There will be 3 highly anticipated NFL football games you can watch on Thanksgiving Day. You can learn more about the history of football on Thanksgiving and check out the NFL Thanksgiving Day schedule.
• Cook Thanksgiving dinner together. Cooking Thanksgiving meals solo can be stressful for even the most seasoned family chef. Alleviate that stress by turning it into a family affair. Get everyone involved in planning the menu, the prep work, and the cooking.
• Volunteer to serve meals to others. Before you have your Thanksgiving dinner, why not spend Thanksgiving morning serving meals to a family in need? Find an opportunity to volunteer near you at Feeding America.
• Participate in a fun run. Running in a Thanksgiving marathon or a Turkey Trot is a great way to stay on top of your fitness goals.
• Play Thanksgiving bingo. Host a Thanksgiving themed bingo night. Download a ready-made bingo card or whip up your own bingo cards with Bingo Baker.
• Go on a Thanksgiving scavenger hunt. While everyone is waiting for dinner, put on a Thanksgiving scavenger hunt. Hand out a list of items to find. Provide some clues. Give out prizes to everyone that completes the scavenger hunt.
• Make a Thanksgiving table centerpiece. Set the table with a beautiful centerpiece. Get inspired with fall flowers, candles, pine cones, and pumpkins.
• Check out the changing leaves. Get out for a walk or take a short drive to look at all the beautiful colors of fall.
• Make a fall wreath. Welcome the season with a wreath on the front door of your home. Adorn a wreath form with fall flowers, leaves, mini pumpkins, burlap, pine cones, wheat, and any other seasonal elements you love.
• Send Thanksgiving cards. Thanksgiving is a wonderful opportunity to send well-wishes and to express thanks to all the people in your life. Send a greeting to family, friends, teachers, neighbors, teachers, doctors, colleagues, partners, and anyone else that plays an important role in your life.
• Put a puzzle together. While you're waiting on the turkey, Challenge yourself and your family by putting together a special puzzle with a Thanksgiving theme.
• Arrange a fall bouquet. Visit your local florist and pick out some pretty fresh cut fall blooms. Arrange your flowers in a vase and place them on your dinner table, near an entryway, or on a countertop.
• Play cornhole. Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity for the family to gather outdoors for some friendly competition. Discover the origins and rules of the game at The American Cornhole Organization.
• Decorate the front porch. Set the tone for Thanksgiving with a cozy front porch. Combine fall favorites like dried cornstalk, pumpkins, mums, lanterns, and bales of hay to create a welcoming entrance to your home.
• Research the history of Thanksgiving. Learn more about the traditions, origins, and history of Thanksgiving.
• Look at family photo albums. Thanksgiving is a great time to bring out all your family photo albums for everyone to look through. Looking through family photos will bring back old memories.
• Plan a Friendsgiving. Celebrate friendship and Thanksgiving. Invite your friends over for a feast. Usually planned before or on Thanksgiving Day, these modern gatherings are great because not everybody can make it home for the holidays.
• Roast marshmallows. Start a cozy fire in a fire pit. Gather your family to warm up by the fire and roast marshmallows for a delicious Pre-Thanksgiving treat.
• Host a Pie swap. Bake a pie to share with your neighbors. Everyone will end up with a variety of delicious pies. This gathering is great for socializing and exchanging pie recipes.
• Go camping. Take advantage of time off for the holidays and recharge with a family camping trip.
• Go to a pumpkin patch. Visit a pumpkin patch and pick out some pumpkins to take home. Use them in your Thanksgiving decor.
• Hang up a collage of family photos. Set up a family photo gallery. Designate a space within your Thanksgiving decor to hang up some family photos. When your family members come over for Thanksgiving, ask them to bring some pictures to add to the collage.
• Write a message. Add some flair to your Thanksgiving tablescape with a special message, quote, or a question. Write it on a place card and lay it on a plate or wrap it around a napkin.
• Set up a special table for the kids. Keep the little ones in your family entertained with a craft table. Set out crayons, markers, and colored pencils. Cover the table with Kraft paper that little artists can draw on. Stock up the table with plenty of Thanksgiving coloring sheets. Download a variety of FREE Thanksgiving inspired printables from All Kids Network.
• Set up a video call for family members that can't visit. Unfortunately, not everyone can travel to be with their loved ones over the holiday. Luckily, modern technology can help your family stay connected and included until you can all meet again.
• Watch family videos. Thanksgiving is a great time to bring out your family videos. Take a stroll down memory lane and watch some of your family's most precious moments together.
• Set up a gratitude wall. Invite everyone in your family to write down all the things that they feel grateful for on a post-it note. Place it on a dedicated spot such as a large mirror or a wall where everyone can view them.
• Complete a Thanksgiving Crossword Puzzle. While your family is waiting for Thanksgiving dinner, challenge them with a crossword puzzle. Give out prizes to everyone that completes the puzzle. Generate your own FREE crossword puzzle at Crossword Labs.
• Watch the U.S. President pardon a turkey. One of the most well-known Thanksgiving traditions is the turkey pardoning. Each year, the Commander-In-Chief pardons a turkey sparing it from the Thanksgiving dinner table. Wondering how this tradition began? Learn all about it at The White House Historical Association.
• Organize your own Thanksgiving parade. Get everyone in your neighborhood involved. Decorate bikes, scooters, and wagons. Wear costumes. Don't forget to wave at the crowd!
• Organize a food drive. Collect food donations from family, friends, or neighbors. Bring all the donations to your local food pantry. Search for a food pantry near you.
• Serve Thanksgiving brunch. No need to starve until the big feast. Serve a brunch that will satisfy everyone until turkey is served.
• Hang up a holiday sign. Decorate with a Thanksgiving-inspired piece of wall art that everyone will admire. Hang one on your front porch or in your home.
• Sample everything pumpkin spice. Pumpkin spice season and Thanksgiving coincide with one another. Host a pumpkin spice tasting party to celebrate all things pumpkin spice. Some brands are offering a version of one of your favorites for a limited time. Coffee, hot-chocolate, cream cheese, pretzels, butter, whipped cream, and coffee creamer have all been given a tasty pumpkin spice upgrade.
• Watch a Thanksgiving special. Most streaming services have put together a suggested holiday lineup. Watch a classic and one you've never seen before.
• Build your family tree. Building your family tree is a great activity that can be done together. Start with some old family photographs to identify family members to add to your tree. Since your family will be gathering for the holidays, they might be able to fill in any missing blanks.
• Go on a family fishing trip. Immerse yourself in nature, spend time with the ones you love, and maybe catch some fish.
• Teach your kids how to write “Thank You” notes. Thanksgiving is a great time to teach kids penmanship. Get them involved with writing “Thank You” notes, applying stamps, and dropping their notes off at the post office.
• Start a gratitude tree. Encourage your family to write down what they’re grateful for on a paper leaf and hang it on the tree. Read a few out loud as a reminder of the important things in life.
• Plant a fall garden. Add pretty pops of mesmerizing color throughout your garden. Chrysanthemum, aster, pansy, black-eyed susan, and sweet alyssum are all perfect plants for fall.
• Bake some fall-inspired cookies. Offer another post-Thanksgiving dinner dessert option besides pie. Bake a batch of cookies and let the kids decorate them.
• Wear a special nod to Thanksgiving. Show up to Thanksgiving dinner in a special tee that lets everyone know how you really feel.
• Dress up your dog. Include your furry friend in all the Thanksgiving excitement. Dress your dog in a special fall-inspired bandana, hat, costume, or sweater.

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Looking for more family activities during the holiday season?

• 50 Family Activities for Hanukkah
• 50 Family Activities for Christmas
• 50 Family Activities for New Year's Eve